Forty-three-year-old Michael walked into the George Washington University Hospital Emergency Room complaining of chest pain. The Washington D.C. handyman had no health insurance but was not eligible for any financial assistance programs.
Help from the Doctors
Amol S. Bapat, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I.
Amol S. Bapat, M.D., was the first physician to work with The Larry King Cardiac Foundation and its partnership with Saint Joseph’s Hospital, a sub-acute specialty hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Bapat treated Benjamin Harvey, a patient awaiting care in a hurricane-ravaged hospital in New Orleans, who was evacuated to Atlanta. Mr. Harvey had a 95% arterial blockage that Dr. Bapat successfully cleared and supported by implanting two CYPHER® (drug eluting) Stents.
Dr. Bapat attended The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland where he received his B.A. in Chemistry and was the President of Alpha Epsilon Delta, the Pre-Medical Honor society. He proceeded to The University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama, and after receiving his M.D., pursued his Internal Medicine residency at The Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Bapat continued at Baylor for subspecialty training in Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology.
While at Baylor, he received a NIH National Research Award Training grant; his research involved platelet and thrombosis physiology. His publications include a book chapter titled “Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Antagonists Their Interaction with Low Molecular Weight Heparins and Direct Thrombin Inhibitors” in Contemporary Cardiology and “Diabetic Platelet Physiology” published in Coronary Artery Disease.
Dr. Bapat specializes in general cardiology, nuclear cardiology, percutaneous coronary intervention, peripheral vascular intervention and pacemaker implantation. He also is a medical advisor to Saint Joseph’s Heart Failure and Transplant Center. Dr. Bapat is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology.
The Women’s Heart Program at George Washington University Hospital
Physicians Susan Bennett, M.D., Judith Anne Hsia, M.D., Jannet Lewis, M.D. and Cynthia Tracy, M.D. are The Women’s Heart Program at George Washington University Hospital Cardiovascular Center.
Founded in 2003, the program provides preventive services and solutions for women in the battle against heart disease—the #1 killer of women in America. The team of women cardiologists works to raise awareness of heart disease in women by promoting heart health screenings, comprehensive exercise and nutrition programs, on-site counseling and cardiovascular disease treatment.
Dr. Susan Bennett is the Clinical Director of The Woman’s Heart Program (WHP). She is also the medical advisor to WomenHeart: National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, and the medical spokesperson for NHLBI’s Heart Truth/Red Dress Campaign. She is president of the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association, Greater Washington Region.
Dr. Hsia is the Director of Scientific Research for the WHP. She is also the Director of the George Washington Lipid Research Clinic. Dr. Hsia is internationally recognized for her research on estrogen and cardiovascular disease. She served as the principal investigator for a study which examined the effects of hormone therapy on women and heart disease.
Dr. Lewis is the Director of Noninvasive Cardiology at The George Washington University Hospital and the Director of the Cardiology Training Program at The George Washington University. She specializes in echocardiology and lectures nationally and internationally, including the American College of Cardiology.
Dr. Tracy is the Director of Cardiology Services at The Cardiovascular Center. She is also on the team of the hospital’s Atrial Fibrillation Center, which offers the latest medical and surgical advances to diagnose and treat irregular heart beats.
Children's National Medical Center
For many years, Children’s National Medical Center has touched the lives of patients and families around the world through exceptional programs in pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery.
With the development of the Children’s National Heart Institute, that care is now even better. New staff and programs bring even more expertise, including procedures that are performed at only a handful of locations in the world. Our patients enjoy not only superior medical expertise, but also outpatient, inpatient and intensive care units dedicated to cardiology. This dedication enhances outcomes and service to the patients.
Our cross-disciplinary, comprehensive services include cutting-edge diagnostic services from fetus to adult, cardiac catheterization, minimally invasive and traditional surgery, as well as transplantation for children of all ages, from neonates to young adults.
Leading the charge to effectively treat heart disease as well as reduce rates in childhood through pioneering research, educational/preventive programs, and innovative procedures, the Children’s National Heart Institute team is committed to providing the highest quality cardiovascular care to children not only in the DC metropolitan area but across America and around the world.
Over 30 children have received heart-saving procedures at Children’s National Medical Center thanks to the generosity of The Larry King Cardiac Foundation.
Richard J. Katz, MD
Richard J. Katz, MD, was appointed the Director of the Division of Cardiology at the George Washington University Hospital in 1997. A graduate of the New York University School of Medicine in 1972, Katz completed his cardiology fellowship in 1977 at the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Katz has been involved in numerous research studies evaluating heart failure, coronary artery disease and cardiac rhythm disorders. He has served as the principal investigator for a number of national clinical trials including “CAST, Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial”, “PEACE, Prospective Evaluation of ACE Inhibitors” and “BEST, Beta-blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial”.
He has presented his research experiences across the country at numerous conferences including those hosted by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. In addition, his research findings have been published in over 80 articles and more than 100 abstracts.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Katz has been recognized for his accomplishments in many different ways. In 1991 he received an honorary appointment as visiting professor to both the Royal Brompton National Heart and Lung Hospital and the Hammersmith Hospital in London, England. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and
served as their governor of the District of Columbia from 1997-2000.
Dr. Katz serves on the board of directors for the Larry King Cardiac Foundation and on the editorial boards of Cardiology Review and the British Journal of Cardiology. In addition, he is a reviewer for Circulation and the American Journal of Cardiology and a consultant for the National Institute of Health.
Joseph F. Sabik, III, M.D.
Dr. Joseph F. Sabik, III is the Surgical Director of the Cardio/Thoracic ICU, Director of the Cardiothoracic Residency Training Program and a staff surgeon in the Cleveland Clinic Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. He is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, and is Diplomate, American Board of Surgery and National Board of Medical Examiners. His specialty interests include adult cardiac surgery, valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, surgery of the thoracic aorta, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.
A native of Massachusetts, Dr. Sabik did his undergraduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He completed his surgical internship and surgical residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he became Chief Resident in Surgery. During his surgical training, Dr. Sabik received appointments from Harvard Medical School as both Clinical Fellow and Research Fellow in Surgery. He was also appointed Research Fellow in Cardiovascular Surgery at Boston’s Children’s Hospital. Dr. Sabik became a resident in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He was the Chief Resident in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery his final year of training. In 1996, he was appointed staff physician to the Cleveland Clinic Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
Dr. Sabik is involved in numerous research studies, is widely published in scientific and professional journals and has been has been a featured lecturer at prominent international and national conferences.
