Heart doctor joins Horizons Health Services and TAMC

    PRESQUE ISLE – Dr. Najam Awan, a nationally-recognized board-certified cardiologist, has joined Horizons Cardiology and The Aroostook Medical Center’s active medical staff. Awan is practicing general cardiology and performing cardiac catheterization procedures at A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital in Presque Isle.
    Awan comes to Aroostook County from Sacramento, Cali., where he served as medical director at Sacramento Medical Research Center. His wife, Tayyiba, is also a physician. Originally from Pakistan, the Awans became interested in Aroostook County because they want to explore the region.
    “I’ve spent the majority of my career in California,” said Awan. “But I’ve never experienced the northeast. And the opportunity to experience the northeast, to see Maine, and to see the Maritime Provinces of Canada was a no-brainer. We think it will be a great experience for us.”
    Awan provides a full spectrum of cardiology services including cardiac catheterization, a procedure used to detect heart blockages and diagnose other coronary problems. During the procedure, a small tube is inserted into a vein or artery and guided to the heart. The information gathered from this procedure is used to find out if a patient requires additional heart procedures such as bypass surgery.
    Combined with findings from other tests, the information obtained from a cardiac catheterization helps the cardiologist put together a sometimes complex medical puzzle. The logical thinking a cardiologist must do in order to make an accurate diagnosis and begin the correct treatment is what drew Awan to the field of cardiology.
    “You can use a gathering of facts and a building block approach to understanding what’s going on,” added Awan. “There is logic to cardiology that makes it appealing to me. I’m a visual person to a substantial degree. When there is something logical that flows from one thing to another, it is much easier for me to understand and paint the picture and remember the process.”
    “The thrill of seeing a patient because you have the opportunity to look beyond the skin and understand what’s going on and be able to impact that is a phenomenal experience. You really have to experience it to know it.”
    Prior to joining Horizons Cardiology, Awan served as assistant editor for the American Heart Journal and as an editorial consultant for many other cardiovascular journals. He has been a visiting professor at several universities and has represented the United States as national director on the steering committees of several global clinical trials.
    Awan’s medical interests include clinical cardiology, coronary artery disease, ventricular function, new drug development, cardiac catheterization, nuclear cardiology, global clinical trails and Web-based global clinical research.
    When he isn’t at work, Awan enjoys working on his collection of Chinese antiques. He also enjoys spending time with his family. The Awans have two children who both live in California; their son is an attorney and their daughter is a video producer.
    The Aroostook Medical Center is a member of EMHS. EMHS stands behind its members as a tireless advocate so that both immediate and ongoing healthcare services will be available when and where they are needed.