Consultation and Specialty Clinics
All new patients are seen by one of our board-certified physicians,
rather than a physician assistant, and appointments are aften available within 24 hours of calling. Some of our cardiologist
will accept self-referrals, while others require a referral from your primary physician. Who you see will depend on
your symptoms and preferred location, and urgency of appointment. You may discover that you feel more comfortable with
one physicician or another, based on your personality, cultural background, or other factors. Although any of our physicians
can help you with standard cardiology evaluation, certain diagnoses may be best evaluated and treated
by one of our subspecialists (see individual physician profiles).
For example, patients with congenital heart disease (Tetralogy of Fallot,
coarctation, single ventricle, VSD) may be best managed by Dr. Poku in our West Valley office. If you have
heart failure or cardiomyopathy, you may wish to see Dr. Zebrack. If you have coronary artery disease or prior stents,
you may want to see an invasive or interventional cardiologist. If you have claudication (leg pain with walking due
to blocked arteries) you may want to see a cardiologyis specializing in peripheral vascular disease, such as Dr. Borchardt
or Dr. Ivan. If you are being evaluated for a PFO (small hole in the heart), it may be best to see Dr. Ganellen,
who performes PFO closures. If you have valvular heart disease, you may wish to see Dr. Sharp, director of echocardiography.
If you need a pacemaker, we can direct you to one of several physicians who implant pacemakers. We can perform pacemaker
check-up's, which are often done by our physician assistants. If you are unsure who to see, our receptionists can help
you. You may want to see the physician with the next available appointment, and he can always refer you to someone with
more specialized skills if needed.
For new patient appointments, someone will usually call in advance to obtain a list of your medications
and background history. It is important to carry a list of your medications with you. We will need to obtain your
past records, or you can bring them with you. Most patients will need a recent EKG, or we can obtain one on your initial
visit. We schedule you to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment. Patients are generally seen on
time or within 15 or 30 minutes of your scheduled time, but delays can occur for various reasons.
