Chowdhury H. Ahsan
A native of Bangladesh, Dr. Ahsan received his medical degree from Dhaka Medical College and was awarded the Gold Medal in Medicine. He received the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship and completed a Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmacology/General Medicine at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom for his research on the ethnic variation of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of calcium channel blockers. Dr. Ahsan completed postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease at the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, and did his Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology, and Interventional Cardiology. He was awarded the Young Investigators’ Award by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology in 2001, and American Society of Echocardiography in 2004. He was Associate Professor and the Director of Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center before joining Nevada Heart & Vascular Center.
Dr. Ahsan is currently appointed as Clinical Professor of Medicine by the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Medicine and is the Director of Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories and Cardiovascular Research at the University Medical Center (UMC). Dr. Ahsan takes special interest in building Cardiovascular Interventional clinics and research programs in developing countries, and has led teams of U.S. physicians, technologists and nurses to exchange work experiences there.
Dr Ahsan is the founding Program Director of cardiology fellowship program and under his leadership, the Cardiology Fellowship Program at UNLV School of Medicine University has established itself in collaboration with UMC, NHVC and VA Medical Center. This is the only Cardiology Fellowship program in the state of Nevada and in this past July graduated its first class of cardiologists. Under his leadership of running the Cardiovascular services at University Medical Center, Nevada Heart and Vascular Physicians have championed the Cardiovascular Care teams at UMC and UMC been awarded.
numerous service awards by American Heart Association for core measures and outcome in Cardiovascular Care. Dr. Ahsan and his wife, Selina, a Neurologist at Las Vegas VA Medical Center, have two sons.
L. Michelle Allen
L. Michelle Allen, APRN is a self-motivated and dedicated nursing professional with a strong commitment to providing high-quality patient care. She has a diverse nursing background, including experience in areas such as Surgery, Med-Surgical, PACU, Pre-Op, Internal Medicine, Interventional Pain Medicine, and Primary Care. NP Allen completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at East Carolina University, followed by her Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Cincinnati. She holds licenses as an Advance Practice Registered Nurse and Registered Nurse from the Nevada Board of Nursing and is certified in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support and Basic Life Support. Additionally, she is certified by both the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Prior to joining Nevada Heart and Vascular, NP Allen worked in various private practices and is a retired United States Air Force Nurse.
Jose Aquino
Dr. Aquino is a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas which is the oldest medical school in the Philippines and as such, speaks fluent Tagalog. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine as well as his Fellowship in General and Interventional Cardiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center- Shadyside in Pittsburgh, PA. He has been practicing in Las Vegas since the year 2000. He devotes his spare time to his lovely wife and two daughters. Beyond that, he loves beaches, movies and good food.
Robert Berkley
Dr. Berkley performed his internship, residency and Fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. His Electrophysiology Fellowship was performed at Long Beach Memorial Hospital in Long Beach, California. Dr. Berkley’s hobbies include wind surfing and snow skiing. He also speaks Spanish fluently.
Melissa J. Blaker
Dr. Blaker is a board-certified pediatrician and pending board-certified thoracic surgeon. She is also a decorated active-duty Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force, where she previously served as the Director of Mother Baby and subsequently Pediatrics at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Dr. Blaker earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Lake Erie College in Bradenton, Florida and completed her residency in Pediatrics at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She completed her residency in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Blaker loves the daily privilege she has to surgically treat heart and lung disease in order to enhance patient’s lives. During her endeavors, she developed a passion for understanding the intricacies of the system behind healthcare and in turn completed an MBA at The George Washington University. Throughout her endeavors she is most thankful for the love and support of her husband and six children, whom she dearly loves.
Claudio Bonometti
Claudio Bonometti was born in Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa when his father had moved there to work as a Civil Engineer. He was then sent back to Northern Italy (Brescia) to live with his mother when he was 4 so he could receive a European education. He continued his schooling there until High School. In order to learn English well and to be prepared for a US education, he was enrolled in TASIS (The American School In Switzerland ), an American boarding high school in Lugano, Switzerland. This gave him the opportunity to be exposed to multiple cultural backgrounds and ethnicities from all over the world and to help him be accepting of multiple religions, cultures, and point of views.
