Meet the RMCVA Providers
Claudia Benedict MD, FACC
General Cardiology
Dr. Benedict was born and raised in Ohio and attended college at the University of Colorado, where she graduated with a degree in molecular biology. She then attended the University of Cincinnati Medical School. She returned to do her residency and fellowship at Presbyterian/St Luke's Hospital here in Denver.
Dr Benedict's medical interests include heart failure, and echocardiography. She also focuses on the specific issues of women's health. When she's not practicing medicine, she enjoys skiing, fly fishing, and especially being a mom.
John C Breckinridge MD, FACC
General Cardiology
Dr Breckinridge attended Harvard College in Massachusetts, and after graduation in 1961, he went on to receive his MD from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. He stayed east for his internship at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, but made his way to Colorado in 1970 to complete his residence and fellowship at the University of Colorado. He has been in practice with the RMCVA group since 1983.
In his spare time, Dr Breckinridge enjoys spending time at home with his family. He also can be found playing bluegrass music or reading, and he makes sure to stay active with regular exercise and travel.
William Gurdin MD, FACC
General Cardiology
After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1987, Dr. Gurdin attended the Sackler School of Medicine New York State/American Program at Tel Aviv University. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY in 1996. He completed his cardiology fellowship at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri before joining the Rocky Mountain Cardiovascular Associates practice in July of 1999.
Dr. Gurdin is currently board certified in Cardiovascular Diseases, Nuclear Cardiology, and Cardiovascular Computerized Tomography (CT). His areas of interest include valvular heart disease and acute coronary syndrome. Dr. Gurdin is trained in cardiac catheterization, nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).
In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, hiking, learning to play golf, and spending time with his son.
Robert Henson MD, FACC
General Cardiology
Robert Henson is originally from the largest wine making town in rural Missouri. He first moved to Denver in 1989 for his internal medicine residency. He has called Denver home ever since, and was an internist for six years before beginning a cardiology fellowship at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, where he also did research in cardiac MRI. Dr Henson came back to Colorado in June of 1999 to join the Rocky Mountain Cardiovascular practice.
Dr. Henson is currently Board Certified in Cardiovascular Disease. His areas of interest include consultative cardiology, echocardiography, and congestive heart failure. Dr. Henson's special area of interest is cardiac MRI. With the assistance of Denver NMR and Rocky Mountain Cardiovascular Associates, the Rocky Mountains' first comprehensive cardiac MRI program has been developed at Denver NMR.
In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, hiking, biking and practicing his fly-casting in the numerous Colorado rivers.
Kelly Kim MD, FACC FHRS
General Cardiology/Electrophysiology
Dr Kim attended Brown University for both university and medical school. He left Rhode Island in 1994 and headed north to Boston, where he completed his internship and residency at Beth Israel Hospital. In 1997, he moved to Seattle, Washington for his fellowship in cardiology. He furthered his cardiology studies by doing a second fellowship in electrophysiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 2000. Dr Kim became a Rocky Mountain Cardiovascular physician in 2001.
As an electrophysiologist, Dr Kim's professional medical expertise is the electrical system of the heart. His interests include pacemakers and defibrillators, as well as electrophysiology (EP) studies and ablations, in which heart rate disturbances are rectified by damaging the electrical tissue to allow the heart's normal rhythm to resume.
Always on the move, Dr Kim's hobbies include skiing, traveling, and running. he also enjoys classical music and spending time with his kids.
Jody Kleinman MD, FACC FACP
General Cardiology
Before attending medical school, Dr Kleinman studied History of Art at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. After receiving her MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Kleinman stayed in the Bronx for her internship and residency. In 1986, she moved to Los Angeles for a cardiology fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. In 1989, Dr Kleinman moved to Denver to join the faculty at the University of Colorado Medical Center before joining the Rocky Mountain Cardiovascular practice in 1991.
