Piedmont Heart of Newnan

Dr. Ajay Kaja, MD, earned his medical degree from Osmania Medical College and completed his residency at Creighton University Medical Center. He finished his cardiology fellowship at Kansas University Medical Center and is board certified in cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, cardiac CT/MRI and peripheral vascular imaging. Dr. Kaja has been practicing medicine for 4 years. Prior to joining Piedmont, Dr. Kaja was working at Cedar valley Medical Specialists in Waterloo, Iowa. He specializes in cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, cardiac CT/MRI and peripheral vascular imaging. Dr. Kaja has a special interest in management of valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease and heart failure.

In his spare time, Dr. Kaja Name enjoys spending time with family. He enjoys exploring new places and different cultures.

Dr. Kaja is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans.

Tesfaye Telila, M.D. received his medical degree from Addis Ababa University, in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. He then went on to complete his internal medicine residency at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. He received his fellowship in general cardiology at the Wayne State University/Detroit Medical center and completed interventional & Structural cardiology fellowship at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.

Dr. Telila is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Nuclear Cardiology, and Adult Echocardiography.

He has published numerous scholarly articles in peer reviewed medical journals and received several honors and awards and served as a chief cardiology fellow.

Dr. Telila treats adult and geriatric patients with or at risk for cardiovascular diseases. In addition to his passion for valvular heart disease, complex coronary and cardiogenic shock, he has special interest in Global health. He welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans.

Dr. Patel earned his undergraduate and medical degree from Medical University of Lublin, Poland. He completed his internal medicine internship/residency at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center/ Tufts University in Boston, MA. Following his residency, he completed an advanced echocardiography fellowship at West Roxbury VA Medical Center in Boston, MA.

Dr. Patel completed his cardiology fellowship training at University of Massachusetts- Baystate Medical Center. He subsequently completed an advanced cardiac imaging fellowship in CT/MRI at The Ohio State University.

Dr. Patel is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Echocardiography, Vascular Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac MRI. Dr. Patel is a fellow of the American College Of Cardiology and is a member of the American Medial Association, American Society of Echocardiography and American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.

Dr. Patel enjoys all sports as well as traveling with his family. Dr. Patel comes to Piedmont Heart with eight years of medical experience. He welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans.

Stephen Awuor, MD earned his medical degree from Moi University School of Medicine in Kenya and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Lehigh Valley Health Network. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Internal Cardiology, General Cardiology, Echocardiography and is a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation.

Dr. Awuor specializes in Interventional Cardiology and Peripheral Vascular Disease. His special interests include Coronary Artery Disease, Peripheral Arterial Disease, and Pulmonary Embolism. Dr. Awuor offers treatments such as Balloon Angioplasty and Stenting, Thrombectomy, Atherectomy, and Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support.

In his free time, Dr. Awuor enjoys spending time with his family, soccer, golf listening to jazz, and traveling.

Senthil Surya Balasubramanian, MD earned his medical degree from Thanjavur Medical College and completed his residency at John H. Stroger Jr Hospital of Cook County.

Dr. Balasubramanian has been practicing medicine for 6 years. His special interests include Echocardiography, Coronary CT with FFR, Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiac MRI and preventive cardiology.

Dr. Balasubramanian is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans.

Dr. Bleuez graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, with a degree in biology. He received his medical degree and completed his internal medicine internship/residency and cardiology fellowship at State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. Dr. Bleuez is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), and a member of the American Medical Association and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. His clinical interests include clinical cardiology, cardiac imaging, and cardiac catheterization. He, his wife, Dr. Tanya Beckford, and their three children live in Peachtree City.

Ryan K. Crisel, M.D. obtained a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He received a medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga. Dr. Crisel completed internal medicine residency in the department of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco. Dr. Crisel then completed a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at Northwestern University. Dr. Crisel joins Piedmont Heart after recently completing a fellowship in interventional cardiology at Emory University. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and physician's vascular interpretation. Dr. Crisel is a member of the American College of Cardiology and the American Medical Association. In his spare time, Dr. Crisel enjoys playing basketball, downhill skiing and hiking. Dr. Crisel welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans.

Dr. Prahash is a board certified Interventional Cardiologist who specializes in the care of patients with heart artery disease and in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of other common heart conditions. He performs heart catheterization procedures to reopen blocked heart arteries and is part of the specialist team for emergency treatment of heart attacks. Dr. Prahash is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Intervention. Prior to joining Piedmont, he practiced cardiology in central Virginia since 2007.

