By increasing the number of cardiologists offering care in Wake County and providing same-day appointments in five locations, Duke Heart continues its accelerated expansion to better serve patients and collaborate with referring physicians.

Six of the newest cardiologists to join the Duke Heart team are now seeing patients at convenient Wake County locations and Duke continues to expand the number of cardiac-related clinical services throughout the area.

Personalizing cardiac care, providing prompt access to appointments, partnering with referring providers, and offering care across the region, particularly in Wake County, are key features of the expansion, says Manesh R. Patel, MD, chief of the Duke Division of Cardiology and the Division of Clinical Pharmacology.

“That’s what we aim to do as an academic cardiovascular practice: discover and deliver tomorrow’s care today,” Patel says of the Duke effort in Wake County. “That’s one of the distinguishing features of our presence in our local market. This expansion of physicians and facilities in Wake County shortens the time between needing care and getting an appointment.”

Another factor that will appeal to Wake County patients, Patel says, is the medical center’s commitment to a “Duke Today” scheduling system that ensures patients can secure appointments the same day or next day in all Duke cardiology clinics throughout the Triangle.

“We take a lot of pride in providing care for patients as quickly as possible, and we are particularly blessed to recruit talented, highly trained cardiologists who will be able to deliver care as close as possible to the patients who need that care.”

Patel says the strategic expansion into Wake County reflects Duke Heart’s culture of innovation in improving patient care, which has been fostered for decades. “The future of cardiovascular care for everyone including those in Wake County will be much more personalized,” Patel says. “We will be able to tell a patient their specific underlying health risks based on their biology, and this will inform our specific approach to their care which may include a specific diagnostic study, lifestyle recommendations, or therapy, which can include medicines or heart procedures.”

Patel says the personalized approach to cardiovascular care means physicians will be able to discuss individual components of heart disease. “These discussions will address the components of both traditional risks, such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as more newly defined risk factors, such as genetics, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome with our patients and recommend customized treatments tailored to them.

“We have a better understanding now of genetic conditions impacting heart health and can offer strategies for wellness with an emphasis on therapies personalized to the patient. For those with heart disease – we have state of the art ways to determine the best care including valve and heart procedures. Cardiovascular care is becoming much more personalized and targeted.”

• Cara Hoke, MD, general and preventative cardiology with imaging expertise
• Juliette Kathleen Logan, MD, general and preventative cardiology with imaging expertise
• Nicole Pristera, MD, interventional cardiology
• Akshay Pendyal, MD, MHS, general cardiologist, imaging specialist
• Aferdita Spahillari, MD, advanced heart failure specialist, transplant cardiologist
• Girish Kalra, MD, general cardiology, prevention, and rehabilitation