He then attended the University of California San Diego (UCSD) where he was a double Major in Bioengineering and Molecular Biology. During that time he participated in HIV research at the Salk Institute of Medicine as well as at UCSD. This experience directed him toward medicine and he proceeded on to Medical School at New York Medical College, in Valhalla, N.Y.
There he continued to participate in clinical science and in the summers performed research at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and authored one of the seminal papers on Ventricular Fibrillation as well as co-authoring other papers in the field. He proceeded to his Residency in Internal Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center, in Dallas, Texas. He then continued on to His Fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases ( Cardiology ) and Electrophysiology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles. CA.
He worked briefly in private practice in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before discovering the beautiful Central Coast and moving to Santa Barbara in 2005. He worked with Sansum Clinic until going solo in March of 2013.
He is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Diseases and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology. He is a FACC ( Fellow of the American College of Cardiology ) and FHRS ( Fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society ). He speaks 5 languages and is fluent in Spanish, English, and Italian.
John Bowers
Dr. Bowers is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California. He then attended medical school at the University of Nevada, Reno. His Internal Medicine Residency was performed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Bowers’ Cardiology Fellowship was done at UCLA. He then went to the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, and finished an Interventional Cardiology Fellowship. Among other appointments, he has served as the Chief of Internal Medicine at St. Rose Hospital. His major practice is General Cardiology, with emphasis on Coronary Intervention, such as angioplasty, and stenting. He is also a Peripheral Vascular Specialist, performing abdominal aorta, renal and lower extremity angiography and angioplasty. Dr. Bowers spends most of his free time with his wife and two children, skiing and traveling. He is also an avid golfer.
Giovanni Ciuffo
M.D. Board Certified Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Giovanni B Ciuffo, MD Dr. Ciuffo joins Nevada Heart and Vascular after most recently being the Medical Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery At Mercy One in Sioux City, Iowa. Dr. Ciuffo attended medical school at Cagliari University Medical school in Italy, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He is board certified with the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery and is licensed in multiple states. Dr. Ciuffo has lectured and participated in grand rounds in numerous hospitals across the country and has published a number of articles in the area of thoracic surgery. Dr. Ciuffo served in the Italian military and was discharged with honor as Lieutenant. He also speaks fluent English, Italian, Spanish and conversational French.
Jimmy Diep
Dr. Jimmy Diep was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and has been a Las Vegas native since 1986. He obtained his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biochemistry, from the University of Nevada, Reno and continued on to obtain his medical doctorate at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. After completing medical school, Dr. Diep completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas. Following his residency Dr. Diep completed his General and Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at the University of California Irvine, Orange, CA where he also served as the Chief Cardiology Fellow.
Dr. Diep is currently the Associate Program Director at the General Cardiology Fellowship at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Program. He is also a proud diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine boarded in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Interventional Cardiology. He specializes in cardiac interventions and his primary approach to cardiac angiography and intervention is via the radial artery.
He has interests in complex coronary interventions and structural heart procedures (including alcohol septal ablations for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathies and aortic valvuloplasty procedures). Dr. Diep and his family enjoy traveling, snorkeling, and hiking. His personal interests include tennis, basketball, and racquetball. He is fluent in Vietnamese and proficient in Spanish.
Walter John Erhman
Dr. Erhman received his B.A. in Biological Sciences from Columbia University in New York City and his Medical Degree from University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. He completed his residency at The Pennsylvania State University in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Most recently, Dr. Erhman has worked as an Attending Physician at multiple hospitals in Las Vegas, including University Medical Center and St. Rose Dominican. Dr. Erhman is board certified with the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, and is licensed in both Nevada and California.
Arjun Gururaj
Dr. Gururaj was raised in New York and Texas, attended Cornell University for his undergraduate studies, and attended the University of Texas for medical school. He relocated for his postgraduate education in medicine to Boston, at which time he completed his training in Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology at Boston University School of Medicine. Initially remaining on faculty at Boston University, he became Co-director for Cardiac Science Education for the School of Medicine while teaching Fellows the latest techniques in arrhythmia management. Dr. Gururaj’s interests include General Electrophysiology which includes those patients with cardiac rhythm disturbances. He is adept at complex ablation therapy and has special interest in heart failure and implantable defibrillator therapy for this disorder. He is one of a few physicians in the United States that hosts a national teaching course to help other Cardiologists learn the surgical techniques of heart failure device implantation. He also performs the latest procedures for the therapy of atrial fibrillation, a disorder that can be debilitating for many. Dr. Gururaj is Board Certified in the disciplines of Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology.
