New Cardiovascular Horizons Leadership

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  Craig M. Walker, MD
  FACC, FACA, FACP, FSCAI, FASCI,
  FCCP, FICA
  

  Founder, President & Medical Director
  Cardiovascular Institute of the South
  Houma, Louisiana

  Clinical Professor of Medicine
  Tulane University School of Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

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  New Cardiovascular Horizons Annual Conference Founder and Chairman

  Dr. Craig M. Walker, a native of Bourg, Louisiana, is a graduate of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana and LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He began his postgraduate training with an internship and residency at Lafayette Charity Hospital in Lafayette, Louisiana. He continued his training with a cardiology fellowship at Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans and a research fellowship at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.

  In 1983, Dr. Walker returned to south Louisiana to establish the Houma Heart Clinic as a center for the development of new and improved techniques for the treatment of both coronary and peripheral arterial disease. The clinic grew to become Cardiovascular Institute of the South, a world-renowned practice with 37 physicians and nearly 500 team members in 13 locations through south Louisiana.

  Dr. Walker co-founded one of the largest peripheral conferences in the nation, New Cardiovascular Horizons, to educate and train medical professionals on the latest techniques and technology in the field. He also maintains the distinct title of primary investigator for several cardiovascular and peripheral devices. Through his extensive knowledge and research in peripheral vascular disease (PVD), Dr. Walker provides comprehensive educational training courses to other physicians from around the world.

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  Frank T. Bunch, MD
  FACC, FSCAI

  Cardiology Associates of Mobile
  Mobile, AL

  Chairman, New Cardiovascular Horizons Mobile, AL

  Dr. Frank T. Bunch is a board-certified interventional cardiologist practicing with Cardiology Associates of Mobile, in Mobile, Alabama. He received his cardiology training at Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana and interventional cardiology training at Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans, LA.

  He has received certifications at the American Board of Internal Medicine and Subspecialty Board in Cardiovascular Disease. Dr. Bunch is also a member of the American College of Physicians, Society of Angiography and Interventions, American Society of Internal Medicine, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, International Society for Endovascular Surgery and the Horizons International Peripheral Group.

  He is a consultant to a multitude of medical device companies and has been involved in many clinical trials for major device firms.

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  W. Britton Eaves, MD
  FACC, FSCAI

  Willis Knighton-Bossier
  Bossier City, LA

  Chairman, New Cardiovascular Horizons Shreveport, LA

  Dr. Eaves is a native of Merryville, LA and a graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA. He attended LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport where he also completed his fellowship in cardiology. Dr. Eaves began his private practice in Bossier City, LA with Cardiovascular Consultants, LLC and is credited with starting the first interventional peripheral vascular disease program in the area. He is the Head of Cardiology at Willis Knighton-Bossier and serves as Chairman of Endovascular Treatment for Willis Knighton Health System.

  Dr. Eaves developed an interest and subsequently a passion for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease after working with Dr. Craig Walker in Lafayette, LA. He has been on faculty for New Cardiovascular Horizons, New Orleans for five years. He is also a member of the Horizons International Peripheral Group where he currently serves on the research committee. Dr. Eaves recognizes the importance of quality research and has participated in many clinical and interventional trials for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology.

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  Robert Foster, MD
  FACC, FSCAI

  Birmingham Heart Clinic
  Birmingham, AL

  Chairman, New Cardiovascular Horizons Birmingham, AL

  Dr. Robert Foster was born in Texas and grew up in LaGrange, Georgia. After graduating from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Dr. Foster earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and won two awards for medical student research competition. His Internal Medicine training was at the University of Texas Southwestern Health Science Center in Dallas where he received the John S. Miller Award for outstanding performance as a House Officer. Dr. Foster completed his cardiology training at the University of Alabama Medical Center in Birmingham.

  After a year as a UAB faculty member, Dr. Foster joined Birmingham Heart Clinic in 1997 where he has been an interventional cardiologist for 12 years and specializes in peripheral artery disease.

  Dr. Foster and his wife, Donna, have three children. The family is active in numerous missionary activities through their church at Liberty Park Baptist Church where he serves as a deacon. Dr. Foster enjoys hunting, cycling and running.

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  Carlos Mena, MD
  FACC, FSCAI

  Yale School of Medicine
  New Haven, CT

  Chairman, New Cardiovascular Horizons Fellows Course

  Dr. Carlos Mena, a native of Medellin, Colombia, is a graduate of the University of Antioquia School of Medicine. He began his postgraduate training at Yale University where he completed his internship and residency in addition to his Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology Fellowships. With a strong desire to provide quality clinical research, Dr. Mena leads many studies in his duty as Principal Investigator. His hard work and dedication has been recognized as he earned both the John W. Brackett Award for Resident Teacher and the Ralph I. Horwitz Research in Residency Award.

  In addition to his busy practice, Dr. Mena is a well published physician with a wide range of article publications and book chapters through the contribution of his expertise in Oxford American Handbook of Cardiology. Dr. Mena served as a Course Director for New Cardiovascular Horizons 2012 and is actively involved in local, national and international conferences through his many diverse presentations.

  He maintains many professional associations including the Society of Vascular Medicine, American Heart Association, Fellow of Society Cardiac Angiography and Intervention (F.S.C.A.I.) and Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (F.A.C.C.). Dr. Mena is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Echocardiography, Cardiovascular Disease, and Interventional Cardiology.

