The Cardiovascular Care Group

12/10/2025

What exactly is a Fistulagram — and why is it so important for people with kidney disease undergoing dialysis? 🩺

A Fistulagram is a minimally invasive imaging procedure that evaluates how well a dialysis fistula or graft is functioning. Over time, these access points can develop narrowing, blockages, or clots, which can reduce blood flow and affect the quality of dialysis.

During the procedure, a small catheter is placed into your access and contrast dye is used so blood vessels show clearly on X-ray.
If a problem is detected, it can often be treated on the spot with angioplasty, clot removal, or stent placement — all designed to restore proper flow.

This simple outpatient procedure helps keep your dialysis access working and may help avoid more invasive surgery down the line.

If you’re experiencing access issues or have questions, our vascular specialists are here to help.

👉 Learn more at https://hubs.ly/Q03Xrnt_0

12/08/2025

MONDAY MEETUP - Each Monday we feature a different vascular surgeon, nurse practitioner, or staff member so you can get to know them better . . .

WHO: Daniel I. Fremed, MD FACS joined the Cardiovascular Care Group in 2017, after successfully completing his residency in Vascular surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York.

WHAT: His clinical interests include abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease, carotid artery disease, mesenteric and renal artery disease, dialysis access creation and maintenance, as well as disorders of the venous system. He has published and presented on many of these areas of interest.

WHY: "I'm passionate about vascular surgery because I'm in a unique position to help people when they're at their toughest point in their life ... my philosophy is to not only provide excellent vascular care but to be an advocate for patients navigating a very complex system."

11/27/2025

🍁 Happy Thanksgiving from The Cardiovascular Care Group! 🦃

As we gather with family and friends, we are especially grateful for our incredible patients, dedicated staff, and the communities we serve across New Jersey.

Your trust in our team inspires us every day, and we are honored to be part of your health and wellness journey.

Wishing you a holiday filled with warmth, gratitude, and good health.
Happy Thanksgiving! 🍂❤️

11/25/2025

Always delighted to share the positive experiences our patients have with our doctors.

"I have always had a good experience with Dr. Sundick and his staff. Dr. Sundick is professional, knowledgeable, and has a very calming manner which I greatly appreciate. The staff is always friendly and helpful. My calls are returned promptly and scheduling is done with ease. It's such a pleasure dealing with everyone. Thank you for your exceptional patient care!" - Kathy W.

11/23/2025

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Meet Stephanie Araujo! 🌟

Westfield Office Manager & Medical Assistant

Today we’re excited to shine a spotlight on Stephanie Araujo, the driving force behind our Westfield office. With her can-do attitude and willingness to jump in wherever needed, Stephanie helps ensure our office runs seamlessly every single day. She’s not only an incredible support to our doctors and staff — she’s a calming, trusted presence for our patients.

🌿 Her Journey Before TCVCG
Before joining The Cardiovascular Care Group, Stephanie worked at Advocare Pediatric Ophthalmology Associates, and prior to that at Trinitas Hospital in both Pulmonology and Cardiology. Her background in patient-focused care shows in everything she does.

🩺 Her Role Here
As Office Manager and Medical Assistant, Stephanie leads the Westfield office with professionalism, compassion, and a commitment to excellence.

💙 What She Loves Most
“I enjoy the patient care — being someone patients look to for help and comfort during a rough time in their lives.”

⭐ One Word That Describes TCVCG:
Excelsior.

✨ Most Rewarding Part of Her Job
The meaningful connections she builds with patients and her team.

🌼 Outside the Office
When she’s not making the Westfield office a welcoming place, Stephanie enjoys:
• Spending time with family and friends
• Baking
• Singing karaoke
• Being a very proud soccer mom to her two boys

🎉 Fun Fact
Stephanie is afraid of clowns, has five deeply meaningful tattoos, and her go-to drink is Prosecco!

Please join us in celebrating Stephanie for everything she brings to our Westfield office and to the entire TCVCG community! 💙👏

11/22/2025

Myth vs. Fact: Aortic Aneurysms

Myth: “If I had an aortic aneurysm, I’d feel it.”
Fact: Aortic aneurysms are often called “silent killers” because they usually grow slowly without any symptoms. Many people don’t know they have one until it’s discovered during a routine scan—or until it ruptures.

The aorta is the largest artery in the body, and an undetected aneurysm can be life-threatening. But when caught early, they’re very treatable through monitoring or minimally invasive procedures like EVAR (Endovascular Aneurysm Repair).

Early detection can save lives—especially for those over 55, with a history of smoking, high blood pressure, or family history.

11/22/2025

🩺 THE DOCTOR IS IN: Quick Chats with our Physicians 🩺

Michael A. Pontoriero, MD, FACS joined the practice in 1993. Dr. Pontoriero is board certified in both Cardiovascular and General Surgery. His area of expertise includes thoracic, aortic and carotid surgery, and lower extremity arterial reconstructions. Dr. Pontoriero is also an accomplished dialysis access surgeon. For several years, he has been recognized in NJ’s Top Doctor magazine by his medical colleagues. He is currently the director of the New Jersey Society of Thoracic Surgery.

