• Centers and Departments
• Back to Programs and Services
• Outpatient Cardiovascular Clinic
• Advanced Heart Failure Clinic
• Arrhythmia Service
• Atrial Fibrillation Clinic
• Cardiovascular Clinical Physiology Laboratory
• Diabetic Heart Disease Program
• General Cardiology
• Lipid Clinic
• Peripheral Vascular Clinic
• Russian Cardiovascular Clinic
  • Heart and Health Event
  • Dr. Eli Gelfand, Clinic Director
  • Alla Shamkhalova, Clinic Manager
  • Larissa Engleman, Nurse Practitioner
• Women's Cardiovascular Health Program

Russian Cardiovascular Clinic

Director: Eli V. Gelfand, MD, FACC
Appointments: 617-667-4811

Care for Russian-American Patients

Heart disease is a substantial problem for Russian immigrants, due to a high prevalence of past and current smoking and a traditional Russian diet high in starch, animal fats and sodium and relatively low in fruits and vegetables.

The clinic specializes in providing Russian American patients with culturally sensitive, comprehensive cardiovascular care, including diagnosis and treatment of:

• Hypertension
• Atherosclerosis
• Angina
• Myocardial infarction
• Arrhythmias
• Valvular heart disease
• Aortic disease
• Congenital heart disease
• Other heart problems

Communication in Native Russian

Communication in native Russian and help in understanding the American health care system are two of the special services provided by Eli V. Gelfand, MD, FACC. A board-certified, Russian-born, fully U.S.-educated cardiologist, Dr. Gelfand has additional training in echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Also key resources in helping Russian-born patients in navigate American medicine are Alla Shamkhalova, manager of the Russian CardioVascular Institute, and Nurse Practitioner Larissa Engleman, MSN, ANP.