Paul Burns, MD
Director of Heart Failure Surgery, The Valley Hospital
Dr. Burns is a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon in general surgery and thoracic surgery, who joined Valley in 2023. He specializes in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) procedures and various aspects of cardiovascular surgery, including coronary artery surgery, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures, minimally invasive valve techniques, mitral valve repair, and replacements and surgery on aortic dissections and aneurysms. He received his medical degree from Columbia University. He completed a general surgery residency at Harvard Medical School, and fellowships in cardiothoracic surgical research at Harvard Medical School and cardiothoracic surgery at Cornell Medical School.
Kariann Abbate, MD
Director, Center for Comprehensive Heart Failure Care, The Valley Hospital
Dr. Abbate is a board-certified cardiologist in advanced heart failure who joined Valley in 2014. She received her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical College and has been involved in several clinical research trials. Kariann specializes in advanced heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and women’s heart issues. Using a holistic approach to patient care, she sees and treats each patient as an individual and targets treatment to an individual’s needs.
Samit Shah, MD
Director, Mechanical Circulatory Support Program, The Valley Hospital
Dr. Shah is a board-certified cardiologist who joined Valley in 2025. He specializes in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology; pulmonary hypertension; infiltrative disorders, such as cardiac amyloidosis and sarcoidosis; and mechanical support, such as left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Using a patient-centered approach, he aspires to help patients and their loved ones understand their current situation and help them navigate their options to accomplish their personal goals, while helping them to be empowered and engaged in their personalized treatment plans.
Dr. Shah received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, New York. He completed a residency in internal medicine at New York University Langone, where he also served as chief resident, a cardiovascular fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a fellowship in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut.
Nancy Elmann, RN, MSN, CCRN, CHFN, VAD-C, NP-C, APN
VAD Coordinator, The Valley Hospital
Nancy is a board-certified nurse practitioner specializing in heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. She joined Valley in 2020 and has been a registered nurse since 1998. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from William Paterson University and her master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Nancy has an extensive background as a ventricular assist coordinator, cardiac director, and cardiac transplant coordinator. She also has experience in the development of Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) programs and the Shared Caring LVAD program. Nancy has lectured internationally on mechanical circulatory support and is passionate about advanced therapies and the several etiologies of heart failure. She enjoys mentoring and precepting NP students and teaching her patients about their disease process.