Dr Kleinman's particular medical specialties include consultative cardiology, cardiac catheterization, temporary and permanent pacemaker placement, transthoracic and transesophogeal echocardiography, and holter monitoring.
When she's not working, Dr Kleinman enjoys spending time with her teenage children, her husband, and their dog. She stays active by bicycling, hiking, and skiing, and she also enjoys reading and traveling.
Donald Thompson MD, FACC
General Cardiology
Dr Thompson grew up in Oklahoma and attended Oklahoma State University, where he graduated with a degree in psychology. After college he worked in Arkansas as a psychology assistant, and completed a Master's Degree in clinical psychology in Mississippi. He spent 11 years in Boise, Idaho working for the state of Idaho, initially as a psychologist and then as a manager/administrator for a state facility.
Dr Thompson's medical journey began 13 years after those of most of his classmates. He completed medical school at the University of Oklahoma and his internship and residency at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He then moved on to a cardiology fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Thompson practices general adult cardiology, but has a special interest in valvular heart disease and congestive heart failure. He has maintained an interest in the psychological aspects of health care including those related to cardiac conditions. Throughout his cardiology practice, he has been with Rocky Mountain Cardiovascular Associates, PC. He is an active representative for our group and medical staff.
Tatiana O. Tsvetkova MD, FACC
General Cardiology
Dr Tsvetkova earned her Physician Diploma, with honors, at the Leningrad Medical Institute in 1989. Dr Tsvetkova moved to the United States in 1996 and completed her residency and fellowship in cardiology at the University of Colorado. After receiving advanced training in heart failure and echocardiography, she joined the RMCVA doctors in practice in 2006. Dr Tsvetkova is particular interested in the diagnosis and care of chronic heart failure.
Dr. Tsvetkova enjoys spending time with her two teenage daughters. She also enjoys practicing yoga and traveling, and looks forward to going to her two favorite places: Paris and Italy.
Martin G Yussman MD, FACC
General Cardiology
Dr Yussman grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. He left Kentucky briefly to attend college in Wisconsin, but returned for medical school at the University of Louisville, and graduated in 1997. He then moved to Ohio, where he completed his internship, residency and fellowship at the University of Cincinnati. His love of the mountains helped convince Dr Yussman to move to Colorado, and he joined the RMCVA group in 2004. Dr Yussman's medical interests include chronic heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and reducing your risk for cardiovascular disease and its complications.
Outside of the hospital, Dr Yussman enjoys staying active by going to the gym, running, and snowboarding.
Martin Fejka MD, FACC
Peripheral/Interventional Cardiology
Dr Fejka completed medical school at the University of Pavol Jozef Safarik in Czechoslovakia in 1986. In 1996, Dr Fejka moved to the United States where he completed a residency and fellowship at Saint Louis University in Missouri. From Missouri, Dr Fejka moved to Michigan, where he served as Chief Cardiology Fellow from 2001-2002 at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI. He then completed an interventional fellowship at St. John Hospital at Wayne State University in Detroit, and came to Colordo to join the RMCVA physicians in 2003.
Dr Fejka specializes in peripheral arterial disease, which refers to the arteries away from the heart. His major focus is atherectomy for claudication and limb salvage. That is, removing plaque and blockages in peripheral arteries to resolve limb pain and numbness and to ensure that oxygen and nutrients are able to adequately fuel the arms, legs, fingers, and toes.
Away from the hospital, Dr Fejka enjoys hockey, skiing, reading, playing the saxophone and, most importantly, spending time with his family, including his son and daughter.
Timothy W. Leavitt MD, FACC
Interventional Cardiology
Dr Leavitt graduated from the University of Chicago in 1967 and from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1971. He then moved to Ohio for his internship and residency, and then on to Texas for his fellowship in cardiology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Dallas before making his way back to Colorado. He has been in practice with the RMCVA doctors since 1978.
When not seeing patients, Dr Leavitt enjoys music, skiing, and fishing.
