Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona has been around since 1972. Since then, they have gathered an expert team of cardiologists that dedicate themselves to the highest standards of healthcare.

Among them is Dr. Zaher Akkad, MD, FACC. A decorated cardiologist, he is well-trained and experienced in all aspects of non-invasive and interventional cardiology.

Impressively, he holds multiple board certifications. These include internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, as well as Endovascular Medicine.

His edge, however, lies in his exceptional patient skills. It seems that his patients love how compassionate, welcoming, and friendly he is.

From what we’ve heard, he attentively listens to patient concerns and provides cutting-edge and evidence-based treatment options.

Where finances are concerned, they accept a wide range of insurance providers. And if yours isn’t on the list, their staff is happy to assist and work something out with you.

An issue that some patients have with them is their response rate. Apparently, there are instances where the phone service rep doesn’t answer calls and takes long to return them.

Also, they could probably work on having a more efficient scheduling system. We’ve heard of reports about some patients waiting more than a half hour for their appointments.

Putting those aside, we think he’s a solid choice if you’re ever in need of a good cardiologist.

Another respected professional from Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona is Dr. Faran Bashir, MD, FACC, FSCAI. 

Dr. Bashir is board-certified in the fields of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology, and Interventional Cardiology.

He specially-trained in intracardiac echocardiography, percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale and atrial septal defects, valvuloplasty, and Watchman device implantation. 

Additionally, he has presented several studies at national Cardiology forums, as well as published articles in many major Cardiology journals.

Despite his many achievements, he is known to be down-to-earth and incredibly humble. Patients often say that his warm demeanor makes them feel at ease around him.

Then there’s his genuine desire to be of service. Even without appointments, a few patients have said that he accommodated them as long as he had free time on his hands. 

We think that this is very telling of his kind nature. Not a lot of doctors would accept walk-ins (and near closing hours, at that), so we commend him for it.

However, on days when he’s fully-booked, some patients are asked to wait for longer than they’d like. Again, we think that this could be improved on with an efficient scheduling system.

We’d also like to point out that they accept a relatively shorter list of insurance providers, so make sure to check with them whether or not they’d accept yours.

When it comes to cardiovascular diseases, Dr. Gopi Cherukuri is the man to see. His passion for patient care has been recognized by Phoenix Magazine, naming him a Top Doctor for over a decade.

He is board-certified in both Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology. With his expertise, he has dedicated himself to educating the public about heart diseases through several speaking forums.

From his patients’ perspectives, he is attentive and truly lends a helping ear. It’s often said that he takes his time explaining their condition, the treatment course, and answering any questions they have.

Apparently, he has a positive and forward-thinking mindset that calms patients. It seems that he goes above and beyond in giving them the best care possible. 

Even his office staff are complimented to be personable and friendly peeps. We’ve heard that they’re quick to return calls and keep an organized scheduling system.

In fact, patients have described Dr. Cherukuri and his staff to be a well-oiled machine. From consultation to billing, everyone is helpful and works for the best interests of their patients.

We only wish they accepted more insurance providers, as it is significantly less compared to similar clinics. 

Also, make sure to call days or even a week ahead if you plan to set an appointment, as his schedule does fill up pretty quickly.

Arizona Heart 360 is a premier facility that takes on a holistic approach when it comes to treating patients.

It’s led by Dr. Sarika Desai, DO, who has been practicing for almost 20 years. At one point, she was named Cardiologist of the Year in Arizona.

She’s passionate about practicing and teaching cardiology. In fact, she’s the AZ state chair of the Women in Cardiology Section of the American College of Cardiology. 

What we like about her practice is that they look at the overall well-being of patients. Apart from medical history, they look at patients’ diets, lifestyles, and anything that contributes to heart health.

This way, they’re able to get a full picture of familiar patterns. Dr. Desai will then utilize natural and less invasive options (if applicable) to lessen the risks of surgical options.

She specializes in providing a comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment for young patients, as well those with strong family histories of cardiovascular diseases.

We know that some patients prefer this kind of holistic treatment approach, so we think it’s great of her to offer this service.

A downside is, their services are significantly more expensive. Be aware, also, that they don’t accept a lot of insurance providers.

Phoenix Heart Center gives justice to their namesake by prioritizing patient care for a wide variety of cardiac medical conditions.

One of their providers is Dr. Sina Nafisi, MD, FACC, who has over 20 years of experience.

He’s triple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Interventional Cardiology. He’s also fellowship-trained in Interventional Cardiology and Peripheral Vascular Disease.

What we like about him, though, is his reputation for being a competent professional. It’s a given that he has extensive experience, but it’s nice to hear how well-loved he is by his patients.

A common compliment he receives is how he’s able to translate complex procedures into ways that the patient would understand. He gives extra attention in making sure that they know their treatment course well – which we appreciate a lot.

This makes patients feel comfortable discussing their symptoms in an honest manner. 

We also hear that he often does check-in calls with his patients. This tells us that he genuinely cares for his patients and looks after their well-being, in and out of the clinic.

An area they could probably improve on is keeping their schedule in tact. We’ve heard of cases where the patient gets rescheduled twice and sometimes, even three times.

We also think it would help their image if they’d work on being more responsive to patient inquiries. Apparently, they’re a little slow on that part.