Hospital welcomes cardiologist
PRESQUE ISLE — The Aroostook Medical Center (TAMC) recently welcomed cardiologist Dr. Venkatram Nethala to Aroostook Heart & Lung Center at A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital.
Nethala comes to Presque Isle from Laconia, N.H., where he had practiced since 1993. He specializes in cardiac catheterization and other heart-related tests and procedures.
“I am an interventional cardiologist, and I do angioplasties, cardiac catheterizations and so on,” said Nethala. “I will be here full-time, and that will allow the patients to get to know me and for me to get to know them in the long run.”
The doctor looks forward to building his practice with cardiologist Dr. Thomas Buckingham and pulmonologist Dr. Osama Aziz. He began seeing patients at Aroostook Heart & Lung Center in June.
Nethala’s practice will enhance TAMC’s heart health services, which in addition to cardiac catheterization, include cardiac rehab and several other tests and procedures done to diagnose and treat heart disease. TAMC also offers services focused on heart disease prevention and education, including CPR courses and classes to help people quit smoking.
The hospital’s capabilities were one reason why Nethala chose to start his new practice at TAMC, but he was also attracted to the rural character of Aroostook County. Laconia, N.H., Dr. Nethala’s previous home, is a small city that shares many similarities with Presque Isle.
“I was looking for a quiet place,” he said. “The people are very nice, and the hospital is very accommodating. It is cold, but so is New Hampshire. We know how to handle the snow, and we have no problem with snowy weather.”
Nethala is married and has three children. An avid fisherman, he enjoys spending a lot of time outside.
“I have a garden,” he said. “I plant tomato plants, eggplant and pepper plants; I like a lot of peppers because we eat a lot of curry.”
Referrals to Nethala’s office can be made through any primary care provider. For more information about Dr. Nethala or TAMC’s heart health services, please call 764-1898.
The Aroostook Medical Center is a member of EMHS. Members of EMHS work to ensure the highest quality of care is available to all who need it, especially those in rural Maine.