Andrew Darlington, D.O. earned his medical degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, where he was the Chief Medical Resident. Following his residency, he completed a Cardiology fellowship at the University of Florida and served as the Chief Cardiovascular Fellow.Dr. Darlington completed his fellowship training in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology at Yale University. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Echocardiology and Nuclear Cardiology. Dr. Darlington is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation and Cardiomyopathy. He has a special interest in Congestive Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy. In his spare time, Dr. Darlington enjoys all sports as well as traveling with his family.Dr. Darlington comes to Piedmont Heart with eight years of medical experience. He welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans. Dr. Darlington is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Heart Failure, Pulmonary Edema, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Coronary Heart Disease, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Sushee C Gadde MD. earned her medical degree at Mamata Medical College, in Khammam, Andhra Pradesh in India. She completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical center of Central Georgia in Macon, where she was the Chief Medical Resident. Following her residency, she completed a Cardiology fellowship at the University of South Alabama and served as the Chief Cardiovascular Fellow.Dr. Gadde completed her fellowship training in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology at University of Alabama, Birmingham. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Echocardiography, Advance Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology. She has a particular interest in Heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.Dr Gadde is a fellow of American College of Cardiology, and a member of several medical organizations including The American Medical Association, The American College of Cardiology, AHA and The National Lipid Association.In her spare time, Dr. Gadde enjoys reading books, watching movies, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Dr. Gadde is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. Her top areas of expertise are Heart Failure, Pulmonary Edema, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Atrial Fibrillation, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Shankar Kandaswamy, MD, FCCP, earned his medical degree from Thanjavur Medical College at Bharathidasan University in India. He completed his internal medicine residency at the Western Reserve Care System in Youngstown, Ohio. Following his residency, Dr. Kandaswamy completed a pulmonary and critical care fellowship at the Virginia Commonwealth University Hospital at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. Dr. Kandaswamy is board certified in pulmonary medicine, internal medicine and critical care. Prior to joining Piedmont Physicians Group, Dr. Kandaswamy was in practice at the PAPP Clinic. His special interests include critical care, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, asthma and allergies. Dr. Kandawamy is a member of the America College of Chest Physicians, the Southern Medical Association and the American Medical Association. In his spare time, Dr. Kandaswamy enjoys playing tennis, traveling and sports. Dr. Kandaswamy is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans. Dr. Kandaswamy is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Lung Metastases, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Emphysema, Bullae, and Gastrostomy.

Ryan K. Crisel, M.D. obtained a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He received a medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga. Dr. Crisel completed internal medicine residency in the department of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco. Dr. Crisel then completed a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at Northwestern University. Dr. Crisel joins Piedmont Heart after recently completing a fellowship in interventional cardiology at Emory University. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and physician's vascular interpretation. Dr. Crisel is a member of the American College of Cardiology and the American Medical Association. In his spare time, Dr. Crisel enjoys playing basketball, downhill skiing and hiking. Dr. Crisel welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans. Dr. Crisel is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Heart Attack, Angina, Coronary Heart Disease, and Atherosclerosis.