Awards
- Desert Companion: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Vegas Seven: 2016, 2017, 2018
- Modern Luxury Vegas: 2023
Dalia F. Hawwass
Dr. Hawwass is board certified in both internal medicine and cardiology. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from University of Nevada Las Vegas, following which she attended University of Nevada School of Medicine where she was recognized as the Outstanding Student in Internal Medicine. Dr. Hawwass completed her internship in Internal Medicine at University of California, Irvine. She also completed her residency there, where she was named Best Teaching Resident. She was the Chief Cardiology Fellow at University of Nevada Las Vegas where she earned an award for Best Teaching Fellow of the Year. Dr. Hawwass completed her Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at Lenox Hill in New York City and returned to her hometown, Las Vegas, Nevada to care for patients. Dr. Hawwass is a member of a number of organizations.
Sunil Kalla
Dr. Kalla received his medical degree from Dr. S.N. Medical College, India. Subsequently, he was accepted as a post-doctoral cardiology research fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, where he worked on basic and molecular cardiology research. Dr. Kalla went on to complete his internal medicine training at Brown University affiliated hospitals in Rhode Island, followed by a cardiology fellowship at SUNY Upstate University, Syracuse and interventional cardiology fellowship training at University of Calgary. Dr. Kalla served as faculty member at both SUNY Upstate University and University of Nevada School of Medicine. Dr. Kalla holds Board Certifications in Interventional Cardiology, and Cardiovascular Diseases. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology. In addition to Cardiology & Interventional Cardiology he has a busy vein practice and is one of the few doctors in Nevada performing Illiac-Caval Stenting. Dr Kalla enjoys reading, golfing, traveling & spending time with his wife and twin boys.
Shahabuddin Khan
Dr. Khan was born in Zambia. He grew up in India and Zimbabwe, and graduated from the University of Zimbabwe School of Medicine in 1995. Dr. Khan was recognized as the “Top Medical Graduate” while also breaking several academic records. After working for a year in Zimbabwe serving underprivileged patients, he moved to the United States to complete his medical residency at Saint Luke’s Medical Center/St. Vincent Charity Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. This was followed by a three year Fellowship in Cardiovascular Medicine and a one year Fellowship in Cardiac and Peripheral Vascular Interventions at St. John Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Khan served as Chief Resident and Chief Fellow during his training. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and Nuclear Cardiology. He specializes in both Cardiac and Peripheral Vascular Interventions, including carotid artery stenting and was the first cardiologist to perform carotid stents in Las Vegas. Dr. Khan is the highest volume operator for carotid stents in Southern Nevada and Northern Arizona. He has also served as the Medical Director of the Cardiac Catherization Lab and Chest Pain Center at Centennial Hills Hospital. Dr. Khan and his wife, Sharlin, have three beautiful children. His wife has a Ph.D. in genetics and molecular biology. They both enjoy foreign culture and history, traveling widely, hiking and SCUBA diving.
Zubair Ahmed Khan
Dr. Khan received his medical degree from Nishtar Medical College in Multan, Pakistan. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, Interventional Cardiology, and others. Dr. Khan has completed extensive postgraduate medical training and experiences, including internships, residencies, and fellowships at hospitals in Pakistan and the United States. Dr. Khan is a member of several professional associations, including the American College of Cardiology, and has served on various hospital committees.
Dr. Khan specializes in diagnosing and treating complex cardiovascular conditions with a special focus on complex coronary interventions and critical limb ischemia.
Dr. Khan has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on cardiovascular disease and has presented her research at national meetings.
In his free time, Dr. Khan enjoys hiking, playing guitar, and reading.
John Lee
Dr. Lee’s hometown is Calabasas, California. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCLA, then received his MD degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. He received his cardiology training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he engaged in basic arrhythmia research and served as Chief Fellow. Dr. Lee is married and has four children.
Sanjay Malhotra
Dr. Malhotra graduated from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 1990. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Cardiology Fellowship at St. Luke Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. He then did a year specializing in Interventional Cardiology at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California. He enjoys traveling with Ritu, his wife. He loves to bicycle the trails of Red Rock and play squash.