Dr. Pontoriero has been Chief of Vascular and Thoracic Surgery at Clara Maass Medical Center (Barnabas Healthcare System) for many years, as well as a past President of the Medical Staff (2007-8).

Here he chats about his expertise in cardiovascular care . . .

11/15/2025

From Symptoms to Answers: How Our Non-Invasive Vascular Lab Detects Circulation Problems Early
https://vascular.tcvcg.com/blog/from-symptoms-to-answers-how-our-non-invasive-vascular-lab-detects-circulation-problems-early

NJ’s largest Vascular Surgery group. Learn more about The Cardiovascular Care Group and our diagnosis and management of diseases of the arteries and veins.

11/15/2025

We are thrilled to welcome our two newest Physician Assistants to The Cardiovascular Care Group team! 🌟

🎉 Meet Bijal Parmar, PA‑C
Bijal joined our team in 2025 and brings a wealth of experience in vascular surgery and interventional radiology. Her surgical background includes assisting in complex open and endovascular procedures—such as aneurysm repairs, bypass surgeries, carotid interventions, and dialysis access creation and maintenance.

🎉 Meet Victoria Lora, PA‑C
Victoria also joined our team in 2025 and offers strong expertise in interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, and cardiac imaging. Her passion for medicine began early through hands-on volunteer work as an EMT and leadership roles with her hometown ambulance corps. Her broad background in cardiovascular care makes her a perfect fit to support our patients with complex vascular and vein health needs.

Please join us in welcoming both Bijal and Victoria to the team. We’re confident they will play key roles in advancing our commitment to providing the highest quality care for our vascular and vein patients.

11/11/2025

🇺🇸 Honoring Our Veterans

This Veterans Day, we proudly recognize and thank our team members who have served our country with courage, commitment, and integrity.

💙 Dr. Michael D. Addis – Served as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army for eight years after graduating from Dartmouth College. He completed both Airborne and Ranger Schools and was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 18th Infantry in Germany. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Dr. Addis earned the Bronze Star Medal for extraordinary bravery in combat against the Iraqi Republican Guard in February 1991.

💙 Dr. Michael Pontoriero – Served in the United States Army from 1987 to 1996, including time in the U.S. Army Reserves, achieving the rank of Major, Commissioned, MC.

💙 Vlastimil Buzek, RVS – One of our vascular technologists, who served in the 50th RSG as a light wheeled mechanic from 2009–2012, achieving the rank of Specialist (E-4).

We thank them—and all veterans—for their service, sacrifice, and dedication to protecting our freedoms. 🇺🇸

11/10/2025

🎉 Happy National Nurse Practitioner Week! 🎉
We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible contributions our Nurse Practitioners make every day in advancing vascular care. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), NPs deliver high-quality, accessible, patient-centered care and play a pivotal role in improving health outcomes across the country.

🙏 Thank you to our exceptional team:

Emily Simmons, APN‑C — serving patients at our Denville office and the NBI Clinic.

Elizabeth Coll, APN-C — seeing patients in Hoboken, Clifton and Westfield.

Renae Sharkey, APN-C — working in the NBI Clinic and our Westfield Procedure Suite.

Kaitlyn Hariton, APN-C — our newest NP, practicing in the Clifton Procedure Suite.

Each of them brings deep clinical expertise, compassion and dedication to helping our patients navigate vascular care with confidence. Their role is vital in our mission to deliver exceptional outcomes and patient experience.

📍 Whether it's coordinating care, educating patients, or working alongside our physicians and technologists — our NPs help ensure every patient receives timely, individualized attention.

🩺 To all NPs everywhere: we honor your skill, leadership and heart. Thank you for being the difference-makers behind the scenes.

11/08/2025

💛 Celebrating 30 Years of IAC Accreditation in Vascular Testing!

We’re proud to share that The Cardiovascular Care Group has received the Gold Milestone Recognition from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) for maintaining 30 years of continuous accreditation in Vascular Testing — a distinction that reflects our ongoing commitment to excellence, accuracy, and patient safety.

The Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) invited accredited facilities nationwide to share photos with their recognition plaques — and we’re thrilled to highlight our Clifton Vascular Lab team:
🩺 Lindsay Musumeci, RVT and Anzhela Yatina, RVT, pictured here with Dr. Pontoriero, proudly holding the award.

Our labs are led by Technical Director Amanda Burton, BS, RVT, whose leadership and expertise ensure every study meets the highest diagnostic and quality standards.

Since first achieving accreditation in 1995, TCVCG has continued to uphold the IAC’s “gold standard” for vascular imaging — delivering precise, compassionate care that improves outcomes and saves lives.