Atlanta, Ga. (December 16, 2024) – Piedmont Heart Institute, Piedmont Healthcare’s nationally recognized heart and vascular program, has hired 25 cardiovascular specialists since August 2023 as part of its commitment to expand access to these critical sub-specialties.

Eleven of the physicians will practice out of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, the system’s largest hospital, while the others will be based out of Piedmont Heart of Aiken, Athens, Augusta, Canton, Douglasville, Ellijay, Fayette, Jasper, Newnan, Newton, Rockdale and the Oconee Health Campus.

“By adding these talented physicians, we are able to provide greater access to heart and vascular care to patients in the communities we serve throughout the state and region,” said Charles L. Brown III, M.D., CEO of Piedmont’s Physician Enterprise. “These physicians will help us to change real lives.”

The following physicians joined Piedmont Heart between August 2023 and December 2024:

• Joseph Michael Lightsey, M.D. – (electrophysiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Aiken and Piedmont Heart of Augusta in August 2023. Dr. Lightsey is board-certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine, echocardiography by the National Board of Echocardiography, and cardiovascular diseases by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
• Krupal Jay Hari, M.D. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart in Athens and the Oconee Health Campus in Watkinsville in August 2023. He earned his medical degree from Medical College of Georgia, and completed both his residency and fellowship at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Dr. Hari is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
• Abdulhameed Aziz, M.D. – (vascular surgeon) joined as chief of Piedmont Heart Vascular Surgeons and Vein Care in Atlanta in August 2023. Dr. Aziz earned his medical degree and graduated AOA from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed his residency in general surgery and fellowship in vascular surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He has also completed research fellowships in cardiovascular surgery at Washington University in St. Louis and cardiovascular science at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. He is board certified in General Surgery and Vascular Surgery. Dr. Aziz has clinical interests in vascular and endovascular surgery, thoracic outlet syndrome, abdominal and thoracoabdominal aneurysm disease, spine exposure, carotid, brachiocephalic and upper extremity arterial disease, aortic reconstruction of aortoiliac disease, peripheral and mesenteric occlusive/aneurysmal disease, hemodialysis access and venous disease.
• Winston Hong, M.D. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Douglasville in August 2023. He earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama, completed his residency at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and his fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
• Paraag Chowdhary, M.D. – (cardiac surgeon) joined Piedmont Heart Cardiothoracic Surgery at Augusta in August 2023. Dr. Chowdhary is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon. He specializes in the treatment of coronary artery disease, complex aortic disease, structural heart disease, valvular disease and atrial fibrillation through the use of open, endovascular, minimally invasive and transcatheter treatment therapies, including the convergent procedure for atrial fibrillation.
• Morgan Leigh Cox, M.D. – (vascular surgeon) joined Piedmont Heart Vascular Surgeons and Vein Care in Atlanta in August 2023. She is board certified in general surgery, and specializes in a broad range of vascular surgery pathology including aortic disease, carotid artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, dialysis access, and superficial and deep venous disease.
• Aaron Cole Richardson, D.O. – (electrophysiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Fayetteville, Newnan and Sharpsburg in September 2023. He is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Richardson specializes in the treatment of heart rhythm disorders ranging from atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, heart block, bradycardia, atrial flutter, premature ventricular contractions, and ventricular tachycardia. He has a special interest in treatment and management of atrial fibrillation, leadless pacing, and cardiac resynchronization therapy.
• Kalaimani Elango, M.D. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Newton in October 2023. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, cardiovascular CT and vascular interpretation. Dr. Elango specializes in invasive cardiology, general cardiology heart blockages, congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
• Kathryn Marie Swanson, M.D. – (vascular surgeon) joined Piedmont Heart and Vascular of Rockdale in October 2023. Dr. Swanson specializes in vascular surgery and provides care for a broad range of vascular surgery pathology with both open and endovascular treatment approaches. She provides treatment for aortic disease, carotid artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, dialysis access, and superficial and deep venous disease.
• Maulikkumar Patel, M.D. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Newton in October 2023. He is board certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Patel offers diagnosis and treatment of adult patients with cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias and valve disease. His special interests include preventive cardiology and cardiac imaging including coronary calcium score and coronary CT.
• Shibu Philip, M.D. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Fayetteville, Newnan and Sharpsburg in May 2024. He earned his medical degree from Medical College Thiruvananthapuram and completed his residency at Drexel University College of Medicine. He completed his fellowship in cardiothoracic imaging at Saint Francis Hospital and his fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Creighton University. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He speaks Hindi and English.
• Senthil Surya Balasubramanian, M.D. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Fayetteville, Newnan and Sharpsburg in July 2024. He earned his medical degree from Thanjavur Medical College and completed his residency at John H. Stroger Jr Hospital of Cook County. His special interests include echocardiography, coronary CT with FFR, nuclear cardiology, cardiac MRI and preventive cardiology.
• Daniel Freeman, M.D. – (cardiac critical care) joined Piedmont Atlanta in August 2024. He earned his medical degree from the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, and completed his residency and fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine. He is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.
• Christopher Massad, M.D. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Buckhead and Piedmont Heart of Marietta in August 2024. He earned his medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine, completed his residency at Emory University School of Medicine and his fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Massad is board certified in internal medicine and nuclear cardiology. He is fluent in both English and Arabic, and specializes in general cardiology and non-invasive cardiology with a special interest in valvular heart disease, prevention, and multimodality imaging.
