Dennis L Brooks, M.D. Siegfried O. Storz,M.D. Jeffrey C. Brackett, M.D. George D. Mitchell, M.D. Alon A. Steinberg, M.D. Shirish (Shaun) T.Patel, M.D. Douglas S. Wilkinson, M.D. Ishu V. Rao, M.D. Andrew C. Lee, M.D.

Ventura Oxnard Santa Paula

Greeting Forms/New Patient Info Healthy Lifestyle Coumadin Clinic Pacemaker Clinic VNUS ClosureFAST Frequent Questions Accepted Insurance

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What's New At CAMG

CAMG Awarded Nuclear Laboratory Accreditation

Cardiology Associates Medical Group was awarded accreditation for their nuclear laboratory by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories. Learn more »

Congratulations to Dr. Brackett

On January 1, 2010, Jeffrey C. Brackett, M.D. became the President for The Ventura County Medical Association. We are very proud of all the work he does for this organization and for all his involvement in our community. Dr. Brackett has been a past president of the Ventura Chapter of the American Heart Association, a member of the Ventura County Tobacco Settlement Committee, participated in Leadership Ventura and takes an active leadership role in his church.

Thank you!!!

We want to thank each and every staff member at Cardiology Associates and some of the members of the CMH cath lab who participated in the Casa Pacifica Christmas Present donation in December 2009. We were able to send scores of gifts all beautifully packaged to children who have suffered abuse and emotional trama. They were thrilled to receive all of our heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas!

Ventura County Star: Drs. Steinberg and Lee attend local black-tie gala

Our doctors attended The 37th annual Benefactors' Ball, where nearly $75,000 was raised for the building of a new Community Memorial Hospital. Learn More »

Ventura Star Free Press: Dr. Alon Steinberg mentors students

Dr. Steinberg recently mentored medical students from USC Keck's School of Medicine about bedside manners. "Medicine is personal. You want to treat patients like you want your mother treated or your sister or your best friend." Learn More »

Marlene Dodson has been designated a Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography (FASE).

For sonographer members of ASE, the Fellow designation recognizes extraordinary committment to the field of Echocardiography and achievement of credentials that demonstrate fulfillment of training and performance requirements in cardiac sonography.

The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is a professional organization of physicians, cardiac sonographers, nurses and scientists involved in echocardiography, the use of ultrasound to image the heart and cardiovascular system. The organization was founded in 1975 and is the largest international organization for cardiac imaging. For more information on ASE, visit www.asecho.org or ASE's Public Information site, www.SeeMyHeart.org.

Cardiology Associates Medical Group has just opened their new Vein and Vascular suite located within Cardiology Associates Medical Group's Oxnard office.

We now have the latest in vascular technology, the VNUS ClosureFAST. This closure treatment is for varicose veins-swollen, heavy, or painful legs. Patients are treated in about 2 hours or less and it is covered by most insurances. There is no down time so patients may return to work and resume normal activity following treatment. Sufferers of varicose veins are delighted with symptom relief and cosmetic improvement.

If you would like more information about this treatment option, please phone our office to schedule a time to discuss this with Shaun Patel, M.D. or Andrew Lee, M.D., at (805) 653-0101 or (805) 278-4020.

Andrew C. Lee, M.D. joins Cardiology Associates Medical Group

On Monday, June 15, 2009, Andrew C. Lee, M.D., an interventional cardiologist from San Francisco, will join the practice of Cardiology Associates Medical Group with offices in Ventura and Oxnard. Dr. Lee did his undergraduate work at Stanford University, received his medical degree from the University Of Michigan Medical School, and completed his fellowship at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Lee is board certified in Cardiovascular Diseases, Interventional Cardiology, and Endovascular Intervention. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (F.A.C.C.) and Fellow of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention (F.S.C.A.I.), as well as a member of the Society for Vascular Medicine.

After fellowship, Dr. Lee practiced general and interventional cardiology in Redwood City and Palo Alto, California. He has an interest in complex cardiovascular and peripheral vascular intervention. He was also an active participant in some of the latest medical device developments and drug therapy trials. While at Sequoia Hospital, he established an active adult atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure program using a minimally invasive technique to close congenital heart defects.

