MSTCVS QC – Meet the Directors

Andrew L. Pruitt. MD has been a member of the MSTCVS since 1998 and has served as St. Joseph Mercy Hospital (SJMH) in Ann Arbor MSTCVS Quality Collaborative’s Surgeon Champion since 2005.  He is board-certified in thoracic surgery and became the section head of Cardio Thoracic Surgery at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor in 2002 serving until 2012, which included quality monitoring and service as Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery for the years 2009-2013.  From 2014-2016, he held the position of Chairman of the Department of Surgery within Integrated HealthCare Association (IHA). 

Dr. Pruitt graduated from medical school with Highest Distinction as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 1990.  He completed his residency in general surgery and a fellowship in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis.   After medical school he served in the US Army Reserve for 19 years, completing his service with the rank of Lt. Colonel. 

Dr. Pruitt has been married to Jenny Cotton Pruitt, MD, PhD for 31 years and has two boys, Nate and Jackson. He enjoys cycling, travelling, and crossword puzzles, although, he has been known to cheat at the latter.

Francis D. Pagani, MD, PhD
Associate Director

Francis D. Pagani, MD, PhD graduated Georgetown University Medical School in 1986.  He completed a Surgical Internship and Residency at Georgetown University Hospital in 1988.  From 1988 to 1990, he was a Research Fellow in Cardiovascular Surgery at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.  In 1990, Dr. Pagani returned to Georgetown University Hospital where he completed a Surgical Residency and was named Chief Resident in Surgery. He completed a Thoracic Surgery Residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1995.

Dr. Pagani has been a member of the MSTCVS since 2005.  He is certified by The American Board of Thoracic Surgery and is the Otto Gago MD Professor in Cardiac Surgery at Michigan Medicine. His clinical focus includes surgical therapies for advanced heart failure including heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support, complex re-operative surgery for valvular heart disease, congenital heart disease in the adult, and surgery for coronary artery disease. Dr. Pagani also serves as the surgical lead for the multidisciplinary Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy program and has an active practice in surgical treatments (myectomies) for this disorder. He also serves as the surgical lead for The Center for Circulatory Support (VAD Program). Dr. Pagani has an active research program supported, in part, by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). His research focuses on the bioengineering development and clinical testing of mechanical circulatory support devices in the treatment of end-stage heart disease, clinical health outcomes research, and use of stem cell transplantation for myocardial regeneration.

Dr. Pagani and his wife, Nancy and daughter, Monica have been members of the Ann Arbor community since 1993.  Dr. Pagani is an avid skier and enjoys mountaineering, travel, photography and reading, particularly about historical events and people.

Rishi Reddy, MD, MBA
General Thoracic Associate Director

Rishi Reddy, MD, MBA earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at Northwestern University, and completed his general surgery residency at Washington University-Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. His spent two years during his residency, as a Clinical Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. He completed his Thoracic Surgery residency at the University of Washington and was a visiting fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dr. Reddy’s clinical interests include all aspects of general thoracic surgery including thoracic oncology, minimally invasive techniques, pectus repair and therapy for end-stage lung disease including transplantation and lung volume reduction surgery.

His academic interests include improving outcomes for patients with thoracic cancers, molecular targeting for thoracic cancers, resident and medical student education. He is a Professor in Thoracic Surgery at the University of Michigan and the Director of the Center for Surgical Innovation, the Chair of the UM-Comprehensive Robotic Surgery Program and the Endowed José José Alvarez Professor of Thoracic Oncology Research.

Dr. Reddy was born and raised in Michigan.