Cardiovascular Consultants of Georgia (CCG) has joined Piedmont Heart Institute (PHI) effective February 1, 2010, solidifying PHI Physicians’ prominence as one of the largest groups of cardiovascular specialists in the Southeast.

“The addition of Cardiovascular Consultants of Georgia complements our existing group of cardiovascular specialists who are revolutionizing heart care across the Southeast,” said Michele M. Molden, president and CEO of the Piedmont Heart Institute. “We are proud to have this distinguished group of cardiac specialists on our team serving area residents in Fayette and Coweta Counties.”

Previously, CCG physicians were part of Cardiac Disease Specialists (which joined PHI in June 2008), and are members of the medical staffs of Piedmont Fayette Hospital and Piedmont Newnan Hospital. The nine-member practice has four office locations including Fayetteville (two locations), Sharpsburg and Papp Clinic in Newnan.

CCG will continue to serve its patients and our communities and also work with Piedmont Fayette and Piedmont Newnan Hospitals to further develop their expertise and capabilities in cardiovascular medicine. Both hospitals already offer cardiology services including general cardiology, adult diagnostic cardiac cath, EKG, EEG, echocardiography, stress testing, cardiac imaging and cardiac rehabilitation. Soon, Piedmont Fayette Hospital will add interventional cardiology to its collection of cardiac services.

“Cardiovascular Consultants of Georgia has always been committed to the delivery of high quality cardiovascular care,” said George Vellanikaran, M.D., managing partner of CCG. “Our membership in the Piedmont Heart Institute continues our legacy of care, while enhancing and providing world-class services by bringing together the resources of leading cardiovascular specialists, award-winning care, research, innovation and technology.” 

The Piedmont Heart Institute, the first of its kind affiliated with a community hospital system in greater Atlanta, includes more than 85 cardiovascular specialists and continues to initiate new programs in cardiovascular research, education and excellence in prevention, arrhythmias, coronary and vascular intervention, cardiothoracic surgery, stroke and cardiac imaging.  Seeking greater alignment of the physicians and our hospitals, Piedmont Heart Institute has implemented a new care delivery model in Atlanta that eliminates the barriers to working more closely together and creates a platform where leadership is shared with enhanced care and services for the community. This fully integrated financial model will ultimately improve the patient experience, care efficiencies, quality and outcomes. 

About the Piedmont Heart Institute

The Piedmont Heart Institute (PHI) is the first integrated cardiovascular healthcare delivery program affiliated with a community health system in greater Atlanta and is headquartered on the campus of Piedmont Hospital, a 481-bed tertiary care facility offering all major medical, surgical and diagnostic services. Offering a continuum of patient care, including primary and secondary prevention, outpatient and inpatient cardiovascular care, and appropriate quality measures and metrics to demonstrate enhanced outcomes, Piedmont Heart Institute combines more than 75 cardiovascular specialists in Piedmont Heart Institute Physicians with over 30 locations across north Georgia, and hospital-based services to propel new programs in cardiovascular research, education and excellence in prevention, arrhythmias, coronary and vascular intervention, stroke and cardiac imaging. Piedmont Heart Institute  is part of Piedmont Healthcare (PHC), a not-for-profit organization that also includes Piedmont Fayette Hospital, a 143-bed, acute-care community hospital in Fayetteville; Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, a 42-bed community hospital in Jasper; and Piedmont Newnan Hospital, a 143-bed, acute-care community hospital in Newnan. Piedmont Healthcare also is the parent company of Piedmont Philanthropy, the philanthropic entity for private fundraising initiatives; the Piedmont Physicians Group, with more than 100 primary care physicians in over 30 offices throughout metro Atlanta; and the Piedmont Clinic, a 600-member physician network. For more information, visit piedmontheart.org.