Atlanta, Ga (Sept. 28, 2022) – Steve Sigman, M.D., a cardiologist at Piedmont Heart Buckhead and director of nuclear cardiology for Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and the Piedmont Heart Institute, has been named Piedmont Heart Institute’s Physician of the Year for his continued efforts to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care to patients in the Atlanta-area and surrounding communities.
The peer-nominated awards program recognizes one Piedmont Heart physician each year who best exemplifies and demonstrates Piedmont’s vision and culture. He was presented with the honor at the organization’s annual physician retreat.
“We’re very proud to name Dr. Sigman as Piedmont Heart’s Physician of the Year,” said Charles L. Brown III, M.D., CEO of Piedmont’s Physician Enterprise and a practicing interventional cardiologist. “The positive difference he’s made in the lives of the patients he cares for is clear in the remarkable feedback received from his many patients and his peers. His efforts to help each patient’s specific needs often go above and beyond his usual duties as a cardiologist, making him very deserving of this recognition.”
Dr. Sigman is board certified in both cardiovascular diseases and nuclear cardiology. He currently serves as the Director of Nuclear Cardiology for Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and the Piedmont Heart Institute. He also serves as a cardiology consultant both in the office and at Piedmont Atlanta. His interests include diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, vascular disease, and cardiac manifestations of complex medical conditions. Dr. Sigman is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and the America Society of Nuclear Cardiology. He has authored or co-authored several publications and abstracts and frequently lectures on the topic of cardiac imaging.
“Dr. Sigman is known for treating those impossibly complicated, yet curable, diseases,” said David Kandzari, M.D., Chief of the Piedmont Heart Institute and Cardiovascular Service Line; Director, Interventional Cardiology of the Piedmont Heart Institute; and Chief Scientific Officer for Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia. “He spends time with the patients and listens to figure out an appropriate diagnosis and is someone you want helping you out. He loves his work and always brings so much joy to the unit.”
Dr. Sigman was a pioneer in using amyloid PYP scans to determine if a patient has cardiac amyloidosis, how severe it is and what treatment options are best. He also started the cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) scan program at Piedmont Atlanta, which is a cardiac scan that can detect whether areas of the person’s heart muscle are receiving enough blood, if there is heart damage or scar tissue in the heart, or if there is a buildup of abnormal substances in the heart muscle. These pictures help cardiologists identify disease or poor blood flow in the heart and more accurately diagnosis cardiac issues.
“He is extremely deserving of this award and we are fortunate to have him on our team,” said Dr. Kandzari.
In addition, Ashish Bhimani, M.D., cardiologist and electrophysiologist at Piedmont Heart in Buckhead, Fayetteville and Newnan, and Ryan Crisel, M.D., interventional cardiologist at Piedmont Heart in Fayetteville and Newnan, who were finalists for the award.
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Pictured: Dr. Sigman (right, with Louis Battey, M.D.)