Photo by Brandon Sullivan

Specialty: Cardiology
Medical School: McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Years Practicing: 24
Hometown: Montreal, Canada

What brought you to Phoenix?
“I recognized an opportunity, and I liked to teach and do research, and I didn’t want to have to worry about tenure and the university politics. I came here and was able to do everything in the realm of private practice. I was the coronary care unit director at Good Sam from 1986 until 1991. Now I am the director of Banner Health’s interventional cardiology fellowship program, which teaches young doctors how to do angioplasty and stints.”

Are people here healthier than in other places you’ve worked, such as Michigan?
“I don’t think people are healthier necessarily. I think younger people are healthier, but we have a lot of people that move here from elsewhere who have cardiac problems. The chance of having a heart attack today is going down across the country because patients in general are taking better care of themselves. But there is certainly plenty of coronary disease to keep us busy.”

Why do you think coronary disease is still so prevalent?
“I think a lot of the public is looking for a quick fix – a magic pill – and do not want to do the things that are necessary, such as diet and exercise. The public wants instant gratification. They want laser [treatment] for their carotid arteries rather than preventing these things to begin with. They view medicine as a pit stop in the race of life, whereas a little preventive maintenance goes a lot further.”

We live in a caffeinated society. How does that affect our tickers?
Too much of anything is never good. Everything in moderation should be the motto. One to two cups of coffee a day are best, no more. Caffeine is also a mild diuretic. People think that because there is water in coffee, it hydrates you. But actually, it’s just the opposite.