Dr. Prahash is a board certified Interventional Cardiologist who specializes in the care of patients with heart artery disease and in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of other common heart conditions. He performs heart catheterization procedures to reopen blocked heart arteries and is part of the specialist team for emergency treatment of heart attacks. Dr. Prahash is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Intervention. Prior to joining Piedmont, he practiced cardiology in central Virginia since 2007.Dr. Prahash believes in a personal style of practicing medicine that is based on clinical evidence and experience. He looks forward to meeting new patients and interacting with them and other providers as part of Piedmont team.In his spare time he enjoys spending time with family, travel, nature and history.Dr. Prahash is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans. Dr. Prahash is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Heart Attack, Apoplexy, Angina, Atherosclerosis, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Dr. Patel earned his undergraduate and medical degree from Medical University of Lublin, Poland. He completed his internal medicine internship/residency at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center/ Tufts University in Boston, MA. Following his residency, he completed an advanced echocardiography fellowship at West Roxbury VA Medical Center in Boston, MA.Dr. Patel completed his cardiology fellowship training at University of Massachusetts- Baystate Medical Center. He subsequently completed an advanced cardiac imaging fellowship in CT/MRI at The Ohio State University.Dr. Patel is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Echocardiography, Vascular Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac MRI. Dr. Patel is a fellow of the American College Of Cardiology and is a member of the American Medial Association, American Society of Echocardiography and American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.Dr. Patel enjoys all sports as well as traveling with his family. Dr. Patel comes to Piedmont Heart with eight years of medical experience. He welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans. Dr. Patel is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Heart Attack, Hypertension, Glucocorticoid-Remediable Aldosteronism, and Familial Neurocardiogenic Syncope.

Vijay M. Patel, MD, FCCP, earned his medical degree from the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. He completed his internal medicine internship and residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Following his residency, Dr. Patel completed a pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship and Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Patel is board certified in pulmonary medicine and internal medicine. Prior to joining Piedmont Physicians Group, Dr. Patel was in practice at PAPP Clinic. His special interests include sleep disorders, asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung disorder, bronchoscopy, thoracentesis and pulmonary function tests. Dr. Patel is a member of the American College of Physicians, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society. In his spare time, Dr. Patel enjoys spending time with his family. Dr. Patel is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans. Dr. Patel is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Emphysema, Bullae, and Narcolepsy.

Tesfaye Telila, M.D. received his medical degree from Addis Ababa University, in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. He then went on to complete his internal medicine residency at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. He received his fellowship in general cardiology at the Wayne State University/Detroit Medical center and completed interventional & Structural cardiology fellowship at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.Dr. Telila is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Nuclear Cardiology, and Adult Echocardiography.He has published numerous scholarly articles in peer reviewed medical journals and received several honors and awards and served as a chief cardiology fellow.Dr. Telila treats adult and geriatric patients with or at risk for cardiovascular diseases. In addition to his passion for valvular heart disease, complex coronary and cardiogenic shock, he has special interest in Global health. He welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans. Dr. Telila is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Heart Attack, Coronary Heart Disease, Angina, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Mayur Patel, M.D. earned his medical degree from Amravati University in Amravati, India. He received training in Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery at Bombay Hospital and Research Center in Mumbai, India. He completed his Internal Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowships at East Tennessee State University. Prior to joining Piedmont Physicians, Dr. Patel was a full time attending physician with Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates in Jacksonville, Fl. He had also worked at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tn for three years. Dr. Patel also served as a clinical staff associate professor at East Tennessee State University for the Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship program. Dr. Patel joins Piedmont Physicians with 13 years of experience. He has special interest in Critical Care, Pulmonary Hypertension, and Interventional Pulmonary procedures such as EBUS, Navigational Bronchoscopy, Bronchial Thermoplasty, Pleurx catheter, and post cardiac arrest hypothermia therapy. Dr. Patel welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans. Dr. Patel is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Pneumonia, Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia, Atypical Pneumonia, Gastrostomy, and Endoscopy.

