Georgia Heart Institute

Georgia Heart Institute is excited to welcome Jay Khambhati, MD, an interventional cardiologist who specializes in treating structural heart disease. A graduate of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Dr. Khambhati completed fellowship training in interventional cardiology and structural heart disease at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and he held academic and clinical positions at the University of Chicago Medicine. His clinical interests include transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER), transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR), transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement, and left atrial appendage closure (LAAC),. Welcome to Georgia Heart Institute, Dr. Khambhati! For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit https://lnkd.in/evQKGQ-y.

Behind every percentage or number in our 2026 Heart & Vascular Report is someone's loved one. At Georgia Heart Institute, our care teams show up each day for them — to make sure their hearts are at their healthiest so they can be there for the people they love the most. We're excited to share and celebrate this past year's accomplishments, milestones, and patient stories with you. Download or request a copy here: https://lnkd.in/dtEdKVmd

Georgia Heart Institute is feeling grateful! We are humbled to accept a donation of $125,000 from the 2nd Annual Heart of Steel Golf Classic. The event, which took place in August at Chateau Elan Golf Club, was organized by Premier Building Systems, Inc.. More than 200 golfers took part. The company's president, Scott Phillips, is a heart patient who was inspired to give back to Georgia Heart Institute. We appreciate the generosity of Scott and his team, and we had a blast spending the day on the beautiful courses at Chateau Elan. Last year's Heart of Steel donation funded the purchase an advanced life support machine called an ECMO (Extracorporeal Membranous Oxygenation). Thank you to everyone who organized and participated in the Heart of Steel Golf Classic!

We are excited to welcome two heart surgeons with decades of experience to NGPG Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery. Richard L. Harvey, MD, and David Langford, MD, both previously practiced in Macon with Piedmont Heart Institute and in Lawrenceville at Northside Hospital Gwinnett. Dr. Harvey, who grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, earned his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed a Residency in General Surgery through Mercer University and a residency in Cardio-Thoracic Surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Dr. Langford, an Atlanta native, earned his medical degree from Emory University. He completed a Residency in General Surgery through the University of Mississippi Medical Center, serving as Chief Resident; a Residency in Vascular Surgery and a Residency in Cardiovascular–Thoracic Surgery through Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 770-219-7099.

After a summer break, Georgia Heart Institute Grand Rounds are back! We hope you can join us in person or virtually tomorrow, September 2, at 7 a.m., as Modele O. Ogunniyi, MD, MPH, FACC, FACP, FAHA, Professor of Medicine and Master Physician and Director at Emory University School of Medicine, educates us on insights and updates from the 2025 AHA/ACC hypertension guidelines. To register for the event, visit https://lnkd.in/eg2nTBxs

Georgia Heart Institute is excited to welcome interventional cardiologist Vikram Sharma, MD, who is now seeing patients in Gainesville. Dr. Sharma previously served as a clinical assistant professor on the Interventional Cardiology staff at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. He completed a Fellowship in Cardiovascular Medicine through the Iowa City VA Medical Center and a Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology through University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. His clinical interests include management and treatment of complex coronary disease, coronary stents, and management of chest pain. "I strongly advocate for my patients," says Dr. Sharma, "but at the same time I make sure that they are critically involved in decisions regarding their care and have all the information to make decisions for their cardiovascular health and well-being." To learn more, visit https://lnkd.in/e8gMPTJK

Georgia Heart Institute hosted a dinner and presentation July 23 at The Black Sheep in Blue Ridge, Georgia, to educate local healthcare providers on cardiology services available at our Blairsville clinic. Speakers included Megan Smith, DO, a non-invasive cardiologist; Giancarlo Acosta, MD, a heart failure cardiologist (pictured); and Joon Ahn, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist. If you missed it, you can attend a networking mixer Friday, August 14, at Vincent's Coppertop Restaurant & Pub in Blairsville. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Speakers will be Dr. Smith and James Reeves, MD, a vascular surgeon with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group. RSVP to Holley Adams at Holley.Adams@nghs.com or 770-519-7785.

The cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program at NGMC Habersham is marking its 40th anniversary this year. Founded by Stuart Sanders, MD, the rehab program was one of the first of its kind to be established in a rural area in the U.S., and it provided a blueprint for many others across the country. Now housed at the Rehabilitation & Orthopedics Complex in Demorest, the program served 423 patients during more than 10,500 visits in 2025 alone! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ddmaBVJk

The NGHS lung cancer resection surgery program recently earned top ratings from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, placing it among the highest-performing 5% to 10% of thoracic surgery centers nationwide. NGHS scored “Better Than Expected” in the “Overall” category, a rare achievement attained by only 32 hospitals in the United States. The program is led by cardiothoracic surgeon Karen Gersch, MD, and powered by teamwork among nursing, anesthesia, operating room staff, pulmonology, interventional pulmonology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, administration and perioperative services. Congratulations on this tremendous achievement! Learn more: https://bit.ly/4yzaHy7

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Matthew Schuchert! His expertise in minimally invasive lung cancer surgery and his distinguished background in academic medicine are a tremendous addition to the care we provide for patients across northeast Georgia.