Dr. Prahash believes in a personal style of practicing medicine that is based on clinical evidence and experience. He looks forward to meeting new patients and interacting with them and other providers as part of Piedmont team.

In his spare time he enjoys spending time with family, travel, nature and history.Dr. Prahash is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans.

Sushee C Gadde MD. earned her medical degree at Mamata Medical College, in Khammam, Andhra Pradesh in India. She completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical center of Central Georgia in Macon, where she was the Chief Medical Resident. Following her residency, she completed a Cardiology fellowship at the University of South Alabama and served as the Chief Cardiovascular Fellow.

Dr. Gadde completed her fellowship training in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology at University of Alabama, Birmingham. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Echocardiography, Advance Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology. She has a particular interest in Heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.

Dr Gadde is a fellow of American College of Cardiology, and a member of several medical organizations including The American Medical Association, The American College of Cardiology, AHA and The National Lipid Association.

In her spare time, Dr. Gadde enjoys reading books, watching movies, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Murthy grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his father was a physician. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, he earned his medical degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Murthy completed his internal medicine internship/residency and cardiology fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and its subspecialty Board of Cardiovascular Disease. He, his wife, Dr. Geetha Rao, and their son and daughter live in Peachtree City. In his spare time, he enjoys backpacking, international travel and canoeing.

Dr. Al-Turk has completed formal training in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease. In addition, he is board certified in Echocardiography and Nuclear Medicine. He has a special interest in the treatment of heart failure and coronary artery disease with an emphasis on prevention and lifestyle medicine. He enjoys employing a holistic, patient centered and collaborative approach. Utilizing the latest evidence-based treatments, Dr. Al-Turk seeks to empower patients and their families to optimize their health.

In his free time Dr. Al-Turk enjoys spending time with his family, friends, and dogs. His hobbies include cooking, exercising, and learning about different cultures through their unique cuisines.

Dr. Sangha specializes in clinical cardiology, heart failure and cardiac rehabilitation. A graduate of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, he earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California at Irvine, where he majored in biology and philosophy. Dr. Sangha completed his internship and residency in both internal medicine and physical medicine / rehabilitation at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He completed a cardiology fellowship and a fellowship in heart failure and heart transplant at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Sangha is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and its subspecialty board of cardiovascular disease.

Eric Sceusi, MD., earned his medical degree from UMDNJ - New Jersey Medical School in 2007. He completed his General Surgery residency at The University of Texas - Houston in 2014. During his residency he also completed a two-year NIH funded research fellowship at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He completed his Thoracic Surgery fellowship at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in 2016 and received his undergraduate degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2003.

Prior to joining Piedmont Heart, Dr. Sceusi completed his training in thoracic surgery at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Sceusi is board certified in general surgery and is board certified in thoracic surgery.

Dr. Sceusi performs robotic (minimally invasive), thoracic surgical procedures and has expertise in the treatment of lung cancer, esophageal cancer, hiatal hernias and acid reflux disease, mediastinal and chest tumors as well as benign thoracic surgical conditions.

Dr. Sceusi welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans.

Allan Pickens, MD, is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and American Board of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Pickens specializes in thoracic surgery with a focus on minimally invasive robotic and thoracoscopic techniques, removal of early-stage lung cancers and esophageal cancers, mediastinal tumors and chest wall tumors, hiatal hernia repairs, anti-reflux surgery, hyperhidrosis treatment, and pectus repairs.

In his spare time, Dr. Pickens enjoys horseback riding, biking, and spending time with his family.

Dr. Pickens welcome new patients and accepts most major insurance plans.

Aaron Richardson, D.O., is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases. He specializes in the treatment of heart rhythm disorders ranging from atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, heart block, bradycardia, atrial flutter, premature ventricular contractions, and ventricular tachycardia. Dr. Richardson has a special interest in treatment and management of atrial fibrillation, leadless pacing, and cardiac resynchronization therapy.

In his spare time, Dr. Richardson enjoys traveling and exercising.

