"Philosophy of care | ""It is much more important to know what sort of a patient has a disease than what sort of a disease a patient has."" – William Osler | This quote summarizes my philosophy of care perfectly; it is important to treat the patient, not the disease or the numbers on the monitor. If the disease is not dangerous and does not bother the person, the person does not necessarily need to be treated. I also believe in involving people in their medical care and their decisions. At the same time, I believe in personal responsibility and expect my patients to do their best with lifestyle choices. I tend to be conservative and will prefer a non-invasive treatment over a surgical one given the luxury of choice. My specialty, however, is surgical or procedure-based, and I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of complex procedures, especially when I know patients are going to feel better as a result. | Why I entered medicine | I struggled between medicine and engineering as a career choice. My parents are physicians and had a big influence on my decision. While they would have supported whatever I decided, I was most influenced by the positive impact their work had on many of their patients' lives. Twenty years later I do not regret my decision one bit. I especially enjoy the physician-patient relationship. I am interested not only in the patient's progress but also their overall lives. During my years of practice, some patients have graduated college, others have gotten married – and unfortunately, some have developed dementia and deteriorated. I remind myself life does go on for everyone, no matter their medical condition. | Community involvement | I support animal welfare charities, both local and national. I also feel it is important to donate toward grade school education of underprivileged children toward scholarships. | Personal interests | I enjoy skiing, gardening and golf.". Dr. Joshi is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Arrhythmias, Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia, Ventricular Tachycardia, Pacemaker Implantation, and Cardiac Ablation.

Nidhi Mehta is a Cardiologist in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dr. Mehta is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. Her top areas of expertise are Atrial Fibrillation, Pediatric Myocarditis, Heart Failure, Pacemaker Implantation, and Cardiac Ablation.

Philosophy of care | I see myself as a guide for your medical journey. I want you to be heard and I want us to find a decision together, as a team, so you are an equal partner in the process. Every person I see, no matter their problem, deserves the highest level of care. | Why I entered medicine | I come from a long line of physicians. Both of my grandfathers were doctors. Plus, I’ve always had an interest in scientific fields and wanted to focus that passion on helping people and improving quality of life. | Personal interests | I enjoy spending time with my wife and three children. I have been passionate about music for my entire life, playing French horn in symphony orchestras and being involved in professional singing groups. Dr. Gordon is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Arrhythmias, Atrial Fibrillation, Familial Ventricular Tachycardia, Pacemaker Implantation, and Cardiac Ablation.

Philosophy of care | I want to be your advocate through what can be a complex and frightening maze of health care and be there to guide and support you through the entire process. I treat my patients with comfort and care. | Why I entered medicine | I come from a family of doctors. My father was a pediatrician for 30 years. One of my brothers is a cardiologist and another brother is psychiatrist. Medicine has always been part of my life. | Community involvement | I donate time for continuing medical education for primary care providers and participate in social media outreach on heart-related health tips, including signs and symptoms of conditions such as arrhythmias and heart attacks. Dr. Bozorgnia is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Atrial Fibrillation, Familial Ventricular Tachycardia, Arrhythmias, Pacemaker Implantation, and Cardiac Ablation.

Philosophy of care | I want to not only provide high quality care for you, but also develop a long-lasting relationship with you and your family. I always treat you as a human being with an ailment, not a patient number, room number or disease process. I always approach the management of my patients with the thought as to what I would want if this was my mother or father, or wife, or children. | Why I entered medicine | During my high school years, my sister fell ill with spinal cord cancer and spent the better part of 2.5 years hospitalized at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. We, being a small family, spent day and night in the hospital with her. It was during this time that I truly became enthralled with the field of medicine. Since I would sleep nights and spent my weekends there, the residents became my friends and began taking me on my rounds and teaching me. This provided the first exposure to practice of medicine. I then went on to medical school and obtained a residency at Columbia University. It was there that I met a wonderful teacher and mentor, Dr. Glenda Garvey, who in turn referred me to Dr. Mark Josephson to learn the field of electrophysiology. I could not have asked for a better education and owe my knowledge of electrophysiology to Dr. Josephson. | Community involvement | I have participated in several medical mission trips to South Africa, Haiti and Nicaragua. | Personal interests | I enjoy music and soccer. Dr. Cossu is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Arrhythmias, Ventricular Tachycardia, Atrial Fibrillation, Pacemaker Implantation, and Cardiac Ablation.

