Meet our Team of Experts
Surgical Director
St. Joseph’s Heartburn Center
Toghrul Talishinskiy, MD, FACS, FASMBS is a double-board certified surgeon in both general surgery and critical care surgery. Dr. Toghrul Talishinskiy specializes in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, with a special focus in anti reflux procedures. He completed his surgical residency at New York University Department of Surgery. He has completed two fellowships: surgical critical care, at University of Michigan, and minimally invasive surgery, at Hackensack University Medical Center. Dr. Talishinskiy serves as an assistant professor of surgery at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Talishinskiy has a long history of performing complex surgical procedures that not only save lives, but also dramatically improve a patient’s quality of life.
Medical Director
St. Joseph’s Heartburn Center
Joseph Shami, MD is dual board certified in internal medicine and Gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Shami completed his fellowship in gastroenterology and residency in internal medicine at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center. He received his medical degree from the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome, Italy and a Bachelor of Science in biology from St. Peter’s University in Jersey City, New Jersey. Dr. Shami has been in practice 30+ years and is enthusiastic as ever in finding better ways to take care of his patients. He believes every patient is unique and gets the same attention.
Chief of Gastroenterology
St. Joseph’s Heartburn Center
Yana Cavanagh, MD, DABOM is dual board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Dr. Cavanagh completed her fellowship in Interventional Endoscopy, fellowship in Gastroenterology and residency in Internal Medicine at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center. Dr. Cavanagh also serves as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. Dr. Cavanagh has distinguished herself amongst a small group of innovators in the field of gastroenterology, who perform endoscopic surgical procedures. Dr. Cavanagh has particular interest in minimally invasive surgeries of the GI tract, including “third-space” endoscopy, the use of endoscopic suturing and endoscopic anti-reflux procedures.
Heartburn Center Coordinator
St. Joseph’s Heartburn Center
Heather Truchelut, MSN, FNP-BC, NP-C is a double board-certified family nurse practitioner. She completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing degree at Quinnipiac University in 2006. Heather completed her Master of Science in nursing degree at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 2011, where she graduated magna cum laude as a family nurse practitioner. She has vast clinical experience in general and robotic surgery. Heather is double board certified by the American Nursing Credentialing Center and American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She is a member of the international nursing honor society, Sigma Theta Tau, Omicron Pi Chapter.
Alexandra Rodrigues MS, RD received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from New York University. She completed her dietetic internship at Stony Brook University. She has years of experience working with different populations and disease states.
