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Clinical and Imaging Cardiology Division

About Clinical and Imaging Cardiology Division

The AHN Clinical & Imaging Cardiology Division specializes in and treats a wide range of cardiovascular conditions. This dedicated medical unit also provides condition management plans and care, with a strong emphasis on using various advanced, noninvasive imaging techniques. By using noninvasive techniques when possible, our patients can often return to their lives sooner and with improved health outcomes.

After a referral from your primary care provider, our specialists provide an initial evaluation of any cardiac symptoms. We assess any risks, initiate diagnostic testing using noninvasive diagnostic tools, and, if needed, perform noninvasive tests and procedures when possible. This helps us to create a personalized prevention plan that will address risk factors for cardiovascular disease and reduce the risk of heart attack and heart failure.

Our team also manages and works to create a care plan that addresses patients’ hypertension, cholesterol, weight, and other risk factors that can lead to cardiovascular issues. This collaborative management of health conditions extends to supporting our patients who may be navigating a cancer diagnosis while also undergoing heart disease treatment.

Cardiovascular imaging can be used to diagnose and create treatment plans for:

  • Coronary artery disease
  • Valvular heart disease
  • Hypertension
  • Cholesterol abnormalities including genetic high cholesterol conditions
  • Cardiomyopathies, imaging for advanced heart conditions 
  • Cardiovascular prevention
  • Pregnancy related heart disease
  • Women's heart disease 

Our multidisciplinary department collaborates with our advanced heart failure program, interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, and electrophysiology experts.  This cross collaboration helps our patients experience coordinated care, easier health care navigation, and a team-centric approach that is focused on tailored treatment.

We are accredited to offer state-of-the-art imaging technologies that provide comprehensive assessments including cardiac PET and CT scans. Our staff has additional training in these advanced imaging approaches. Our division offers both outpatient and inpatient care, from initial consultation to long-term disease management.

To help our patients access new and evolving treatment options, we participate in national and international clinical trials with advanced noninvasive imaging for earlier diagnosis. We also participate in clinical trials for the latest treatment for hypertension and lipid disorders.

What is noninvasive cardiovascular imaging?

Cardiovascular imaging allows physicians to see inside the chest and blood vessels to diagnose a vast range of conditions, assess their severity, guide treatment decisions (e.g., whether surgery is needed), and monitor the effectiveness of interventions.

Cardiovascular imaging shows the anatomy and structure of the heart chambers, valves, and blood vessels. The imaging can highlight any abnormal sizes, shapes, or structural defects. Beyond static images, it also demonstrates the function and motion of the heart, detailing how effectively it pumps blood, how well the valves operate, and the patterns of blood flow. Crucially, it provides insights into tissue characteristics and pathology, identifying issues like plaque buildup in arteries, the presence of blood clots, areas of damaged or inflamed tissue, and any abnormal growths or masses within or around the heart. We can also understand how hard your blood is pushing, how much blood is moving, and all the factors that influence these dynamics within your heart and blood vessels. Blood pressure is not directly measured by imagining, but it can provide indirect measures of pressure and fluids status.

Treating cardiovascular conditions

The AHN Clinical and Imaging Cardiology Division is focused on the diagnosis, treatment and management of heart and blood vessel conditions. This provides our patients with the latest in imaging options that can identify potentially harmful issues before they become life threatening.

Clinical cardiology

Our clinical cardiology experts focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with heart and blood vessel diseases. We are the initial stop for any cardiac symptom and risk assessment including:

  • Diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases: This includes conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, valvular heart disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
  • Patient consultations and evaluations: Our cardiologists assess patients, review medical history, perform physical examinations, and order appropriate tests.
  • Treatment planning: We develop personalized treatment plans, which may include medication management, lifestyle modifications, and referrals for interventional procedures or surgery.
  • Long-term follow-up and disease management: We monitor patients' progress, adjust treatments as needed, and provide education on cardiovascular health.

Imaging cardiology (cardiovascular imaging)

We use advanced technologies to visualize the heart and blood vessels. Imaging helps give an accurate diagnosis by identifying structural abnormalities, functional problems, and the extent of cardiovascular disease. Results also provide crucial information for planning interventions or surgeries and tracking changes over time.

Common imaging modalities used include:

  • Echocardiography (ECHO): Uses sound waves to create moving pictures of the heart. This is often the first-line imaging test.
  • Cardiac Computed Tomography (CT): Provides detailed cross-sectional images of the heart and blood vessels, often used to assess coronary arteries for blockages.
  • Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Offers highly detailed images of heart structure, function, and tissue characteristics without radiation.
  • Nuclear cardiology (e.g., stress tests with imaging): Uses small amounts of radioactive tracer to assess blood flow to the heart muscle, especially during stress.
  • Cardiac PET: A noninvasive imaging test that uses a small amount of radioactive tracer to create detailed 3D images of your heart.

