VITAL HEART & VEIN - Key Persons
Dr. Atashband graduated from the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in Lubbock. After graduating, she completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. At the same institution, she completed her cardiovascular medicine and interventional cardiology fellowships. During this time, she received the prestigious "Interventional Cardiology Fellow of the Year Award."
Dr. Atashband is board-certified in interventional cardiology, cardiovascular medicine, and internal medicine. In addition, she specializes in venous procedures, sclerotherapy, and peripheral interventions.
Qualifications and Experience
As a foot and ankle specialist, Dr. Griffin is board-certified in both foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Griffin is also a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, as well as a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association and the Texas Podiatric Medical Association.
Chandra completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She was a member of the UT Honors Program and is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Chandra previously worked as a Cardiac Post-Interventional Registered Nurse for five years and then three years as a Structural Heart and Cardiac Valve Nurse Practitioner at CHI Baylor St. Luke's Health in Houston.
Chandra was born and raised in Missouri. She is a United States Army Veteran and served two active-duty combat tours in Iraq.
She is passionate about inspiring lifestyle changes and focusing on the prevention of cardiac diseases.
Qualifications and Experience
Job Titles:
- Cardiovascular Disease, Nuclear Cardiology / View Profile
Dr. C. Wei holds a Ph.D. in Biophysical Sciences from the University of Houston, and an M.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. For four consecutive years, the school honored him with the "Dean's Excellence Award."
Furthermore, Dr. C. Wei is board-certified in cardiovascular diseases. He has written and co-authored medical books and abstracts, and has also contributed to numerous professional journals. In addition, he served as principal investigator for an American Heart Association grant-in-aid project titled, "Molecular Characterization of Fas-mediated Cell Death Signaling."
Qualifications and Experience
Courtney grew up in the Katy area and is one of the rare native Texans. She completed her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from UTMB in Galveston and graduated in 2005. In 2013, she completed her Master's in Nursing at Texas Woman's University, focusing on the acute care Nurse Practitioner role.
In her free time, Courtney enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and cooking.
Qualifications and Experience
Job Titles:
- Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology / View Profile
Dr. David Wong graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry. He attended medical school at the University of Illinois Medical School. He completed internal medicine residency training as well as fellowships in cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. During his fellowship, he served as Chief Cardiology Fellow and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.
He is an interventional cardiologist who specializes in the treatment and prevention of blockages of the arteries of the heart. His prior research work includes publications on the diagnosis and treatment strategies of heart attacks. Dr. Wong is board-certified in interventional cardiology, cardiovascular disease, nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, and internal medicine.
Qualifications and Experience
Job Titles:
- Surgeon
- Vascular Surgery, Endovascular Surgery
Dr. Hunter Ray is a vascular surgeon specializing in the treatment of arterial and venous disease. Dr. Ray earned his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University and his medical degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), staying in Houston for his training in Vascular Surgery. During training, he was fortunate to win the coveted S. Timothy String Presidential Award for the best paper at the 2016 meeting of the Southern Associated for Vascular Surgery (SAVS) as well as the Top Gun Surgical Skills Competition at the 2020 SAVS Meeting. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and book chapters on the topic of vascular disease. A native Houstonian, Dr. Ray lives in Houston, Texas, along with his wife, daughter, and dog, and loves the city for its people, culture, and, most of all, the amazing food. Outside of work, Dr. Ray loves to golf, fish, and BBQ.
Qualifications and Experience
Dr. M. Ganim is the president of Vital Heart & Vein (originally Cardiovascular Association). Prior to forming CVA in 1998, he attended the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. After graduating, he interned and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston at John Sealy Hospital.
Furthermore, Dr. M. Ganim is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and interventional cardiology. He has also authored medical abstracts and papers, including "A Comparison of Angioscopy, Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging and Quantitative Coronary Angiography in Predicting Clinical Outcome after Coronary Intervention in High-Risk Patients."
Previously, he served as Chief of Medical Staff at Memorial Hermann Hospital and was also Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the UT Medical School in Houston.
Qualifications and Experience
Job Titles:
- Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology / View Profile
Dr. Michael Daniel graduated magna cum laude from Villanova University outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He then attended medical school in the Texas Medical Center at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, where he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society, before completing his residency in Internal Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He completed his cardiovascular disease training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, followed by two years of subspecialty training in Interventional Cardiology as well as Structural Interventional Cardiology at Washington University.
