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Ganesh Merugu, MD Program Director
Dr. Merugu is board certified in family medicine and geriatric medicine. He earned
his medical degree at Gandhi Medical College in India, and completed a residency in
family medicine at the University of Illinois at Peoria in Illinois. He continued
his education by completing a fellowship in geriatric medicine at the Albert Einstein
Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During his training, he developed an
interest and skills in teaching and received the 2015 Resident Teacher of the Year
award from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.
Dr. Merugu’s philosophy of care centers on patients and their safety. His aim as a
geriatric physician is to restore the independence of patients and increase the dignity
and quality of their lives. He supports his patients in independently performing daily
activities, which is one of the foremost prognosis indicators in the geriatric population.
He seeks to identify patients’ medical, cultural, psychological, spiritual, emotional,
and social needs. His patients are encouraged to participate in the development and continual updating
of their individualized plan of care. He greatly values the involvement of family
and friends in determining what is and was important in his patients' lives.
Dr. Merugu’s clinical interests include frailty syndrome, polypharmacy, and wound
care in long-term care settings. He would like to work on a project to improve the
factors which cause frailty syndrome long-term care facilities. Having worked in three
long-term care facilities, Dr. Merugu aims to improve these facilities’ ratings on
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Five-Star Quality Rating System.
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Zahra Aftab, M.D. Faculty
Dr. Zahra Aftab is board certified in family medicine and geriatrics. She earned her
medical degree from King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan. She completed
her residency through The University of Toledo College of Medicine/ St. Luke's Hospital
Family Medicine Residency Program in Toledo, Ohio and continued her education by completing
the program's geriatric medicine fellowship.
Dr. Aftab's philosophy of care encompasses the idea of providing medical care in a
way that does not appear to be burdensome for her patient population. She strongly
believes in her elder patient's autonomy and input in making healthcare decisions
for themselves. Dr. Aftab's special interests include frailty, malnutrition and healthy
aging, as well as transitions of care and working to enable her patient's independence
in the community.
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Anu Garg, M.D. Faculty
Dr. Garg is a native of India and she earned her medical degree in India. She completed
her Internal Medicine residency at The University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. Dr.
Garg continued her training at Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida where she completed
a fellowship in geriatric medicine. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatric
Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
Dr. Garg’s clinical interests include memory loss and osteoporosis.
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Cletus Iwuagwu, M.D., CMD Faculty
Dr. Iwuagwu is a naturalized citizen of the United States of American, born in Nigeria.
He earned his medical degree from Universidad Central Del Este, San Pedro de Macoris
in the Dominican Republic and completed his Internal Medicine Residency at North General
Hospital, Program D of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Dr. Iwuagwu continued
his training at University Hospitals of Cleveland, Program A of Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland where he completed a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine. He
is board certified in American Board of Internal Medicine Geriatrics. He is a Certified
Medical Director (CMD) for Long-Term Care.
He has presented at several national and regional conferences and has written multiple
publications.
Dr. Iwuagwu’s clinical interests include dementia, cardiovascular disorders, hypertension,
and diabetes.
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Ammar Kayyali, M.D. Faculty
Dr. Kayyali earned his medical degree from Al Quds University Medical School in Jerusalem,
Palestine. He completed his internal medicine residency here at the University of
Toledo Medical Center and his geriatric medicine fellowship at William Beaumont Hospital
in Royal Oak, Michigan.
Dr. Kayyali's philosophy of care focuses on listening to his patients and developing
a care plan centered around increasing their health as well as their quality of life.
Dr. Kayyali's clinical interests are Falls, Delirium, and Transitions of Care.
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Kate Szymanski, D.O. Faculty
Dr. Szymanski is board certified in family medicine and board eligible for geriatrics.
She earned her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic
Medicine in East Lansing, Michigan. She completed her family medicine residency at
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Brighton, Michigan. Dr. Szymanski then continued her
training with a fellowship in geriatric medicine at The University of Toledo in Toledo,
Ohio.
Dr. Szymanski’s philosophy of care focuses on whole patient care and optimization.
She believes that patients should take an active role in their health and wellness
with long term goals in mind. She continues to incorporate her osteopathic teachings,
including Osteopathic Manipulation, to provide whole patient care for older adults.
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