Faculty and Fellows
New faculty in 2024
Nicholas Holzemer, MD, Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Dr. Holzemer joined the Heart Institute as an adult congenital cardiologist and echocardiographer after completing fellowships in pediatric cardiology, adult congenital heart disease and additional advanced imaging training at Children ' s Colorado and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Nick completed his residency in Pediatric Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan after having graduated medical school at the University of Minnesota. As an undergraduate, Dr. Holzemer studied biology and history at the University of Notre Dame. He is currently an assistant professor within the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Christine Sawda, MD, Cardiac Acute Care
Dr. Sawda joined the Heart Institute as a cardiac hospitalist and serves as an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She comes to Children ' s Colorado from Children’ s National Hospital in Washington, D. C., where she also completed her fellowship in pediatric cardiology. Prior to that, she completed her residency in Pediatrics at the University of Virginia, received her Doctor of Medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina, and her bachelor’ s degree in biology and art history from the University of Virginia.
Samantha Thames, PA-C, MMSc, Inpatient APP
Thames came to the Heart Institute from The University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston and UT Southwestern Medical Center where she served as a physician assistant in pediatric cardiac critical care. At Children’ s Colorado, she is an inpatient advanced practice provider with teaching privileges as an instructor with the University of Colorado. Thames received her Bachelor of Science in Science, Technology, and Culture from the Georgia Institute of Technology and her Master of Medical Science at Mercer University.
Joshua Senger, PA-C, EP APP
Senger joined Children ' s Colorado as the first APP focused on electrophysiology( EP). He came to us from Denver Health’ s Cardiac Electrophysiology Department. Prior to that, he worked in the EP outpatient clinic at the University of Colorado, where he is now an instructor in pediatrics, and Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Senger started out as an EMT and quickly obtained a degree in biology and completed requisites to earn a Master of Medical Science concurrently with his physician assistant certification.
16 | Children ' s Hospital Colorado Heart Institute