Cardiovascular condition and imaging specialists

Our physicians include: 

Indu G Poornima, MD

Indu G Poornima, MD

System Division Director
Cardiology/Imaging
Daniel Davies, MD

Daniel Davies, MD

Medical Director, Amyloidosis
Cardiology 
Victor Farah, MD

Victor Farah, MD

Medical Director, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Cardiology/Imaging
George Gabriel, DO

George Gabriel, DO

Anticoagulation/Outreach ECHO
Cardiology
Rachel A Hughes-Doichev, MD

Rachel A Hughes-Doichev, MD

Medical Director, ECHO
Cardiology/Imaging
https://findcare.ahn.org/Mahathi-B-Indaram

Mahathi Indaram, MD

Cardiology
Mark Greathouse, MD

Mark Greathouse, MD

Cardiology
Valentyna D Ivanova, MD

Valentyna D Ivanova, MD

Medical Director, Cardio-oncology
Cardiology
Francis L Lally, MD

Francis L Lally, MD

Cardiology
Georgios Lygouris, MD

Georgios Lygouris, MD

Cardiology
Andrew Oehler, MD

Andrew Oehler, MD

Medical Director, Remote Cardiac Rehab
Cardiology
Michael Popeck, DO

Michael Popeck, DO

Medical Director, Aortic Diseases
Cardiology
Anita U Radhakrishnan, MD

Anita U Radhakrishnan, MD

Director of Research and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Cardiology
Jethalal Rambhia, MD

Jethalal Rambhia, MD

Cardiology
Vijaya Sanikommu, MD

Vijaya Sanikommu, MD

Cardiology/Imaging
Moneal Shah, MD

Moneal Shah, MD

Co-Director Cardiovascular/Imaging
Cardiology/Imaging 

How to get care

Call (412) DOCTORS 412-362-8677 speak with a primary care physician who may refer you to a general cardiologist, or you can schedule based on a location that will work best for you.

Allegheny General Hospital
320 East North Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
GET DIRECTIONS
 412-359-3550

Allegheny Professional Building
 490 East North Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
GET DIRECTIONS
 412-359-5822

North Fayette Health + Wellness Pavilion
 200 Quinn Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275
GET DIRECTIONS
 412-264-9500

Peters Township Health + Wellness Pavilion
160 Gallery Drive
McMurray, PA 15317
GET DIRECTIONS
 724-260-7400

Wexford Health + Wellness Pavilion
 12311 Perry Highway
Wexford, PA 15090
GET DIRECTIONS
 878-332-4214

Clinical trials and research

We participate in national and international trials with advanced non-invasive imaging for earlier diagnosis. We also keep up with the latest clinical treatment trials for hypertension and lipid disorders. Learn more about our currently active heart and cardiovascular trials.

What is a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are studies that try to answer questions about new ways to treat heart disease with medications, interventional procedures, or surgical techniques.

Who can join a clinical trial?

The plan for the trial, called a protocol, explains what the trial will do and how the study will be done. Based on the questions the research is trying to answer, each clinical trial protocol outlines specific criteria necessary to be eligible to join the trial.

Common criteria for entering a trial are:

  • Having a certain type of disease.
  • Having received a certain kind of therapy in the past.
  • Being in a certain age group.

Federal rules help ensure that clinical trials are run in an ethical manner, with your rights and safety protected. It’s to ensure that you’re not put at increased risk by participating in the trial, and that the results of the study are accurate and meaningful.

Refer your patient to an AHN specialist

There are two ways for medical professionals, who are not a part of Allegheny Health Network, to refer their patients to an AHN specialist and request their first appointment. You can:

  1. Call (412) DOCTORS 412-362-8677.
  2. Go to Find Care to find the right AHN specialist and the most convenient location. Then refer your patient, provide relevant patient details, and request an appointment directly from the doctor's profile.

For more information about referring your patient to an AHN specialist, read the Independent Physician Referral FAQs.

After referring your patient

Once your patient is receiving care from an AHN specialist, you can view their test results, see their treatment plan, follow their treatment progress, and collaborate with our team using the EpicCare® Link™ platform.

If you are new to EpicCare Link, or need to request your own EpicCare Link account, read: EpicCare Link for Patient Follow-up, for user instructions and new account request forms.

When EpicCare Link is not an option for a patient's AHN medical records

If you can’t access your patient's AHN test results through the EpicCare Link platform, your patient will need to complete and submit the correct AHN Medical Records Release form, based on their state of residency. Support your patient’s request by downloading the correct medical records release form for them:

AHN Medical Records Release Form for New York state residents

AHN Medical Records Release form for all other patients

EpicCare® is a registered trademark of Epic Systems Corporation and used with permission.

EpicCare® Link™ is a trademark of Epic Systems Corporation and used with permission.

Clinical & Imaging Cardiology Division Appointments

Learn more about our appointment options, second opinions, locations, referrals, and resources that are at your disposal.