Dr. Lee will be caring for patients with cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease at both the Ventura and Oxnard offices. He will be active at both Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura and St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard where he will perform coronary artery angioplasty and stenting as well as peripheral vascular intervention. He plans to develop an adult ASD/PFO closure program here in Ventura County. Dr. Lee explains, "I am excited to join the Ventura County medical community and hope to continue to provide excellent and personalized care to all my cardiovascular patients!" Learn More »

ICAEL Accreditation

Cardilogy Associates Medical Group is accredited The Intersocietal Commission For The Accreditation Of Echocardiography Laboratories. Learn More »

We are again Blue Shield providers!

Thank you to all our Blue Shield patients who continued with us while we worked out our contract issues.

Keeping the Beat - Epidemics in Electrophysiology

Please Join Us For This Free Seminar Tuesday, April 21, 2009 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Nichols Auditorium at the Community Memorial Hospital, 8th Floor. Learn More »

Important Information Regarding Your Medication

Please contact our office if you have been taking Plavix together with Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) such as: Protonix, Prilosec, Prevacid, Aciphex or Nexium. We recommend that you phone (805) 653-0101 to speak with one of our medical assistants.

CAMG staff and physicians supports, "Toy Drive for Casa Pacifica"

On December 8, 2008, the physicians and staff at Cardiology Associates Medical Group presented, Casa Pacifica, with scores of beautifully wrapped gifts for children and family's who have suffered abuse. Hazel Lugo, one of our medical assisants, spearheaded our efforts and Casa Pacifica said, "The outpouring of generosity from individuals such as you makes an indescribable difference for our children, who through gifts from our community are able to experience the kindness, joy, and love that the holiday season represents."

Local Cardiologist is the First in the County to Receive Cardiac CT Board Certification

(Ventura, California) Alon Steinberg, M.D., is the first cardiologist in Ventura County to receive Board Certification in Cardiac CT, and one of only 731 physicians to date - throughout the world - who have received this distinction from the Certification Board of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (CBCCT).

Cardiac computed tomography, or Cardiac CT, is a painless and noninvasive test that uses special x-ray equipment to visualize the arteries of the heart. Recent technological advances have made Cardiac CT an appealing modality to detect arteriosclerosis in early and advanced stages. This technology allows physicians to detect how much plaque is in one's heart as well as assess the degree of blockage in the heart arteries without the use of a catheter. Cardiac CT is also being used to map the heart, and assists Electrophysiologists during procedures, by providing anatomically correct 3D models of the heart during electrophysiology ablations.

The CBCCT recognizes physicians with this certification upon the successful completion of a comprehensive written examination, and demonstrated knowledge skills, in the field of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.

Aging Population Sensitivity Training

Recently,the CAMG staff completed sensitivity training to equip them for our growing population of older adults in Ventura County. The class taught by, Denise Vilven-Ortiez, helped us to adapt and shift our perception of what it means to age. It simulated how it feels to navigate the most basic of functions with the limitations that come with aging. CAMG has made an ongoing committment to provide a "high touch" to the care it provides to all of its patients and to regularly provide classes for it's staff to insure that.

Dr. Mark Ginkel Relocation

Mark Ginkel, MD, has been with Cardiology Associates Medical group since 1994. Recently he and his wife Marcy, made the decision to move their family to Michigan.

At the end of November, 2008, Dr. Ginkel, will no longer be a part of our CAMG staff. He will be greatly missed by his partners, staff and patients.

We want to thank Dr. Ginkel for all that he has contributed to our practice. So many of our patients, with deep gratitude, have expressed how much the quality of their life has improved under his care. Our staff holds Dr. Ginkel in the highest esteem and appreciation for his exceptional qualities as an employer. Our medical community honors him for the many leadership roles he has served in.

Mark Ginkel, MD has left big shoes to fill. We are so thankful that he has been a part of the CAMG family. We wish Mark and Marcy Ginkel and their sons the very best in their new venture in Michigan.

New Physician

We are glad to welcome our newest physician Dr Douglas Wilkinson to our group. He has been practicing general and interventional Cardiology in Ventura County since 1992. He will seeing patients at our Ventura and Oxnard offices starting in February, 2007.