Awards
- Desert Companion: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Vegas Seven: 2016, 2017, 2018
- Modern Luxury Vegas: 2023
Arturo Marchand
Dr. Marchand earned his medical doctorate from the University of Southern California – School of Medicine in 1990. He went on to complete his Cardiology Fellowship program at the University of California, San Diego in 1996 and his Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology in Phoenix, Arizona at the Arizona Heart Institute and Foundation in 1997. Dr. Marchand’s passion for medicine is exemplified by his consistent desire to provide the best possible care for his patients to improve their quality of life. He serves as a specialist in both interventional cardiology and vascular care, with a consistent focus on providing new, less-invasive treatment options to meet all his patients’ cardiovascular care needs. In 2012, Dr. Arturo Marchand established the Latino American Medical Professionals (LAMP) of Nevada non-profit organization to serve as a central hub for the local Latino healthcare community. He speaks fluent Spanish and is dedicated to expanding and connecting Latinos in the healthcare community and jumpstarting initiatives to give back to the community. Because of his dedication, professionalism and compassion throughout his over 20 years of cardiovascular experience, Dr. Marchand has established himself as an area leader in Las Vegas interventional cardiology and vein treatment.
Demetri K. Mavroidis
Dr. Mavroidis was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from the prestigious Bronx High School of Science. He attended New York University, where he graduated with a degree in Chemistry. He received his medical degree from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Downstate Medical Center.
His residency training included completing general surgery and a post-doctoral research fellowship at Penn State University Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He also completed his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the Penn State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
He had lived and practiced in Las Vegas for 22 years. He was chief of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the University Medical Center from 2002 to 2014. He had clinical appointments at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He was president of a large private practice cardiovascular group in Las Vegas from 2014 through 2021.
Dr. Mavroidis has been married to his wife, Debra, for 30 years. They are parents to two girls Gabrielle, and Natalie. Dr. Mavroidis’ interests include traveling, reading, music, hiking, and fitness.
Cres Miranda
Dr. Miranda is from San Diego, California. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, San Diego. He then attended medical school at the University of California, San Francisco. His medicine residency was performed at the University of Texas, Southwestern in Dallas, at Parkland Hospital. Dr. Miranda finished his Cardiology Fellowship at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. He was then accepted to and completed his advanced Coronary Angioplasty Fellowship at the famous Mid-America Heart Institute in Kansas City, under the renowned Dr. Geoffrey Hartzler. His major interests are Coronary Angioplasty and Preventive Medicine. His personal time is spent reading and traveling. He also enjoys exercising on a regular basis.
Awards
- Desert Companion: 2011, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Vegas Seven: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
- Modern Luxury Vegas: 2023
James E. Mock
Prior to joining Nevada Heart and Vascular, James E. Mock, MD, founded Westside Cardiology in 2003. Dr. Mock has previously been Chief of Cardiology Services and Chief of Staff at Mountain View Hospital. He earned his medical doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota, followed by a cardiology fellowship at the same institution.
Dr. Mock was certified from the American Board of Medicine in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease in 1995 and received certification from the Board of Nuclear Medicine in 2008. He is the former president of the Nevada affiliate of the American Heart Association.
Having served as the head of a vital and motivated staff of Medical Assistants who provide outstanding care to their patients, Dr. Mock takes pride in being able to shape the future of his field by serving in the capacity of adjunct clinical Assistant Professor of Cardiology and Clinical Faculty Supervisor at Touro University Nevada.
Dr. Mock is an experienced speaker who has addressed a variety of medical institutions and pharmaceutical companies on numerous topics, including amongst others, Novartis, Abbott, Sunrise Hospital CME program, Bayer, SmithKline Beecham, Pfizer and Eli Lily.
Outside of work, Mock admits to being a Packers fan, but often travels to San Diego to watch the Chargers.
Ali Namazi
Dr. Namazi earned his medical degree from Tehran medical university in Iran followed by internal medicine residency and cardiovascular medicine fellowship from UNLV and cardiac electrophysiology training at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. His clinical interests include arrhythmia management, catheter ablation of atrial and ventricular arrhythmia and cardiac device pacemaker, left atrial appendage closure device (watchman) and defibrillator implantation. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine and cardiac electrophysiology.