Given his additional year of subspecialty training, Dr. Daniel has an interest in structural interventions with procedural skills in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), transcatheter mitral valve repair/replacement, left atrial appendage occlusion, and repairing of congenital heart defects such as percutaneous patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. He also has an interest in complex percutaneous coronary interventions and the use of the latest technologies in intracoronary physiology and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to optimize the procedural outcomes.
Qualifications and Experience
Job Titles:
- Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology / View Profile
Dr. Rick Ganim is a native Texan. He graduated from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston with honors and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. He completed his internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship at the University of California Davis Medical Center. He then completed his interventional cardiology fellowship at the University of Texas-Houston where he is currently a clinical assistant professor of medicine. He is board-certified in interventional cardiology, general cardiology, and internal medicine. He served as Chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine from 2009-2012 and Chief of Staff in 2014 at HCA Kingwood Medical Center, where he is currently Director of Cardiovascular Services. He is currently co-medical director of the HCA Gulfcoast cardiology division. He has been elected a Texas Monthly Super Doctor since 2013. Dr. Ganim is a partner with Vital Heart & Vein and specializes in coronary and peripheral interventions. He is currently involved in multiple coronary artery stent research and drug therapy trials for various cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Ganim proudly serves patients in the Kingwood, Humble, and Houston communities.
Qualifications and Experience
Dr. Baptista was born in Quezon City, Philippines, but grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. After graduating as valedictorian from high school, he attended the University of Dallas where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. Dr. Baptista earned his M.D. at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. Here, he also completed his residency in internal medicine and served an additional year as Chief Medical Resident at the UT-Houston affiliated hospitals. At the same institutions, he completed a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine and served as Chief Cardiology Fellow. During his fellowship, he received the "Merck Clinical Fellowship Award" and was a recipient of a "National Institutes of Health Fellowship Grant."
Furthermore, Dr. Baptista is board-certified in cardiovascular disease and is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology. He has authored and co-authored several research abstracts and journal articles, and has also participated as co-investigator for several clinical trials. He serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the UT Medical School in Houston.
Since joining the practice in 2003, he has served as Chairman of Cardiovascular Services at Kingwood Medical Center and was Chief of Staff in 2010. In addition, Dr. Baptista has been honored five times as "Physician of the Year" at Kingwood Medical Center.
His professional interests include general cardiology, preventive care, lipid management, heart failure management, and echocardiography. When not at work, Dr. Baptista enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, traveling, and playing golf.
Qualifications and Experience
Dr. Wei graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in Biology. Afterward, he went to attend medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He continued his postgraduate education at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where he completed an internship and residency in internal medicine.
Dr. Wei is board-certified in internal medicine and nuclear cardiology. Furthermore, he co-authored an abstract titled "Pitfalls in Diagnosing ST Elevation in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction," and is a member of both the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.
Qualifications and Experience
Dr. Kamran grew up in several different countries including Pakistan, England, and the United States. He went to medical school at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where he subsequently completed his Internal Medicine residency, Cardiology fellowship, and Interventional Cardiology fellowship. During residency, he met his now wife, who is an Orthopedic Surgeon and is also practicing in Houston. During residency, he won the Ambulatory Achievement Award for Outstanding Performance in Smith Medicine Clinic. During fellowship, he won the Outstanding Junior Fellow Award, Outstanding Graduating General Fellow Award, and the Top Interventional Fellow Award. He also became a certified Spanish translator at Harris Health.
Dr. Kamran practices general cardiology and also specializes in coronary and peripheral interventions including complex percutaneous coronary interventions, peripheral interventions, and percutaneous closure of congenital heart defects such as patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defects (ASD). He is board-certified in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear medicine, cardiovascular computed tomography, and internal medicine.
He strives to help his patients using evidence-based medicine in an ethical, personable, and efficient manner. He aims to treat his patients like family and provide them with compassionate care while attending to their cardiac and medical needs.