Peripheral Artery Disease

Dr. Shaun Patel besides being trained as an interventional Cardiologist is also a specialist in Peripheral Artery Disease (disease of the arteries outside the heart). Blockages in the leg arteries can limit circulation and give pain or cramping when walking (claudication). A blockage in the kidney artery can cause severe high blood pressure. Dr. Patel performs angiography and stenting to the leg and kidney arteries. He is also trained in stenting of the carotid arteries (opening blockages in the neck arteries with balloons and stents) and will begin soon to perform them soon.

At Cardiology Associates we provide diagnostic testing for the neck arteries to check for blockages (Carotid Doppler) as well as testing for blockages in the leg arteries (ankle-brachial indexes).

Oxnard Office

Cardiology Associates Medical Group is continuing to be active all over Ventura county. As a result of continued growth of our practice and limitations of office space and parking at our primary office in Ventura, our second office in Oxnard is becoming busier. Our Oxnard office offers easy access from the 101 freeway with plenty of parking. The office is located a few blocks from St. Johns Regional Medical Center near the corner of Rice and Gonzalez Roads at 1701 Solar Dr., #150. All our doctors rotate thru this office at least once weekly.

We are now able to offer services such as echocardiography, Holter monitors, EECP and nuclear stress testing at our Oxnard office. (see following article about Nuclear Cardiology). We have sufficient space to allow us to initiate a more comprehensive program of patient education and support. Since nearly a third of our patients and staff live in Oxnard, Camarillo or Port Hueneme, we also hope to our part in relieving traffic congestion in Ventura County.

We will continue to maintain our Ventura office at 168 N. Brent St., #503, as well as our affiliation with Community Memorial Hospital. All of us are committed to working with our colleagues and administrators at CMH to further improve the excellent cardiovascular program that we have helped create.

We also pledge to respect the wishes of our patients and their referring physicians who prefer hospital services closer to home. In addition to our full time cardiac coverage at CMH, we will also be available night and day for cardiac coverage for St. John's Hospital in Oxnard. We look forward to meeting and exceeding the expectations of our patients seeking the best available cardiac care. Please let us know which office you would prefer to visit at the time your next appointment is made.

Nuclear Cardiology

We have a new Phillips nuclear camera at the Oxnard office allows us to provide high quality myocardial perfusion scans (Thallium or Cardiolyte) with exercise or with pharmacologic stress (Adenosine).

These scans will provide the most accurate non invasive imaging of the heart to help establish the cause of chest pain by visualizing the adequacy of the blood flow to the heart through the coronary arteries. These scans can also provide an assessment of the heart's pumping ability (ejection fraction)

Please see our patient education library for more information about nuclear stress test in "Procedures and Tests" section.

CAMG Goes Electronic

During 2003 we converted our patient's paper charts to a paperless electronic medical record. We have invested in a powerful computer system linked to secure wireless networks in both Ventura and Oxnard offices for many reasons.

A federal law (HIPAA) has mandated that each medical practice establish safeguards to ensure the privacy of patient's medical records. By eliminating the stacks of paper charts around the office and restricting access to a patient's records by using password protected hand held tablet computers; your records will be available only to CAMG staff members who are providing care.

The electronic record makes our work easier by avoiding shuffling of paper from desk to desk, since lab results, hospital tests and other data will be scanned into the system upon arrival and reviewed by your cardiologist before being stored in the database. Eventually, documents and test results will be transferred directly from hospital and laboratory computers to ours.

Having established a comprehensive electronic database of patient information, we are also able to search our practice for patients with certain diagnoses or who are on certain medications when new developments necessitate a change in treatment.

New Cardiac Imaging

As of June, 2006, through Community Memorial Hospital and Grossman Imaging, we are now involved with newer cardiac imaging modalities such as cardiac MRI, cardiac CT angiography and cardiac CT for calcium scoring. The new 64 slice GE CT scanner iis able in most patients to take a picture of your heart arteries in a noninvasive fashion.

We have also been performing since September of 2005 Cardiac MRI, a new modality for evaluation of scars, function and perfusion of the heart.