News

Shawnee Mission Medical Center Welcomes Four New Cardiologists

MERRIAM, Kan. – Building on the strength of its existing cardiology team, Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) will welcome four new cardiologists this month. Gilbert Katz, MD; Rajya L. Malay, MD, FACC; Thaju Salam, MD; and Mohan Shenoy, MD; will practice at Shawnee Mission Cardiology Associates. The four join SMMC’s current cardiology groups, Clinical Cardiovascular Associates and Heart Health Partners, PA; increasing the number of cardiologists on SMMC’s staff from 10 to 14.

“As physicians and consumers learn more about the quality of our program, the demand for cardiovascular services at Shawnee Mission Medical Center continues to increase,” said Pamela Shute, Administrative Director of the Shawnee Mission Heart & Vascular Center. “Our medical staff includes physicians who are experts in the most advanced cardiac and vascular procedures. Our new cardiologists will enhance our mission of providing the highest level, leading edge cardiac care to our patients throughout Kansas and Missouri.”

For multiple years, SMMC has received the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Get With The Guidelines Coronary Artery Disease Gold Sustained Performance Achievement Recognition. The AHA also awarded SMMC the Congestive Heart Failure Gold Performance Achievement Recognition and Silver Plus Performance Achievement Recognition. In addition, SMMC qualified for AHA’s Mission: Lifeline Recognition for heart attack care. In 2010, the hospital once again achieved Chest Pain Center Accreditation for another three years and was designated a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. 

In addition to its team of 14 cardiologists, the hospital has two well-respected cardiothoracic surgeons on staff; Clarke Henry, Jr., MD, FACS, and Kevin Mayor, MD, FACS. SMMC’s open-heart services grew by more than 10 percent in 2010.

About Shawnee Mission Medical Center
Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) is a 445-bed facility with nearly 20,000 inpatient admissions and more than 200,000 outpatient admissions annually. SMMC has the busiest emergency department in Johnson County, the area's first accredited Chest Pain Emergency Center, a nationally recognized Center for Women's Health and delivers more babies each year than any other hospital in the metropolitan area. SMMC employs more than 2,900 local residents and supports an exceptional staff of 700 physicians representing 50 medical specialties, the largest medical staff in Kansas City. Visit us on the Web at ShawneeMission.org.

###