Piedmont Heart Institute Welcomes Cardiovascular Surgeons
Piedmont Heart Institute Welcomes Cardiovascular Surgeons
ATLANTA (Aug. 24, 2009) - Piedmont Heart Institute (PHI) is pleased to welcome three cardiovascular surgeons to its family of physicians. W. Morris Brown, M.D., John P. Gott, M.D., and James R. Kauten, M.D.-all formerly with Peachtree Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons-have joined Piedmont Heart Institute Physicians, effective August 18, 2009. All three surgeons have practiced at Piedmont Hospital for several years and will continue to offer the same high level of quality care to residents in greater Atlanta needing open-heart surgery.
"Piedmont Hospital celebrated 20 years of open-heart surgery and cardiac angioplasty in 2008. These physicians have been here to set and sustain the high standard of care in the open-heart program, and Piedmont Heart Institute is pleased to welcome them to continue that tradition," said Michele Molden, president and CEO of Piedmont Heart Institute (PHI). "Doctors Brown, Gott and Kauten will help PHI continue Piedmont's legacy of exceptional cardiovascular care through their expertise and experience in caring for our patients in need of open-heart surgery."
Piedmont Hospital was named Best in Atlanta for Overall Cardiac Care and Cardiac Surgery (2008 and 2009) by HealthGrades®, and in particular, received the 2009 Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award, placing the hospital's clinical outcomes in the top 10 percent nationally. In addition, Piedmont Hospital also received five-star ratings for coronary bypass surgery, treatment of heart attack and treatment of heart failure. Piedmont's outcomes placed it among the top five hospitals in Georgia for cardiac surgery, cardiology and overall cardiac services.
Building on a strong and long legacy of quality care, Piedmont Heart Institute was established in 2007 and brings together more than 65 cardiovascular specialists and the Fuqua Heart Center of Atlanta at Piedmont Hospital to propel new programs in cardiovascular research, education and excellence in prevention, arrhythmias, coronary and vascular intervention, cardiac surgery, stroke and cardiac imaging, as well as all other cardiovascular care components.
Dr. Brown earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga., and completed his internship and residency through Emory University affiliated hospitals. He then served as a research fellow and as a clinical fellow in cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University affiliated hospitals. Dr. Brown joined the Piedmont Hospital medical staff in 2001.
Dr. Gott earned his medical degree from the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky., and completed his internship there as well. He then completed a residency at the University of Louisville affiliated hospitals and in cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University affiliated hospitals; a clinical fellowship with the American Cancer Society; and a research fellowship in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at the University of Louisville. Dr. Gott joined the Piedmont Hospital medical staff in 2000.
Dr. Kauten earned his medical degree from the University of Health Sciences of The Chicago Medical School in Chicago, Illinois. He then completed his internship and residency through Southern Illinois School of Medicine in Springfield, Ill. He completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University affiliated hospitals. Dr. Kauten is a diplomat of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and has been on the medical staff at Piedmont Hospital since 1988.
Offices for Doctors Brown, Gott and Kauten are located in Suite 2035, 95 Collier Road, N.W., on the Piedmont Hospital campus (phone: 404-605-5161).
About the Piedmont Heart Institute
Piedmont Heart Institute (PHI) is the first integrated cardiovascular healthcare delivery program affiliated with a community health system in greater Atlanta and is headquartered on the campus of Piedmont Hospital, a 481-bed tertiary care facility offering all major medical, surgical and diagnostic services. Piedmont Hospital was named Best in Atlanta for Overall Cardiac Care and Cardiac Surgery (2008 and 2009) by HealthGrades®, and in particular, received the 2009 Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award, placing the hospital's clinical outcomes in the top 10 percent nationally. In addition, Piedmont Hospital also received five-star ratings for Coronary Bypass Surgery, Treatment of Heart Attack and Treatment of Heart Failure, placing it among the top five hospitals in Georgia for cardiac surgery, cardiology and overall cardiac services. Offering a continuum of patient care, including primary and secondary prevention, outpatient and inpatient cardiovascular care, and appropriate quality measures and metrics to demonstrate enhanced outcomes, Piedmont Heart Institute combines more than 65 cardiovascular in the Piedmont Heart Institute Physicians with more than 30 offices across north Georgia, and the 162-bed Fuqua Heart Center of Atlanta at Piedmont Hospital to propel new programs in cardiovascular research, education and excellence in prevention, arrhythmias, coronary and vascular intervention, cardiac surgery, stroke and cardiac imaging. Piedmont Heart Institute is part of Piedmont Healthcare (PHC), a not-for-profit organization that also includes Piedmont Fayette Hospital, a 143-bed, acute-care community hospital in Fayetteville; Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, a 42-bed community hospital in Jasper; and Piedmont Newnan Hospital, a 143-bed, acute-care community hospital in Newnan. Piedmont Healthcare also is the parent company of Piedmont Philanthropy, the philanthropic entity for private fundraising initiatives; the Piedmont Physicians Group, with over 100 primary care physicians in over 30 offices throughout metro Atlanta; and the Piedmont Clinic, a 600-member physician network. For more information, visit piedmontheart.org.