Saint Mary’s Cardiology welcomes five additional cardiologists to its existing team of cardiac specialists. The group will continue its focus on expanding access to quality cardiac care resources, reducing costs and eliminating inefficiencies. Saint Mary’s Cardiology Group is already accepting patients and is located at Saint Mary’s Center for Health, 645 N. Arlington Ave., Ste. 460. To contact the Cardiology Group, call 770-7622.
“Expanding our existing cardiology program at Saint Mary’s is a critical to maintain access and choice in our community,” said Helen Lidholm, CEO of Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center. “We are adding a team of physicians that have vast experience in the region and solutions to making cardiac care more affordable, efficient and focused solely on the long-term wellness of our patients.”
Joining Saint Mary’s existing Cardiology Group is medical director and invasive cardiologist, Richard Bryan, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.C.; electrophysiologist, Ram Challapalli, M.D., F.A.C.C.; invasive cardiologist, Sri Challapalli, M.D., F.A.C.C.; interventional cardiologist, Eric Drummer, M.D., F.A.C.C.; and nuclear cardiologist, Anita Kedia, M.D., F.A.C.C. Saint Mary’s will continue to grow its program with additional cardiologists in the near future, which ensures the program has experts in many specialties to comprise a state-of-the-art cardiology program.
“At Saint Mary’s, we will continue to focus on a patient-centered care model. The goal of this model is to encourage the patient to become actively involved in their health care decisions and engage the full provider team to work as a collective,” said Richard Bryan, M.D., medical director of Saint Mary’s Cardiology. “It is important to understand you have to go beyond treating the acute care problem and find solutions to fixing the chronic disease; these results produce better patient care and a healthier community.”
An accomplished professional and University of Kentucky cardiovascular disease fellow, Richard Bryan, M.D., will serve as the Heart Institute’s new medical director. Dr. Bryan, a board-certified physician, has practiced in northern and rural Nevada for 16 years. Dr. Bryan has published a variety of noted research articles and has been a featured speaker at several academic and clinical conferences. Under Dr. Bryan’s leadership, the Heart Institute will provide new services and programs to patients in northern Nevada.
A University of Texas Southwestern Medical School graduated, Ram Challapalli, M.D., F.A.C.C., fulfilled his residency in internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga. and fellowships at Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Rush Presbyterian – St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, Ill. Dr. Challapalli has participated in multiple research studies and was awarded a NRSA grant from Emory University for the study of vascular biology. He has also published articles in leading Cardiology journals and presented on topics related to heart disease. Dr. Challapalli is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and member of the NASPE Heart Rhythm Society. Additionally, he is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular diseases and electrophysiology.
A graduate from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Sridevi Challapalli, M.D., F.A.C.C., is an invasive cardiologist. She completed residency at Emory University Hospitals in Atlanta, Ga. and Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio as well as fellowships in cardiovascular medicine from University Hospitals of Cleveland and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Dr. Challapalli has presented on topics including congestive heart failure, women and heart disease, lipid management and management of chest pain. She has published a number of academic journals and abstracts focused on heart failure, heart disease and hyperthyroidism, and more. Dr. Challapalli is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and board-certified in internal medicine, nuclear cardiology and cardiovascular disease.
Eric Drummer, M.D., F.A.C.C. is an experienced interventional cardiologist who graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He went on to complete an internship and residency from Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center in New York and fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation focused on invasive cardiology, electrophysiology and interventional cardiology. Prior to joining Saint Mary’s, Dr. Drummer served as the medical director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at Renown Health for 20 years. Board-certified from the American Board of Internal Medicine Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology, Dr. Drummer is a published author and has presented on a number of topics related to heart-health and cardiovascular disease.
Anita Kedia, M.D., F.A.C.C. is board-certified in general cardiology, echocardiography and nuclear cardiology and received her doctor of medicine degree at Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport, La. Dr. Kedia’s post medical school training includes a residency and internship at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in Ohio and cardiology fellowship at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque, N.M. Additionally, Dr. Kedia has published manuscripts in the nation’s top cardiology research journals and has led clinical trials focused on therapy treatments for heart patients. Dr. Kedia is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology.
Saint Mary’s Cardiology offers a full-scope of programs to meet the needs of heart patients in northern Nevada. Services include electrophysiology, interventional cardiology, and cardiac catheterization. The team will also focus on ways to make treatments more effective, hence reducing lost time that can be critical to a heart patient. Additionally, physicians will provide diagnosis and treatment options at the new practice location including medication management and developing long-term wellness plans. The practice group will also work collaboratively with regional agencies to educate the community about heart health, preventive care and healthy living.
The team of cardiologists will be located at Saint Mary’s Center for Health at 645 N. Arlington Ave., Suite 460. To learn more, call 770-7622 or visit www.saintmarysreno.com.