Swetal Patel
Dr. Swetal Patel graduated from University of Florida in Gainesville with his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and then attended St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada. He has completed his Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at University of Arkansas Medical Sciences and General Cardiology Fellowship at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He also is active in research with numerous publications to date, and ongoing research projects in the areas of Heparin vs Lovenox in Primary PCI and a Radial Artery Spasm Study. Dr. Patel is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology and ASE Echocardiography, and is a member of the American College of Cardiology.
William Resh
Board Certified, Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Internal Medicine.
Dr. Resh grew up in Los Alamitos, California. He received his bachelors degree from the University of California, Irvine, where he graduated cum laude and was admitted to the Phi Betta Kappa Honor Society. He attended medical school at the University Of Southern California. Following medical school he performed his Residency in Internal Medicine followed by a Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease at the University of California, Irvine. He was voted best resident in his class and was awarded best senior resident research project. He finished his training in Cardiac Electrophysiology with a one year Fellowship at Indiana University-Krannert Institute of Cardiology, with the renowned Dr. Douglas Zipes. His areas of expertise include Cardiac Arrhythmia Management, Ablation Procedures, and Defibrillator/Pacemaker Implantation. Dr. Resh has served as the practice’s President and Managing Partner since it was founded in 1998. He has also sat on executive boards and been Chair of Medicine at several of the local Las Vegas hospitals. He has three children. His oldest son is a graduate of Duke University and attended Boyd School of Law. His second son is a chef, and daughter is in college in Los Angeles and is an aspiring singer/ actress. His personal interests include snow skiing, wake boarding and wine collecting. His favorite vacations are spent with his family and friends on Lake Powell.
C. Allen Rhodes
Dr. Rhodes was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in Wyoming. After attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, he matriculated and earned his Medical degree at the University of Colorado. He continued at the University of Colorado School of Medicine were he was awarded Internal Medicine and Cardiology specialty degrees after completing his Internship, Residency and Cardiology Fellowship programs. He moved to Las Vegas in 1982 and has practiced Cardiology in group and solo practice settings. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, and has a special interest in Coronary Interventions and Peripheral Vascular studies. He spends his personal time in Wyoming and collecting western antiques.
Stephen Savran
Dr. Savran is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor’s Degree at Swarthmore College. He attended medical school at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. His Internal Medicine Residency was performed at the University of Wisconsin. He subsequently completed his Cardiology Fellowship at the David Grant United States Air Force Medical Center, in conjunction with the University of California, Davis. He is the cardiology consultant to the Civil Aeromedical Institute of the FAA that certifies pilots with heart disease to return to flying. He has four wonderful children, and enjoys flying, golf, skiing, fishing, especially in Alaska, and traveling.
Tyler M. Schmeling
Tyler is a Board-Certified Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with a focus on acute patient care, staff development and family advocacy. He attended Grand Canyon University where he obtained both his Bachelor of Science in Nursing as well as his Master of Science in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Specialty. Tyler is currently pursuing his Master of Business Administration at Western Governors University. He is certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Heart Association (BLS and ACLS.) Tyler has experience in cardiac, ICU, and Emergency Department nursing. When he is not working, Tyler enjoys photography, woodworking, camping, and spending time with his family.
Kenneth J. Shah
Dr. Kenneth Jayendra Shah wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps to become a physician and help people. Dr. Shah received his medical degree from the University of Technology UTESA, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He subsequently completed his Internal Medicine Internship and Residency at St. Vincent Hospital and Medical Center (NYMC) Staten Island, NY. Fellowship in Critical Care-Pulmonary Medicine at St. Vincent Hospital, New York City, NY. Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease where he was Chief Cardiology Fellow at Rush St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois. Fellowship training in Interventional Cardiology and Transplant Medicine at Research Institute of Kansas, Wichita, KS. Dr. Shah’s family of three children and his wife moved to Nevada in 1998 and started his medical practice in Henderson, Nevada. Dr. Shah has done news articles, TV and radio patient education programs. Dr. Shah is proud to have been titled one of Vegas, Inc. ‘s and Health Care Top Doctors. In addition to specializing in cardiovascular medicine, Dr. Shah also helps his patients with stroke prevention, varicose vein treatment, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and sleep apnea. Dr. Shah spends his free time with his family traveling, enjoying outdoor activities and also watching Star Trek.