• Mark Helmers, M.D. – (cardiac surgeon) joined Piedmont Atlanta in August 2024. He earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and completed his residency and fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the American Heart Association, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery. Dr. Helmers treats coronary artery disease, aortic aneurysms, and heart valve disease. He has a special interest in transcatheter and minimally invasive valve procedures.
• David Woska, M.D. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart at Augusta in September 2024. Dr. Woska earned his medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine, completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Florida, and completed his Cardiology fellowship at the University of Miami. He is board-certified in cardiovascular disease and has been practicing cardiology for over 33 years. Dr. Woska specializes in non-invasive cardiology, but did invasive work (cardiac catheterizations) for over 28 years. His special interests include all aspects of cardiac care.
• Karolis Bauza, M.D., PhD – (cardiac surgeon) joined Piedmont Heart Cardiothoracic Surgery Atlanta in September 2024. He specializes in surgical coronary artery revascularization, heart valve surgery, complex reoperative cardiac surgery, heart transplants, and durable left ventricular assist devices. Prior to joining Piedmont, Dr. Bauza spent several years at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, developing cardiac surgery skills that his patients need and deserve.
• Varun Pattisapu, M.D. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Buckhead and Marietta in September 2024. He is board certified in nuclear cardiology, internal medicine, and echocardiography. Dr. Pattisapu provides treatment for cardiovascular disease, women's cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, heart failure, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, arrhythmias, coronary microvascular dysfunction, coronary vasospasm, endothelial dysfunction. His special interests include mentoring medical trainees and teaching.
• Stephen Neil Holby, M.D. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart Interventional Cardiology Buckhead in September 2024. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, echocardiography and cardiac MRI. Dr. Holby treats patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and other cardiovascular conditions, with a special interest in cardiac imaging and quality improvement.
• Gary Chi-Hung Chan, D.O. – (cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Canton, Jasper and Ellijay in September 2024. He earned his medical degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, completed his Internal Medicine Residency at Brookwood Baptist Health and Cardiology Fellowship at University of Arizona in Tucson. Dr. Chan is board certified in Internal Medicine. In addition, he has 13 years of molecular cardiovascular research experience, and completed a Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at Harvard. Dr. Chan has expertise in treating coronary artery disease, chronic high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, among other conditions.
• Jesse Shriki, D.O. – (cardiac critical care) joined Piedmont Heart Institute Critical Care in Atlanta in September 2024. Dr. Shriki earned his medical degree from Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at Valleywise Health Medical Center and Surgical Care Fellowship at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He is board certified in both emergency medicine and surgery.
• Michael Franczak, M.D. – (cardiac critical care) joined Piedmont Heart Institute Critical Care in Atlanta in September 2024. He is board certified in emergency medicine. Dr. Franczak specializes in mechanical circulatory support and optimizing patient selection for support devices, and has an interest in the support of patients post cardiac surgery. Prior to joining Piedmont, he was an emergency medicine physician at Los Angeles General Medical Center.
• Stephen Otieno Awuor, M.D. – (interventional cardiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Fayetteville in October 2024. Dr. Awuor earned his medical degree from Moi University School of Medicine in Kenya and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Lehigh Valley Health Network. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Internal Cardiology, General Cardiology, Echocardiography and is a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation. Dr. Awuor specializes in Interventional Cardiology and Peripheral Vascular Disease. His special interests include Coronary Artery Disease, Peripheral Arterial Disease, and Pulmonary Embolism. Dr. Awuor offers treatments such as Balloon Angioplasty and Stenting, Thrombectomy, Atherectomy, and Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support.
• Antonio Sotolongo, M.D. – (electrophysiologist) joined Piedmont Heart of Athens in November 2024. Dr. Sotolongo earned his medical degree from University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, and completed both his residency in Internal Medicine and his Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at the University District Hospital of the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. He completed his Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Sotolongo has been practicing electrophysiology for 5 years. Prior to joining Piedmont, he was a Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologist at University Hospitals in Cleveland Ohio and Clinical Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. His special interests include catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias, offering treatments for conditions such as supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation.
• Allan Pickens, M.D. – (thoracic surgeon) joined Piedmont Heart Thoracic Surgery in Atlanta in December 2024, and will see patients at Piedmont Heart of Buckhead, Eastside, Newnan and Douglasville, in addition to performing cases at Piedmont Atlanta. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and American Board of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Pickens specializes in thoracic surgery with a focus on minimally invasive robotic and thoracoscopic techniques, removal of early-stage lung cancers and esophageal cancers, mediastinal tumors and chest wall tumors, hiatal hernia repairs, anti-reflux surgery, hyperhidrosis treatment, and pectus repairs. He received his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he also did his residency, and completed a fellowship at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Piedmont Heart, Dr. Pickens most recently serviced as Professor of Thoracic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.  For many years prior, he was at Emory School of Medicine, where he served as Professor of Thoracic Surgery, director of thoracic oncology, program director for cardiothoracic surgery, medical director of Perioperative Services for Emory University Hospital Midtown and as a member of the Winship Cancer Institute.

Piedmont Heart Institute is a top destination for cardiovascular care, ranking in the top 5 percent in the country, and is the only program in Atlanta consistently recognized with the Cardiac Care Excellence Award– a mark of quality it has earned for more than 10 years. Piedmont also is an international leader in cardiovascular research enabling patient access to innovative therapies earlier and not available elsewhere.

For more information about Piedmont Heart, visit piedmont.org/heart.