Get to know cardiologist Sanjeev Gulati, MD, medical director of heart failure and transplant services at Carolinas HealthCare System’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute.
How’d you get here?
I grew up in Washington, DC. I did my medical training at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins. I’ve been at Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute for 14 years now.What attracted you to the field of heart failure and transplant?
I have a lot of heart disease in my family, so I was introduced to it from a patient perspective when I was young. It made a strong impression on how much it can change your life. As I got into my medical training, I realized I was really interested in the physiology of cardiovascular disease, too. When it comes to heart failure, I was drawn to the ability we have to make a real change for patients who are facing one of the scariest times of their lives.What brought you to Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute?
The top-notch physicians and outcomes. I really liked the support that being backed by Carolinas HealthCare System offers, and I was impressed with Sanger’s goal to not ever make a patient travel outside of Charlotte to get the care they need.What has been your proudest moment while working in healthcare?
I’m really proud of the fact that our transplant outcomes are top-notch year after year. I’m also proud of the life-saving technologies our team has been able to bring to this area. Specifically, we were one of the first institutions in this region to implant a total artificial heart.What are some of the innovative ways you and your team are improving heart care?
We’re among the first to use technology like internal devices to manage patients’ heart failure better. We were one of the first in the area to use virtual care for chronic disease to keep patients at home and bring them high-level care right in their community. When it comes to innovation in heart failure care, our team really works to address all aspects of our patients’ care. We have social workers to help attack the psychosocial and financial stressors. We’ve incorporated palliative care partners so that we can provide further emotional support. And in terms of research, we’ve participated in trials looking at the latest and most advanced heart pumps available in the world.What are your top tips for staying healthy?
Prevention is the best treatment. We all need to work to eat well, maintain a healthy weight and get regular exercise. Healthy sleep habits are also critically important for a healthy lifestyle. I think sleep behavior is still underestimated in terms of the overall impact on our health and well-being. Finally, I think we need to remind ourselves that risk management is also key. We should regularly connect with our doctors and providers to make sure we’re being screened for risks we can control like high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.
A healthy heart lets you stay focused on doing what you love. Learn how Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute can help you keep your heart healthy.
