People in Northeast Georgia can now schedule an appointment with a skilled cardiologist who brings a quarter-century of experience and a rich knowledge of the South. Ram Penmetsa, MD, is seeing patients at Georgia Heart Institute’s locations in Gainesville and Clayton. He is the fifth heart doctor this year to join Georgia Heart Institute, the comprehensive heart and vascular service line of Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS), as it continues to grow to provide more care closer to home for people across the region.

“With my patients, I try to be not only a doctor but also a confidant,” Dr. Penmetsa said. “I try to give them advice and lead by example. I explain to patients what their diagnosis means and the benefits and risks of treatment options, all to empower them to make the best decisions for their own care.”

Dr. Penmetsa has spent most of his career practicing in the Southeastern United States. He started in private practice at Louisiana Heart Center outside of New Orleans and worked for 13 years with South Carolina Heart Center in Columbia. He also served as both Vice Chief and Chief of Cardiology at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, South Carolina. His experience in hospital-based practice as an attending cardiologist includes Ascension Medical Group in Waycross, Georgia; Conway Medical Center, a Duke Health affiliate in Conway, South Carolina; and Prisma Health Upstate in Seneca, South Carolina.

“I grew up in India, surrounded by a family of many doctors — including cardiologists — which inspired me to pursue a career in medicine to help people,” says Dr. Penmetsa. “After medical school, I was excited to come to the United States to complete my training.”

He chose to pursue a career in cardiology during his internal medicine residency while working with pioneers in the field at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, where he also completed a cardiology fellowship at the Krannert Institute of Cardiology.

Dr. Penmetsa sees patients on Wednesdays at the Georgia Heart Institute office in Clayton, 536 Highway 441 S. His other days are spent caring for patients at the Gainesville location inside the Wisteria Building, 200 S. Enota Drive, Suite 100. Call 770-501-7510 to book an appointment or visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/penmetsa to learn more.