Our physicians are board certified, published & hold full-time faculty positions with the UNLV School of Medicine.

William N Evans, MD—Co-Director

Dr. Evans obtained his MD from the University of California, Irvine. He then completed his Internship, Residency, and Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. As a long-standing member of the Las Vegas medical community, Dr. Evans has held positions at several area hospitals and served as a board member of numerous charities. He is the Founder and Past President of the Las Vegas Pediatric Society. In 1980, Dr. Evans established, and continues to serve as Co-Director of the Children’s Heart Center. Dr. Evans is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Evans speaks Spanish.

Gary A Mayman, MD—Co-Director

Dr. Mayman received his MD from the University of California, Los Angeles. He completed Residency at Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California. Dr. Mayman then served as a Pediatric Cardiology Fellow at the Cardiovascular Research Institute and University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Mayman joined the Children’s Heart Center in April 1991 after an eight year affiliation with Kaiser Sunset Hospital in Los Angeles where he worked as the Director of Pediatric Echocardiography. Dr. Mayman is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Mayman speaks Spanish.

Ruben J Acherman, MD

Dr. Acherman, a native of Colombia, obtained his MD from the Universidad del Valle in Cali. He completed his Pediatric Residency and a Neonatology Fellowship at LA County USC Hospital. Dr. Acherman next completed a Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Before joining the Children’s Heart Center in March 2002, Dr. Acherman spent eight years on the faculty of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles where he served as the Director of Fetal Cardiology. Dr. Acherman is board-certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Acherman speaks Spanish fluently.

Abraham Rothman, MD

Dr. Rothman obtained his MD from the University of California, San Diego. He completed Residency at the University of California San Diego Medical Center. Dr. Rothman then served as a Pediatric Cardiology Fellow at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rothman joined the Children’s Heart Center in September 2003 after a fourteen-year affiliation with the University of California, San Diego where he was Chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Rothman is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Rothman is a nationally acclaimed pediatric cardiac interventionalist and an extensively published basic science researcher. Dr. Rothman speaks Spanish fluently.

Carlos F Luna, MD

Dr. Luna received his MD from the Universidad del Valle in Cali. He completed Residency at LA County USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Luna then served as a Pediatric Cardiology Fellow at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Luna joined the Children’s Heart Center in September 2003 after a three-year affiliation with the Keck School of Medicine at USC where he was the Director of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at LA County USC Medical Center. Dr. Luna is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology and has a special interest in fetal and neonatal cardiology and transesophageal echocardiography. Dr. Luna speaks Spanish fluently.

Alvaro Galindo, MD

Dr. Galindo received his MD from the University of Miami School of Medicine. He completed Residency at the New England Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Galindo then served as a Pediatric Cardiology Fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles. He received additional training in Interventional Cardiac Catheterization at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Galindo joined Children’s Heart Center in August 2006 after serving as Associate Professor at the University of Miami.  Dr. Galindo is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology.  He patented the Double Balloon Pediatric Ductus Arteriosis Stent Catheter. Dr. Galindo speaks Spanish fluently.

Robert C Rollins, MD

Dr. Rollins is a native Las Vegan who graduated with honors from the Ross University School of Medicine. He completed his Pediatric Residency in Las Vegas at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. Dr. Rollins then completed his Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Upon completing his Fellowship in August 2006, he moved to Las Vegas to join the Children’s Heart Center. Dr. Rollins is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Rollins has an interest in fetal cardiology as well as transesophageal echocardiography.

William J Castillo, MD

Dr. Castillo received his MD from the Universidad Del Valle School of Medicine. He completed his Residency at LA County USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. He continued his training at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles for his Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship. Dr. Castillo joined the Children’s Heart Center in October 2007 after a five-year affiliation with the West Virginia University where he was Assistant Professor of Department of Pediatrics and the Medical Director of Pediatric Echocardiography Laboratory. Dr. Castillo is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology and has a special interest in fetal echocardiology. Dr. Castillo speaks Spanish fluently.

John A Alexander, DO

Dr. Alexander received his DO from Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Blacksburg, Virginia. He completed his Residency in Pediatrics at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Dr. Alexander then completed his Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology at the University of Tennessee, Lebonheur Children’s Hospital, Memphis. Upon completing his Fellowship in June of 2015, he moved to Las Vegas to join the Children’s Heart Center. Dr. Alexander is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Alexander speaks Spanish fluently.