Dr. Olubi specializes in clinical cardiology. A graduate of Saba University School of Medicine in the Nertherlands Antilles, she completed her residency at Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, where she was chief resident and received the Outstanding Senior Resident Award. Following her residency, Dr. Olubi completed a fellowship in cardiology at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois, where she was chief fellow. She holds a Masters in Healthcare Delivery Science from Dartmouth College. She is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and its subspecialty Board of Cardiovascular Disease. She is also board certified in Echocardiography, Nuclear cardiology and Vascular medicine. A member of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association, Dr. Olubi has a particular interest in women's health. When she is not working, she enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her husband, daughter and two sons.

Ashish A. Bhimani, M.D. is the Chief of Electrophysiology at Piedmont Heart Institute. He specializes in all variety of heart rhythm disorders, including the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation and flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, bradycardia and heart block, ventricular tachycardia, and arrhythmias associated with heart failure. He has robust clinical experience in ablations, pacemaker implants (including left bundle branch and leadless pacing), defibrillator implants, and various other electrophysiology procedures. He has a special interest in electrophysiology education and developing system-wide approaches to improving quality of care.

Prior to joining Piedmont Heart Institute in 2016, he completed his cardiovascular disease and electrophysiology training at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, OH. He then served on the faculty at University of Texas Medical Branch for 3 years, serving as Director of Atrial Fibrillation and Associate Cardiology Fellowship Program Director. He is board-certified in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology and Cardiovascular Disease. He is a member of the American Heart Association and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Heart Rhythm Society. He sees patients at the Buckhead, Fayetteville, and Newnan offices.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and being outdoors. He is an avid sports fan, rooting hard for his Dukies (undergraduate at Duke), Wolverines (residency at University of Michigan), and the local Atlanta teams!

Dr. Singh earned his medical degree at Medical College of Georgia. He then attended Boston University Medical Center where he completed his residency. He went on to complete fellowships in Cardiovascular Disease at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is board certified in adult echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and internal medicine.

Dr. Singh has specialized training in adult echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and cardiac CT. He is a member of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association. He is accepting new patients and welcomes most major insurance plans.

His special interests include listening to music, playing guitar, traveling and spending time with his wife and family.

Andrew Darlington, D.O. earned his medical degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, where he was the Chief Medical Resident. Following his residency, he completed a Cardiology fellowship at the University of Florida and served as the Chief Cardiovascular Fellow.

Dr. Darlington completed his fellowship training in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology at Yale University. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Echocardiology and Nuclear Cardiology. Dr. Darlington is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation and Cardiomyopathy. He has a special interest in Congestive Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy. In his spare time, Dr. Darlington enjoys all sports as well as traveling with his family.

Dr. Darlington comes to Piedmont Heart with eight years of medical experience. He welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance plans.

Dr. Akhtar specializes in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology at Piedmont Augusta. His clinical interests include Cardiac MRI, Nuclear Cardiology, Echocardiography, and Right Heart Catheterizations. He is a member of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), The Medical Association of Georgia, and the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Dr. Akhtar offers treatment for conditions such as Congestive Heart Failure, Cardiogenic Shock, Cardiac Amyloidosis, Cardio-Oncology, Pulmonary Hypertension, Post-partum cardiomyopathy, and other Cardiovascular Diseases.

Dr. Akhtar has more than 15 years’ experience in general cardiology, and is currently board certified in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant. He manages patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD), Cardiomems®, and other implantable cardiac devices with remote heart failure monitoring capabilities. Dr. Akhtar takes great care in providing high quality care and timely follow up for his patients.

In his spare time, Dr. Akhtar enjoys spending time with his family, and playing golf.

Dr. Mitchell specializes in general and invasive cardiology. A graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, he received his medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia. He then completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and his cardiology fellowship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Dr. Mitchell participated in Navy ROTC and the Navy Health Professions Scholarship program and is leaving the Navy after 10 years of active duty service at the rank of Commander.His duty stations included Naval Hospital in Sigonella, Italy, and Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. He has deployed on a humanitarian medical mission aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort to assist 12 countries in South and Central America and has provided cardiology consultations at the medical facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Dr.Mitchell has received numerous military and medical awards including two Navy Commendation Medals. Dr. Mitchell, originally from Newnan, is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and its subspecialty board of Cardiovascular Disease. Clinical interest in cardiac imaging has led to his board certification in nuclear cardiology and echocardiography, as well as training in cardiac CT. He is also skilled in the performance of diagnostic heart catheterization, permanent pacemaker insertion and transesophageal echocardiograms. Dr. Mitchell is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and member of the American College of Physicians.