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  Miguel Montero-Baker, MD

  University of Arizona
  Tucson, AZ

  San Juan de Dios Hospital
  San Jose, Costa Rica

  Chairman, New Cardiovascular Horizons Latin America

  Dr. Miguel Montero-Baker is a Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon. He graduated with honors both from medical school and his residency in Vascular Surgery. As he finished his residency, he was awarded a DAAD scholarship to further pursue his interest in interventional therapies in Leipzig, Germany. There, he completed a peripheral vascular ultrasound fellowship and an advanced peripheral vascular interventions fellowship.

  Dr. Montero-Baker is a well-recognized opinion leader for the Latin American medical community and active member of the Horizons International Peripheral Group. His main clinical interests are critical limb ischemia and aortic aneurysms.

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  Raghotham R. Patlola, MD
  FACC, FSCAI, FSBM

  Cardiovascular Institute of the South
  Lafayette, LA

  Chairman, New Cardiovascular Horizons Lafayette, LA

  Dr. Raghotham Patlola received his undergraduate degree and medical education from B.L.D.E. Association’s Medical College Hospital and Research Center, Karnataka University in his native India. His postgraduate training included an internal medicine internship and residency at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn and a cardiology fellowship through the Beth-Israel Medical Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, New York. Dr. Patlola continued his interventional cardiology training at Maimonides Medical Center State University of New York in Brooklyn.

  Dr. Patlola is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, nuclear cardiology, and endovascular medicine. He is designated as a Hypertension Specialist by the American Society of Hypertension, and he is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the American Medical Association.

  He has hospital privileges at Dauterive Hospital, Iberia Medical Center, Regional Medical Center of Acadiana, Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Lafayette, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, Terrebonne General Medical Center, and Lafayette General Medical Center. Dr. Patlola is a well-published author in numerous articles and he is involved in several clinical and interventional device based trials as the primary or sub investigator.

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  Oscar Rosales, MD

  Memorial Hermann Hospital-TMC
  Houston, TX

  Chairman, Horizons International Peripheral Group Research Committee

  Dr. Oscar Rosales is a board-certified interventional cardiologist and currently the President of Medical Staff for Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas. He completed his medical training at Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana; Yale University, New Haven, CT and University of Texas Medical School, Houston, Texas. Dr. Rosales is also the Medical Director of the Memorial Hermann Hospital Cath Lab.

  Dr. Rosales founded the Houston Center for Vascular Health, a non-profit foundation devoted to the dissemination of knowledge about PVD, training of physicians and the investigation of new treatment modalities for PVD. He has participated in many clinical trials and has served on the Medical Advisory Board of several medical device companies. He has pioneered the use of stents in tibioperoneal vessels to treat refractory Critical Limb Ischemia.

  Dr. Rosales has also received the following awards Humanism in Medicine Award, 2002, Alpha Omega Alpha Teacher of the Year as well as multiple teaching awards from the Tulane, Ochsner Clinic and UT Medical School in Houston.

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  Michael T. Simpson, MD
  FACC

  Birmingham Heart Clinic
  Birmingham, AL

  Chairman, New Cardiovascular Horizons Birmingham, AL

  Dr. Michael T. Simpson was born in Gainesville, Georgia, graduated from Georgia Southern University and the Medical College of Georgia where he was President of his Junior and Senior classes. In medical school he received the Walter L. Shepard Achievement Award for Excellence in the School of Medicine. Dr. Simpson completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine, and his fellowship in Cardiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). After starting practice in LaGrange, Georgia, he returned to Birmingham, where, in 1994 he founded Birmingham Heart Clinic. The practice has grown to its present number of ten cardiologists.

  At St. Vincent’s East in Birmingham, Dr. Simpson has been Chairman of the Cardiovascular Committee, has served on the hospital Board of Directors, and been named “Outstanding Teacher” by the Family Practice resident physicians. He currently serves as Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and Cardiology at UAB. He has been repeatedly named to “Birmingham’s Best Doctors” and “America’s Top Cardiologists.” He continues to be an investigator in numerous research and clinical trials involving carotid artery stenting, myocardial infarction, and various cardiac drugs and devices.

  Dr. Simpson is married, has three children and five grandchildren. He enjoys sports, music, humor, and spending time on his farm in St. Clair County.

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  Deepak Thekkoott, MD
  FACC, FSCAI, FACP, FRCP

  Cardiovascular Institute of the South
  Zachary, LA

  Chairman, New Cardiovascular Horizons Baton Rouge, LA

  Dr. Deepak Thekkoott, a native of India, joined Cardiovascular Institute of the South in 2008 as an interventional cardiologist. He completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in Kerala, India where he also received his Doctorate in Medicine. He then completed extensive training in cardiology and cardiac transplantation at the Imperial College of Medicine (Hammersmith Hospital) in London, and practiced as a staff cardiologist in the United Kingdom at the University Of Wales College Of Medicine at Cardiff, UK.

  Dr. Thekkoott undertook further cardiovascular training in Brooklyn, New York at Maimonides Medical Center, where he completed his internal medicine residency, cardiology fellowship, and interventional cardiology fellowship. Dr. Thekkoott continued his training at Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute of New York in cardiovascular computed tomography (CT).

  Dr. Thekkoott is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, cardiovascular computed tomography, and endovascular medicine. He has received numerous awards including the John Goodwin Award for the best outgoing cardiologist from London University. He has also held the honor of Chief Resident elect and Chief Fellow. Additionally, much of Dr. Thekkoott’s work has been published and presented to various national societies including the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, and the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventions. He has also served on multiple, national panels to discuss interventional methods and procedures.