David Tian, M.D., received his medical degree from New York Medical College where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He completed his internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and his cardiology fellowship at Boston University Medical Center, where he was chief fellow. Dr. Tian is a board eligible cardiologist, board certified internist and a member of the American Medical Association, American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. He has specialized training in echocardiography, nuclear, and cardiac MRI. Dr. Tian has a special interest in cardiac research and has multiple publications in various medical journals. Dr. Tian is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese. His philosophy on medicine has always been about creating an equal partnership between patient and physician. Having been a cardiac patient himself at a very young age, he is very aware of how important it is to not just treat the disease, but to treat the patient. When he is not taking care of patients, Dr. Tian enjoys spending time with his family and his Goldendoodle. Dr. Tian is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Atherosclerosis, Angina, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Dr. Murthy grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his father was a physician. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, he earned his medical degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Murthy completed his internal medicine internship/residency and cardiology fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and its subspecialty Board of Cardiovascular Disease. He, his wife, Dr. Geetha Rao, and their son and daughter live in Peachtree City. In his spare time, he enjoys backpacking, international travel and canoeing. Dr. Murthy is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Angina, Atrial Fibrillation, Pulmonary Edema, Heart Failure, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Wissam Jaber is a Cardiologist in Newnan, Georgia. Dr. Jaber is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Bronchogenic Cyst, Saddle Pulmonary Embolism, Pulmonary Hypertension, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and Embolectomy.

Dr. Akhtar specializes in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology at Piedmont Augusta. His clinical interests include Cardiac MRI, Nuclear Cardiology, Echocardiography, and Right Heart Catheterizations. He is a member of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), The Medical Association of Georgia, and the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Dr. Akhtar offers treatment for conditions such as Congestive Heart Failure, Cardiogenic Shock, Cardiac Amyloidosis, Cardio-Oncology, Pulmonary Hypertension, Post-partum cardiomyopathy, and other Cardiovascular Diseases.Dr. Akhtar has more than 15 years' experience in general cardiology, and is currently board certified in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant. He manages patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD), Cardiomems®, and other implantable cardiac devices with remote heart failure monitoring capabilities. Dr. Akhtar takes great care in providing high quality care and timely follow up for his patients.In his spare time, Dr. Akhtar enjoys spending time with his family, and playing golf. Dr. Akhtar is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Heart Failure, Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), Pulmonary Edema, Thrombectomy, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Dr. Bhatnagar received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Virginia. He then earned both a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences as well as his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School. He went on to complete a residency in Internal Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, followed by a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at George Washington University, before joining Piedmont Healthcare.He is board-certified in Critical Care Medicine, Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine, and is a member of the American College of Chest Physicians and American Medical Association.In his spare time, Dr. Bhatnagar enjoys traveling, hiking, sports, playing music, spending time with family and friends, and trying new restaurants.Dr. Bhatnagar is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans. Dr. Bhatnagar is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Atypical Pneumonia, Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia, Pneumonia, Emphysema, and Gastrostomy.

Dr. Hacker graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University and earned her medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine. She completed her residency as chief resident in family medicine at the University of South Florida 's Halifax Medical Center . Prior to joining the Piedmont Physicians Group, Dr. Hacker worked at White Oak Family Practice of Newnan. Dr. Hacker has received many medical awards, including the Blaxall Award for outstanding dedication to acquiring the art and science of medicine and the Treloar Award for excellence in Women's Health. Dr. Hacker is board certified in family practice and is an active member of the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Practice and the Medical Association of Georgia. Dr. Hacker treats patients of all ages. Among her many interests in medicine, she takes special interest in women's health, preventative care, adolescent and children's health, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. She values an open line of communication with patients in order to provide patients with high quality care through personalized patient treatment and education. Dr. Hacker focuses on treating the whole person, promoting a healthy lifestyle and building a strong patient-physician relationship. Dr. Hacker has been recognized as one of America's Top Family Doctors in 2008 and 2009 by the Consumer's Research Council of America, with criteria for this award including experience, training, professional associations and quality care to patients. She also received the honor of Who's Who Among Executives and Professional Women in 2009. In her free time, Dr. Hacker spends time with her husband and two sons. She enjoys outdoor activities and traveling. She is a native of Fayette County and enjoys working back in her hometown area. Dr. Hacker is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans. Dr. Hacker is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. Her top areas of expertise are Familial Hypertension, Glucocorticoid-Remediable Aldosteronism, Hypertension, and High Cholesterol.