Philosophy of care | I do my best to help you understand your condition and guide you to the best possible treatment decision. I treat you as I would treat myself or any member of my family. When you come to me, we work together and work to improve your quality of your life. | Why I entered medicine | My dad was an influence on my choice to become a doctor. When you’re able to take care of someone and make their lives better, when you’re able to make a connection and work through medical challenges together, that’s very rewarding. It’s satisfying to face a challenge and find success. | Personal interests | I like being outdoors and staying active. Dr. Nazir is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Familial Ventricular Tachycardia, Atrial Fibrillation, Arrhythmias, Cardiac Ablation, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Philosophy of care | I believe in patient oriented medicine care. My goal is to provide detailed education to you about your condition and help you make decisions based on most recent available medical literature and guidelines. Empathetic care and family support contributes to speedy recovery. I want to assure you and your family that I will put my best efforts in applying my skills, my experience, advancing and ever-changing technologies, and my judgment to get you back to your routine life. | Why I entered medicine | I became a doctor to help heal those who are ailing. | Community involvement | Away from patient care, I volunteer to give health education lectures to the community. | Personal interests | Outside of my work, I greatly enjoy traveling, sightseeing and spending time with my wife and three children. Dr. Akbar is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia (IST), Familial Ventricular Tachycardia, Fainting, Arrhythmias, and Cardiac Ablation.

Philosophy of care | My philosophy is to treat the patient first, the disease secondarily. | Why I entered medicine | I was inspired by my aunt, who had rheumatic heart disease as a child. | Personal interests | I enjoy running, cooking and woodworking. Dr. Mannisi is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Fainting, Arrhythmias, Bidirectional Tachycardia, Pacemaker Implantation, and Cardiac Ablation.

Philosophy of care | I want to be able to deliver the best possible care to you in the most effective way. I emphasize preventive medicine – especially dietary and lifestyle changes – as the initial step for treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease and other related complications. | Why I entered medicine | I chose to become a physician because I can help people and help alleviate their pain and suffering as much as possible. | Community involvement | I volunteered extensively during my undergraduate trainings in hospitals and clinics in California. Here in the Lehigh Valley, I serve as member of Bahá’í faith spiritual assemblies in Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township. In the last 23 years, I have volunteered as a teacher, educator and lecturer in the Lehigh Valley community. Throughout my career, I have mentored students across many levels, from high school and pre-med students to students in medical school and medical residents. | Personal interests | I enjoy walking, jogging, spending time with family and friends, and participating in community and volunteer activities. Dr. Khalighi is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Arrhythmias, Familial Ventricular Tachycardia, Fainting, Pacemaker Implantation, and Cardiac Ablation.

Philosophy of care | My goal is to take care of you, my patient, to the best of my ability. | Why I entered medicine | I became a doctor to partner with you and help you get better. | Community involvement | I am involved with Easton Charity. | Personal interests | I enjoy playing soccer, tennis and jogging for exercise. Dr. Elmi is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Atrial Fibrillation, Familial Ventricular Tachycardia, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia (IST), and Fainting.

Philosophy of care | I believe in treating patients as equals and friends. When a patient visits, I want to make them comfortable when they share what’s happening with their health. I don’t like to lecture people, but I believe it’s important to educate patients about preventative medicine. It’s important to catch small issues before they become big problems. It's very enjoyable and very rewarding, particularly when I see patients in the hospital – and in the office – to know that what I am doing has an impact. I also like to find out what's going on in their lives in addition to the medical aspects – with their grandchildren, where they are going on vacation – just meeting people every day and getting to know them. | Why I entered medicine | Growing up, I played football and basketball in school, and I was always interested in how the body works. But my mom says it goes back ever further than that. She says I talked about being a doctor from the time I was 4 years old. I can’t imagine doing anything else – it’s who I am. | Community involvement | I spend time at Muhlenberg teaching interns, residents and medical students. | Personal interests | I'm caring, passionate, loyal and intense - intense in a good way. I care a lot about everything I do and everything that goes on around me. I love my family, and I spend as much time with them as possible. My wife and I have three children. And of course, we have our dog. Shes a German shorthair pointer and she’s definitely an important member of our family, too. I also spend a lot of time following sports – the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and the Eagles. Dr. Wertz is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Familial Neurocardiogenic Syncope, Dementia, Glucocorticoid-Remediable Aldosteronism, and Familial Hypertension.

