From traveling to space to running for mayor, here are 12 cardiologists making headlines:
- Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center cardiologist Makram Ebeid, MD, live streamed two catheterized heart-repair procedures for the 2024 Pediatric and Congenital Interventional Cardiac Symposium audience in San Diego.
- Livingston, N.J., Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center cardiologists performed the 1,000th Watchman Flx procedure at the center for patients with atrial fibrillation.
- Coral Gables, Fla.-based Baptist Health successfully transferred a heart patient from Guatemala to the Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute for aortic dissection surgery.
- John Catanzaro, MD, chief of the division of cardiology and director of cardiology services at Greenville, N.C.-based East Carolina University Health performed the first patient implant of the world's first FDA-cleared, drug-eluting "bio envelope."
- Interventional cardiologist Sunny Bhatia, MD, was named the first president of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare.
- Dr. Ramzan Zakir, a cardiologist with West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health and founder of the Heart & Vascular Institute of Central New Jersey, was featured on the "Close Up Radio" show.
- John Catanzaro, MD, was awarded the Dr. John "Jack" Rose Distinguished Professorship by Greenville, N.C.-based ECU Health. Dr. Catanzaro is the chief of the Division of Cardiology at the Brody School of Medicine and director of the East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU Health Medical Center.
- Ateka Gunja, MD, a cardiologist with West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health, is running for mayor in East Brunswick, N.J.
- Cardiologists Joseph Choo, MD, and Richard Han, MD, performed the first tricuspid valve repair in West Virginia at the Charleston Area Medical Center.
- Nashville based-Vanderbilt Health cardiologist Eiman Jahangir, MD, will travel to space with Jeff Bezos' aerospace company, Blue Origin, on a commercial space flight.
- Ryan Chiu, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon at Long Beach Medical Center, saw a runner collapse into cardiac arrest at the Long Beach Marathon in October. Dr. Chiu went on to perform a triple bypass surgery on the runner, saving his life.