Ricardo A Samson, MD

Dr. Samson received his MD from the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor. He completed his Residency in Pediatrics at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Dr. Samson completed his Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. He then completed a second Fellowship in Pediatric Electrophysiology at Children’s Memorial Hospital – Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. After serving 22 years at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Dr. Samson moved to Las Vegas to join the Children’s Heart Center in July 2016. Dr. Samson is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology.

Tina W Kwan, MD

Dr. Kwan received her MD from the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada. She completed her Residency in Pediatrics at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Kwan then completed her Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Upon completing her Fellowship in July of 2016, she moved to Las Vegas to join the Children’s Heart Center. Dr. Kwan is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology. She also has an interest in Transesophageal echocardiography. Dr. Kwan speaks Cantonese Chinese fluently.

Adam P Wheeler, MD

Dr. Wheeler received his MD from the West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV. He completed his Residency in Pediatrics at the University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA. Dr. Wheeler then completed his Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology at the Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN. Upon completing his Fellowship in June of 2020, he moved to Las Vegas to join the Children’s Heart Center.  Dr. Wheeler is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology.

Melissa M Jasinto, MD

Dr. Jasinto obtained her MD from the University of St. George’s University School of Medicine Grenada, West Indies. She completed her Residency in Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, Fresno, CA. Dr. Jasinto then completed her Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University,
Richmond, VA. Upon completing her Fellowship in July of 2023, she will move to Las Vegas to join the Children’s Heart Center. Dr. Jasinto is board certified in Pediatrics and board eligible in Pediatric Cardiology.

Austin N Mercadante, MD

Dr. Mercadante obtained his MD from the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL. He completed his Residency in Pediatrics at the Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. Dr. Mercadante completed his Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY. He then completed an advanced Fellowship in Interventional Pediatric Cardiology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX. Dr. Mercadante joined the Children’s Heart Center in 2023. Dr. Mercadante is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology.

Brittany M Navarre, MD

Dr. Navarre received her MD from the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. She completed her Residency in Pediatrics at Phoenix Children’s Hospital/Mericopa Medical Center. Dr. Navarre completed her Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. She then completed an advanced Fellowship in Pediatric Electrophysiology at Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Dr. Navarre moved to Las Vegas to join the Children’s Heart Center in September 2024. Dr. Navarre is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology.

Vanessa Fogelbach, FNP-C

Vanessa obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 2008. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing degree in 2015. Most recently Vanessa worked at Sunrise Pediatrics here in Las Vegas. Prior to that, Vanessa worked as a registered nurse on a Medical-Surgical floor at Spring Valley Hospitals. Vanessa is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and is a Family Nurse Practitioner who is passionate about providing quality care to children. She believes in educating parents and families about disease prevention with an emphasis on childhood obesity. Vanessa joined Children’s Heart Center in October of 2016.

Mia Rios, RN

Mia obtained her Associates Degree in Nursing from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. After graduation from the Nursing program, Mia worked as an Obstetrical/Gynecological Nurse at Sunrise Hospital for 12 years. During this time she earned several awards including Southern Nevada OB Nurse of the Year, HCA First Humanitarian Award, and a Customer Excellence award. After her tenure as an Ob/Gyn nurse, she went on to serve in the capacity of Clinical Applications Analyst at Sunrise Hospital for 6 years. In 2007, she joined Children’s Heart Center as the Perinatal Nurse Manager. Mia has actively participated in the development of CHC’s current perinatal cardiology program from the ground up. She has worked with her team of coordinators to develop relationships with local perinatologists and their staff in order to coordinate the highest level of prenatal and postnatal care for mothers who are referred to our physicians for fetal echocardiography & cardiac evaluation. This program continues to grow and is currently one of the busiest fetal cardiology programs in the nation.

Sean Gallagher, RN

Sean obtained his Associate’s Degree in Nursing from the College of Southern Nevada. After graduation from the Nursing program, Sean worked at Desert Springs Hospital as an Emergency Room, Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Nurse for 16 years. In 2015, he joined Children’s Heart Center. Sean works closely with our physicians managing our Electrophysiology patients. He assists with procedures in the Electrophysiology Lab, Cardiac Catheterization Lab, and Operating Room. He also manages our weekly pacemaker clinic, manages remote pacemaker/defibrillator transmissions, and educates our patients and families about procedures, pacemakers, defibrillators, and arrhythmias.