Qualifications and Experience
Dr. Justin Taylor Saunders earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed his internship, residency, and served as chief resident in internal medicine at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Saunders completed extensive additional training. First, he finished his atherosclerosis and lipidology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, before completing his cardiology fellowship at the University of Michigan Medical School where he served as chief fellow in cardiology. Then he remained at Michigan Medicine for his clinical cardiac electrophysiology fellowship, during which Dr. Saunders received the Golden Pacemaker Award as outstanding Fellow in Cardiac Electrophysiology.
Dr. Saunders is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and clinical cardiac electrophysiology.
In his free time, Dr. Saunders enjoys running and cycling. More importantly, he loves spending time with his wife and children.
Qualifications and Experience
As a foot and ankle specialist, Dr. Jarvis is board-qualified in both foot and ankle surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Jarvis is also an associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, Welcome to the team, Dr. Jarvis!
Job Titles:
- Cardiovascular Disease, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Structural Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology, Vein Specialist / View Profile
At the age of 4, Dr. Khaled Imad Khalaf's family moved to Houston, Texas, from the West Coast. He has since completed the entirety of his educational training and post-doctoral residency and fellowship in Houston. In the prestigious Texas Medical Center, he was elected Chief Fellow of Cardiology and served as department Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at HCA Kingwood Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital.
After graduating with high honors from the University of St. Thomas with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Philosophy, he attended medical school through fellowship at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School. Following Internal Medicine residency, he completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease and continued with advanced subspecialty training in interventional cardiology and structural cardiology. Furthermore, Dr. Khalaf is triple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, and Interventional Cardiology.
As an interventionalist, Dr. Khalaf has extensive knowledge in the latest technology involving peripheral artery and percutaneous coronary interventions as well as deep and superficial venous treatment. Dr. Khalaf also has a keen interest and skill in noninvasive structural heart surgery and was the first to perform a percutaneous transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) via the groin as well as repair a congenital heart defect known as patent foramen ovale (PFO) in the North Houston area. He was fortunate enough to train in one of the highest volume centers in the world for TAVR and serves as medical director of the structural heart committee at HCA Kingwood Medical Center.
Dr. Khalaf has research interests in obesity and insulin resistance on cardiac function, and has several articles published in various professional medical journals with a focus on cardiovascular disease prevention and outcomes. "Insulin Sensitizers and Heart Failure: An Engine Flooded with Fuel" has been cited as a breakthrough review that early on hypothesized the use of certain diabetic pharmacotherapies as more cardioprotective when compared to others, a concept that has since been proven in randomized clinical trials that led to expansion of FDA indications. "Predictors of increased ischemic time in ST elevation myocardial infarction" was presented at the American Heart Association, among other publications, which appeared in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Throughout his training, Dr. Khalaf has been honored and elected Internal Medicine Residency Council Member, Memorial Hermann Hospital House Staff Executive Council Secretary, and Chief Cardiology Fellow. He was elected department Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at both HCA Kingwood Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Northeast in 2020.
Apart from patient care, research endeavors, and staying on top of breakthrough technologies with the constant evolution in his field, Dr. Khalaf adores his family, both immediate and extended. He is very proud to be part of an active community from a long family lineage that traces back to the 1500s and literally has "thousands of relatives." However, when it comes to clinical practice - "all of our patients are family at Vital Heart & Vein."
Qualifications and Experience
Job Titles:
- Vascular Surgery, Endovascular Surgery
Born and raised in the Philippines, as a student Dr. Lim consistently had a strong academic performance, which culminated in graduation from the University of the Philippines with honors. This strong academic performance led to her admission to the internal medicine residency program at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. During her residency at Emory, a highly respected institution where balloon angioplasty was first performed, she became interested in cardiology. This led her to Houston, where she completed her fellowship at the University of Texas Medical School. She did research in echocardiography, published abstracts on doppler tissue imaging, and co-authored a chapter on nuclear imaging in the textbook "Heart Disease in Women."
While attending her fellowship in Houston, she fell in love with this wonderful Gulf Coast city and has since made it her home. In 2001, she joined Vital Heart & Vein (originally Cardiovascular Association) when it consisted of only a few doctors. Since then, she has been an integral part of its growth. Furthermore, she is most proud of the trust her patients place in her and the relationships she has built over the years. Dr. Lim believes her commitment to educating patients on prevention and treatment plans are key ingredients to being a great heart doctor.