"Philosophy of care | My philosophy of care is patient-centered. I believe in a strong doctor and patient relationship that involves mutual respect, honesty, compassion and personal responsibility. I believe an essential part of ""doctoring"" is providing quality medical care in a caring atmosphere where every patient is heard and treated as a unique individual. | Why I entered medicine | Ever since I could remember I had always wanted to go into medicine. I am one of seven children. My mother was a nurse and she always encouraged me to enter the medical profession. She entered nursing school when I was 8 years old. I was brought up watching her study, listening to stories about patients and the hospital. My enthusiasm for medicine continued in high school and college; I loved the sciences. When it was time to fill out my application, I knew being a doctor would enable me to make a positive and meaningful difference in the lives of people when they need it most, and there are not many professions that give us that privilege. | Community involvement | I remain active in the community supporting my church, childrens schools and sports teams. I am also active in the American Heart Association's Lehigh Valley chapter. | Personal interests | As a mother of three beautiful children, wife of a wonderful cardiologist and a solo medical practitioner in internal medicine, personal interests are hard to fit in. My father purchased a home on the Jersey Shore in 1994, which allows me to enjoy the beach and precious time with my family. I also love to ski. I started skiing in medical school and make a yearly trek out West with my family and friends. As a physician, I am always reminding patients of the benefits of regular exercise, and I, too, try to remain physically active. In 2011, I completed the Lehigh Valley Marathon -- that was a very proud moment!". Dr. Persin is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. Her top areas of expertise are Vitamin D Deficiency, Sitosterolemia, High Cholesterol, and Hypertension.

Philosophy of care | Listening is important. That's the most helpful to patients. You get the most insight into their personality. Communication is also important -- not only with the patient, but with the patient's family, and especially in the hospital or nursing home. Good communication goes a long way. I've been doing this for more than 10 years, and you build a relationship with your patients. I like to catch up, see how they're doing, ask about their family, vacations. | Why I entered medicine | My father was a doctor, and that had an impact on me when I was growing up. | Personal interests | My greatest passion in life is my family -- my wife and my two daughters. That's the most important thing to me. I spend a lot of time with the family, and I like to fish. We're big Eagles fans, and I have season tickets. Dr. Ehrig is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Cyclic Neutropenia, Smoldering Multiple Myeloma, Multiple Myeloma, and Cirrhosis.

Philosophy of care | Every patient is different and unique. I like to work with patients as a partner, sitting face to face and talking together. My role is to present various evidence-based treatment options, based on scientific studies. I always encourage patients to ask questions, and I’m there to make sure they understand everything. I’m even happy to write it all down so they can take the information home and think about it. I can’t decide the best treatment for patients by myself, but I can provide options and guidance to help them choose the best care. | Why I entered medicine | My father has diabetes. When I was 15 he started going into a diabetic coma several times a year. The first time it happened, I was at home with my parents where we lived in Taiwan. My mom was crying, so I quickly called my older sister, who is a family doctor in the United States, and asked her what to do. With her help I took his blood pressure, heart rate and checked his blood sugar. I found that I liked caring for my dad and started thinking I’d like to do that for other people someday. But I didn’t really plan to go to medical school until my dad asked one day if I wanted to try. I did, and the rest is history. I’m now helping patients get well and stay healthy, just like I once did for my dad. | Community involvement | I volunteer regularly at my father-in-law’s church in New Jersey. I participate in rummage sales and other fundraisers that support the church community. My other passion is helping animals. I’ve always loved them since I was a child, and my heart cries whenever I see an animal being mistreated. I even thought about becoming a veterinarian before I became a human doctor. I now have two cats that I adopted from a rescue shelter, and I also send regular donations to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). I help whenever I can. | Personal interests | I love spending time with my cats—they’re just like my son and daughter. My husband and I even have a small room in our house just for them, complete with a cat tree and toys. I also love traveling. When I was growing up, my mom took me abroad every vacation. I’ve been to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Southeast Asia and many other places. I particularly like trying local foods and learning new languages. I speak fluent Chinese and English, plus I know a little Japanese, Korean and Tagalog (spoken in the Philippines). I love to learn new things, and I think seeing many different places and experiencing new cultures has made me a more open person and a better doctor. Dr. Chu is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. Her top areas of expertise are Cellulitis, Empyema, Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye), and Necrosis.

Why I entered medicine | I wanted to heal patients and relieve their suffering. | Personal interests | I enjoy Aikido, scuba diving and skiing. Dr. Twaddle is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), and Hemolytic Anemia.

Kaushik Kundu is a primary care provider, practicing in Internal Medicine in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dr. Kundu is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Reactive Arthritis, Glucocorticoid-Remediable Aldosteronism, Hypertension, Endoscopy, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Michael Durkin is a Cardiologist in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dr. Durkin is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia (IST), Hypertensive Heart Disease, and Familial Ventricular Tachycardia.

Sobhan Kodali is a Cardiologist in Bethlehem,, Pennsylvania. Dr. Kodali is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Hypertensive Heart Disease, Familial Ventricular Tachycardia, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia (IST), and Cardiac Ablation.

Dwithiya Thomas is an Interventional Cardiologist in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dr. Thomas is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. Her top areas of expertise are Familial Neurocardiogenic Syncope, Arrhythmias, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, and Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD).

Jake Marais is a Cardiologist in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dr. Marais is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Fainting. His top areas of expertise are Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Atrial Fibrillation, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia (IST), and Familial Ventricular Tachycardia.