Douglas R Martel MD, FACC
Interventional Cardiology
Dr Martel received his MD degree at the University of Texas Medical School in 1984, and then moved to North Carolina for an internship at Duke University Medical Center. He moved to Colorado in 1987 for his internship and fellowship in cardiology at the University of Colorado Health Science Center, where he practiced until 1991. Dr Martel is board certified in Cardiovascular Diseases and Interventional Cardiology.
Dr Martel is very interested in the preventative aspects of cardiology. he enjoys helping patients learn healthy lifestyle modifications to better manage their cardiovascular issues, which can greatly increase the likelihood of achieving their goals for health and wellness.
When he's away from work, Dr Martel can often be found coming down tall mountains, either on his mountain bike or his snow skis, depending on the weather. Dr Martel takes advantage of all Colorado has to offer, but he also enjoys traveling to new and exciting places.
Jerry S Miklin MD, FACC
Interventional Cardiology
A Denver native, Dr Miklin attended both university and medical school at the University of Colorado. After receiving his MD in 1978, he headed west to the University of Utah, where he completed his residency in internal medicine and cardiology, followed by a fellowship in cardiovascular disease. Moving back to Colorado, he joined the RMCVA practice in 1983.
Dr Miklin is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology, and is chief of the Cardiac Service Line at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center. Dr Miklin was twice named a Top Doctor by Denver's 5280 magazine, most recently in 2009.
As an active runner and skier, Dr Miklin stays in shape and enjoys the world-famous Colorado skiing. Outside of the hospital or clinic, you will often find him playing golf or fixing almost anything around the house. He also enjoys spending as much time as he can with his wife and their five children.
Jeffrey Rubinstein MD, FACC
Interventional Cardiology
Dr Rubinstein grew up in Syracuse NY and graduated from Yale University in 1976. After four years at the University of North Carolina Medical School in Chapel Hill, he traveled north to Boston City Hospital for training in internal medicine. He completed a critical care fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and then a cardiology fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He developed a research interest in reperfusion injury, but ultimately went into private practice when he joined the RMCVA practice in 1990.
He is board certified in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology. He has a specific interest in new technical advances of interventional cardiology, but is also interested in the issues faced by elderly individuals regarding cardiac disease and care.
He spends most of his free time raising his three children and staying physically active by enjoying skiing and mountain biking.
Rajesh Sharma MD, FACC FSCAI
Peripheral/Interventional Cardiology
Born in Champaign, Illinois, he was raised in Alabama where he was the valedictorian of his high school class. After attending Baylor University, he stayed in Texas for medical school, graduating from UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. Dr. Sharma did his medical residency at Barnes Hospital/Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri before completing a general cardiology fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Given his interest in interventional cardiology and peripheral vascular disease, he completed an interventional cardiology and endovascular fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, Presbyterian Hospital. He is board certified in Cardiovascular Diseases and Interventional Cardiology.
Dr Sharma is the clinical research director at RMCVA. His particular interests include peripheral vascular disease and developing a percutaneous valve program.
Dr Sharma enjoys outdoor activities, traveling, and meeting people with diverse cultural backgrounds. When he's not working, he is most likely to be found spending time with his family, enjoying Colorado.
Scott R Valent MD, FACC
Interventional Cardiology
Dr Valent received his BA and his MD from the University of Vermont (in 1985 and 1990, respectively). During medical school, he took one year off and traveled through Southeast Asia and South America, and worked in hospitals in Thailand and Australia. He went back to Vermont to finish school, and then moved to the University of Arizona for his residency in internal medicine. Dr Valent worked as an emergency room physician before beginning his cardiology fellowship at the University of Colorado in 1995. Dr Valent's particular interest is in interventional cardiology. He has been in practice with RMCVA since 1988.
Outside of the hospital, Dr Valent is most likely to be found in the mountains with his wife and their four children. When he's not outside telemark skiing in the winter, or playing tennis, backpacking, or fly-fishing, Dr Valent enjoys relaxing with a good book.
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