University of Michigan's Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor. Hospital administrators recently hired 14 heart doctors to work in regional health centers in the U-M Health System to better connect patients with services.
File photo | AnnArbor.com
The doctors will be added to U-M’s practices in Canton, Chelsea, Livonia, Ann Arbor and Saline. The Saline Health Center previously did not offer cardiology care.
“We’re moving forward as a team to provide advanced cardiovascular care in areas where we’re seeing continued demand,” Robert Keast, administrator in U-M’s Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, said in a statement.
Adding cardiologists to the regional health centers is intended to better connect patients across southeast Michigan to U-M’s cardio programs in heart failure, heart transplant, stroke, congenital heart disease, valve surgery, implanted heart-assist devices, heart rhythm disorders, preventative care and vascular medicine and surgery.
Administrators hope the action will reduce wait times for patients.
“We hope to make a difference in the quality of life of Michigan residents using the expert medical teams and dedicated researchers who work here in Ann Arbor and in the communities we serve,” Director of the U-M Cardiovascular Center Dr. David Pinsky said in a statement.
U-M has 40 ambulatory care locations that saw 1.6 million adult outpatient visits in 2011 - a figure that rises by about 3 percent per year, according to health system officials.
The Health System has made other efforts to accommodate outpatient visitors, including upgrades to the clinics at the Taubman Center and the announcement of the construction of the Northville Health Center, which is slated to open in 2014.
The new hires will be distributed throughout U-M's health centers as follows:
Canton Health Center
- Dr. Melinda Davis
- Dr. Preshant Vaishnava
- Dr. Maryse Palardy
Saline Health Center
- Dr. Vaishnava
Livonia Health Center
- Dr. Monika Leja
- Dr. Hamid Ghanbari
- Dr. Michael Thomas
- Dr. Reema Hasan
Chelsea Health Center
- Dr. Troy LaBounty
Domino’s Farms, Briarwood and U-M Cardiovascular Center
- Dr. Scott Visovatti
- Dr. Sascha Goonewardena
- Dr. Anubhav Garg
- Dr. Mark Norris
- Dr. Venkatesh Murthy
- Dr. Adam Helms
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.