Fareed A. Sheikh
Dr. Fareed Sheikh attended Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania where he completed his B.S in Biology. He earned his D.O. at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Long Island, NY, and completed an internship at St. Clare’s Hospital in New York City, New York. Dr. Sheikh completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Cabrini Medical Center, also in New York City, followed by a cardiology fellowship at San Antonio Military Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He has been a staff member at a number of hospitals in Nevada and most recently was a cardiologist with Advanced Heart Care Associates. Amongst other appointments, Dr. Sheikh has served in Internal medicine at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany and as Air Force ICU Director at Nellis Airforce Base in Nevada. Other experience Dr. Sheikh has includes being deployed with Army MASH unit Operation Lifeline for earthquake relief in Pakistan from October 2005 to February 2006 and serving as a mission physician in Kazakhstan and Europe. Dr. Sheikh was also deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2011 for 6 months with Operation Enduring Freedom and attended critically injured soldiers in flights to Germany with critical air transport. He has received numerous awards and honors for his service including Joint Meritorious Service, Army Commendation and Humanitarian Service medals in 2006. Dr. Sheikh has an interest in the treatment of congestive heart failure and has worked to increase use of the CardioMEMS™ HF System device implants, allowing patients to monitor their pulmonary artery pressure at home. He was an early adopter of this leading edge technology, having done 70 implants, and has been invited to speak at the Heart Failure Society of America national conference on this experience. Dr. Sheikh is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine for both Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, and is a Fellow with the American College of Cardiology. Dr. Sheikh is multilingual, speaking English, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and German, and he enjoys traveling in his free time.
Alan D. Steljes
Dr. Alan Steljes attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where he completed his B.S in Biology. He earned his MD at University of Toronto, and completed his residency at University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, followed by two additional residencies in cardiology and interventional cardiology. Dr. Steljes then served appointments as both Chief Resident of Cardiology and Chief Resident of Internal Medicine at the University of Alberta. He has practiced at multiple clinics, including as Chief of Cardiology at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, Nevada, and Chief of Staff at Boulder City Hospital in Boulder City, Nevada. Since 2004 he has had his own practice in Henderson, Nevada. Dr. Steljes has multiple board certifications across a variety of disciplines, including Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Nuclear Cardiology, Echocardiography, Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, and Sleep Medicine. He is an active member of the American Medical Association, the Clark County Medical Association and the America College of Cardiology. He is also a licensed pilot and certified scuba diver. In his spare time, he enjoys tennis, hiking and hanging out with his family.
Nicholas Tselikis
Dr. Tselikis is a native of Montreal, Canada. After completing his undergraduate education at Northeastern University, he received his medical degree from Ross University, School of Medicine. His Internship at St. Barnabas Hospital in New York was then followed by Internal Medicine Residency and Cardiology Fellowship training at St. John and Providence Hospitals in Michigan. He is board certified in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology. Since 1993, Dr. Tselikis has practiced Interventional Cardiology in Las Vegas. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. His interests include hockey, tennis and travel. He spends his personal time with his wife and three children.
Branavan Umakanthan
Dr. Umakanthan received his Internal Medicine and general Cardiology training at Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he served as Chief Medical Resident. He then completed his coronary and peripheral vascular interventional training at the Western Pennsylvania/Allegheny Health System in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Umakanthan has been practicing in Las Vegas since 2008. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology, Nuclear Cardiology, and Echocardiography. In addition to performing coronary, peripheral vascular and carotid interventions, Dr. Umakanthan has a keen interest in structural heart procedures (including PFO closures and valvuloplasty procedures), venous interventions (including IVC filter placement and DVT extractions), and high risk coronary interventions. He performs a majority of his angiographic procedures via the radial arterial approach. He spends his free time with his wife and 2 children, and enjoys SCUBA diving and playing tennis.
Rafael Valencia
Dr. Valencia was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Cornell University. He then attended medical school at Cornell University Medical College in New York. He performed his Internal Medicine Residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell. He performed his General Cardiology training at the New York University Medical School affiliated hospitals. He then found his way back to the West Coast where he performed an additional two years of Cardiac and Peripheral Intervention training at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California. He and his wife, Diana, along with their two kids enjoy traveling and hiking. Additional personal interests include golf, swimming, tennis and running. He is fluent in Spanish.