Dr. Lim's strong leadership qualities have led to her election to many past and present positions, such as Chief of Staff at Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital, Chairman of the Medicine Department at Kingwood Medical Center, and Chief of Cardiology and Chest Pain Center Director at Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital. Despite her busy practice, she feels it is important to serve in these positions and help promote high-quality care as well as advance cardiac services in the local Humble and Kingwood hospitals.
Dr. Lim has been board-certified in Internal Medicine since 1994 and board-certified in Cardiovascular Medicine since 1997.
Qualifications and Experience
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Vascular Surgery, Endovascular Surgery
Dr. Codreanu graduated from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Gr T Popa" Iasi in 1999. Dr. Codreanu works in Humble, Texas, and specializes in Vascular Surgery. Dr. Codreanu is affiliated with Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital, Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center, and Kingwood Hospital HCA.
Board-certified in vascular surgery, Dr. Codreanu also serves as an associate professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at the McGovern Medical School. Previously she taught at Hunter College-City University of New York, the Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing in New York City, and Karpas Institute in New York City.
Qualifications and Experience
Job Titles:
- Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology / View Profile
Dr. Nidal Mazen Ganim is a native Houstonian, born, raised, and trained.
He attended high school at Houston Christian where he graduated with high honors and served as the Captain of the Varsity Football and Basketball teams. Dr. Ganim pursued his undergraduate degree, graduating summa cum laude, from the University of St. Thomas, with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Philosophy. He completed the entirety of his medical training and post-doctoral residency and fellowship in Houston, Texas, as well. Dr. Ganim attended medical school, through cardiology fellowship, at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School in the Texas Medical Center. Following Internal Medicine residency, he completed a fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease. Dr. Ganim is board-certified in Internal Medicine and board-eligible in Cardiovascular Disease. "Being trained in the Texas Medical Center, I had the privilege to learn under the pioneers in the field of general cardiology, advanced heart failure, diagnostic cardiology such as echocardiogram, stress tests, PET scans, and heart CT scans, interventional and structural cardiology."
Job Titles:
- Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Electrophysiology / View Profile
After graduating with Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Dr. Wong came to the U.S. for further training in Internal Medicine at the New York Infirmary Beekman Downtown Hospital.
Later, he spent six years at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Here, Dr. Wong completed his residency in internal medicine and cardiology fellowships in both electrophysiology and interventional cardiology. He also served as Clinical Assistant Professor and Instructor of Medicine.
Furthermore, Dr. Wong is board-certified in interventional cardiology, clinical cardiac electrophysiology, cardiovascular medicine, and internal medicine. He also holds several international specialist qualifications, including MRCP (UK), FRCPC (Canada), and HKFAM (HK).
A native Houstonian, Dr. Zaid obtained his undergraduate education at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Upon graduation, he attended the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. He later completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital, and completed his fellowship in cardiovascular disease with Methodist at the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center.
Furthermore, Dr. Zaid is board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease, with special interests in echocardiography and nuclear cardiology. He has also authored an article for the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology," titled "Preoperative and Postoperative Diastolic Dysfunction in Patients with Valvular Heart Disease: Diagnosis and Therapeutic Implications" (November 2013).
Qualifications and Experience
A native Houstonian, Dr. Lingle graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a degree in biomedical engineering. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. After graduating from medical school, he returned to Houston to complete his internship and residency in internal medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Thereafter, he completed his fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at the UTHealth in Houston, during which he served as Chief Cardiology Fellow.
Dr. Lingle is board-certified in cardiovascular disease. His professional interests include advanced cardiac imaging, and he specializes in advanced echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and CT-angiography. His other interests include preventative cardiology, general cardiology, hypertension management, lipid management, and heart failure.
In addition, Dr. Lingle authored several articles that have been published in various professional medical journals, including his most recent publication, titled "Left ventricular assist device as a bridge to patient and myocardial recovery," which has helped pave the way for the broader use of left ventricular assist devices.
Job Titles:
- Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Nuclear Cardiology / View Profile
As a foot and ankle specialist, Dr. Sultan is board-certified in Podiatric Medicine by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine. He is board-qualified in both foot and ankle surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Sultan is also an associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons as well as a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association.
Dr. Sze is board-certified in internal medicine and endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism. He attended medical school at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and completed his residency training in internal medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital. After his residency, Dr. Sze completed a fellowship in endocrinology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, where he served as Chief Fellow.