Dr. Neeta Shah was born in India but has spent the last 18 years studying and practicing medicine in the United States. Asked why she decided to become a doctor she responds, “I grew up in India, where everyone puts a great emphasis on education, especially in professions such as teachers, engineers, or doctors. In my own family I had a great choice of role models – my grandfather was a teacher, my father an engineer, and my mother a physician! I believe I have combined the best of these worlds, by choosing a career that would allow me to make a positive influence in people’s lives.”

A cardiologist practicing in Webster and Milford, Dr. Shah enjoys the small-town atmosphere of these communities. “It gives me a lot of satisfaction practicing at these locations. My patients prefer to see a cardiologist locally in their own community, where I am able to offer them most of the non-invasive diagnostic care such as stress testing with and without imaging, and echocardiography. Additionally, when appropriate, I can take care of them at the Worcester Medical Center, which is equipped with state-of-the-art cardiac facilities,” she explains. Dr. Shah performs cardiac catheterization and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) that help diagnose and determine treatment plans for a variety of heart problems.

Before she went into cardiology, Dr. Shah was a Family Practice physician. Working as a cardiologist, she still has the same friendly manner and caring attitude of a family doctor. “I work hard to answer my patient’s questions and explain the disease process. I believe in educating the patients – the more they understand, the better they do. Patients really have to be an integral part of the treatment process. As a doctor, I can give them my advice and empower them to follow it to regain and maintain their health. After having a heart attack, one has to change one’s lifestyle. If one continues to smoke, eat unhealthy, or not exercise, the problems are bound to come back.”

Dr. Shah has seen how new medical technologies have really made a difference for patients with heart disease. “The medicated stents have had a huge impact in cardiology. They do a great job of keeping closed arteries open. The implantable cardiac defibrillator – or ICD – is another great advancement. The device is intended to prevent people from the risk of sudden death by a cardiac arrhythmia.”

According to Dr. Shah, timely treatment is crucial when a patient is having heart problems. “Once the heart is damaged, our options are limited in terms of what we can do to help. When a patient comes in who is having a heart attack, the sooner we can get their arteries open, the less damage they will have. That’s why Reliant Medical Group has a doctor on call at all times to perform emergency cardiac interventions. We usually take a critical patient by helicopter to the hospital in order to save time.”

Dr. Shah is certified in nuclear cardiology, which involves performing tests of the heart using a radioactive dye that is injected into the bloodstream. “It is a non-invasive way of knowing if the patient is having any blockages in their arteries. This test is offered at our new Cardiac Imaging Center, where we can typically get a patient in for testing very quickly.”

One of the main reasons Dr. Shah came to Reliant Medical Group was her familiarity and respect for the other Reliant Medical Group physicians. “I had the privilege of having my residency training right here with many of Reliant Medical Group’s current physician staff, including Dr. Pacifico. Reliant Medical Group has a very impressive cardiology department – and it all starts with the caliber of the physicians we have. I feel privileged to work with such a knowledgeable and caring staff. The care we offer patients is really second to none.”