Heather Phelps is a Pediatric Cardiologist in Newnan, Georgia. Dr. Phelps is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. Her top areas of expertise are Patent Ductus Arteriosus, Pulmonary Valve Stenosis, Pulmonary Supravalvular Stenosis, and Ventricular Septal Defects. Dr. Phelps is currently accepting new patients.

Dr. Sarin specializes in clinical cardiology. A graduate of the University College of Medical Sciences at New Delhi, India, he completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania. Dr. Sarin then completed a cardiology fellowhip at Geisinger Medical Center as well. He has several publications and award-winning presentations to his credit. Dr. Sarin is a member of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association. Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and its subspecialty Board of Cardiovascular Disease, he has a special interest in advanced cardiac imaging. Dr. Sarin is also a big cricket fan and a good tabla player. Dr. Sarin is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Endocarditis, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Heart Failure, Pulmonary Edema, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Dr. Dhruva specializes in clinical cardiology and cardiac imaging. A graduate with honors from medical school in Baroda, India, he came to the United States for post-graduate training in 1991. Dr. Dhruva completed his internship and residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Jacobi Hospital in New York City and finished his cardiology training at Brown University School of Medicine/The Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1998, Dr. Dhruva proudly became a U.S. citizen and became board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and its subspecialty Board of Cardiovascular Disease. He later earned additional board certification in echocardiography and nuclear cardiology. Dr. Dhruva is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Society of Echocardiology, and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. He has been published in peer review medical journals and has presented at numerous national and international cardiology conferences. Specializing in clinical cardiology and cardiac imaging, Dr. Dhruva performs coronary angiograms and permanent pacemaker insertions. Dr. Dhruva has been published extensively in hypertension literature and in heart failure literature winning the young investigator award in 1997. He has served as Chief of Medicine at Fayette Hospital, he has been the Director of Cardiology at Piedmont Fayette Hospital since 1994. He has served on the Piedmont Clinic Board as its vice chairman. He currently serves on the Board of Fayette Care Clinic. He has held numerous leadership positions, including serving as Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Piedmont Fayette Hospital. In his spare time, Dr. Dhruva enjoys tennis, reading, yard work and spending quality time with his wife Ami and children Pooja and Neil. Dr. Dhruva is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Coronary Heart Disease, Atherosclerosis, Atrial Fibrillation, Angina, and Pacemaker Implantation.

Dr. Mitchell specializes in general and invasive cardiology. A graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, he received his medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia. He then completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and his cardiology fellowship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Dr. Mitchell participated in Navy ROTC and the Navy Health Professions Scholarship program and is leaving the Navy after 10 years of active duty service at the rank of Commander.His duty stations included Naval Hospital in Sigonella, Italy, and Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. He has deployed on a humanitarian medical mission aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort to assist 12 countries in South and Central America and has provided cardiology consultations at the medical facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Dr.Mitchell has received numerous military and medical awards including two Navy Commendation Medals. Dr. Mitchell, originally from Newnan, is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and its subspecialty board of Cardiovascular Disease. Clinical interest in cardiac imaging has led to his board certification in nuclear cardiology and echocardiography, as well as training in cardiac CT. He is also skilled in the performance of diagnostic heart catheterization, permanent pacemaker insertion and transesophageal echocardiograms. Dr. Mitchell is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and member of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Mitchell is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Endocarditis, Coronary Heart Disease, Atherosclerosis, Pacemaker Implantation, and Cardiac Ablation.

David Vann, M.D. earned his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He completed his internal medicine residency at Emory University affiliated hospitals. Dr. Vann is board certified in internal medicine. Prior to joining Piedmont Physicians, Dr. Vann was in practice at the PAPP Clinic. His special interests include hypertension, diabetes and asthma.In his spare time, Dr. Vann enjoys spending time with his three boys going to the lake, fly fishing and running. Dr. Vann welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans. Dr. Vann is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. His top areas of expertise are Familial Hypertension, Hypertension, Glucocorticoid-Remediable Aldosteronism, and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D).