Dr. Brijesh R. Patel

I have always called this area “home” since I grew up in the eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina region. Being a doctor has been my calling since childhood; I always knew that I would be a physician one day. I treat my patients with high quality and evidence-guided medical care. Cardiology is a unique specialty, and my interest has really changed over the years. Initially, I was interested because of diagnostics and imaging, being the radiology-based specialty that we are. However, in time I became more interested in the critical care aspect of cardiology and treating acutely ill patients. I actually went back for my MBA, not for the purpose of understanding the financial aspects of medicine, but rather how to deliver value and high quality care as some of the largest cost in medicine deals with cardiovascular disease. I have one child with special needs, so I do a lot of work with Shriners Hospitals for Children. I serve on their hospital board, and it has been a great joy in my life to help with their hospital systems. Shriners give away almost three-fourths of $1 billion dollars each year to support our 22 hospitals. It has been very rewarding to help administer that money, which is funded out of endowments and many individual donations. My particular Shriners Hospital is in Greenville, South Carolina, and many children from our area are treated there. Dr. Ponder is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Mitral Stenosis, Aortic Regurgitation, Atherosclerosis, and Coronary Heart Disease.

"When Fawwaz Hamati, MD, grew up in Amman, Jordan, there were only two professions a man could pursue – engineering and medicine. He decided to follow in the footsteps of his oldest brother, who began medical school when Dr. Hamati was in first grade. He moved to the Appalachian Highlands to hone his talents in cardiology. ""I love the friendly people here and that I can be a part of my patients' life,"" he says. Dr. Hamati says his treatment philosophy is rooted in communication. ""By talking, we can make decisions together about the best management plan,"" he says.". Dr. Hamati is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Atrial Fibrillation, Angina, Arrhythmias, Pacemaker Implantation, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

I am from Nancy, Kentucky, but I came to the area in 1985 to do my internal medicine residency at James H. Quillen. I find cardiology fascinating, complex and challenging. I most enjoy talking with people to solve problems and try to help them understand more about the issues they face. It is important to listen to my patients because they hold the key to solving their healthcare problems. My wife, Marla, and I have four children: Nathan, Jake, Leah and Paul. Outside of work, I enjoy family, astronomy and beekeeping. My other interests include gardening, skiing, bowhunting, camping and fishing. Dr. Merrick is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Atherosclerosis, Coronary Heart Disease, Angina, and Mitral Stenosis.