United Healthcare Change

Effective June 1, 2025, Cardiovascular Institute of Northwest Florida will no longer be in-network for United Healthcare. Please look for additional communication coming soon for patients who are impacted by this change. For patients who have traditional Medicare with a UH supplement, you will not be impacted. For those inquiring about enrollment windows, open enrollment…

AFib Treatment Gets a Tech Upgrade

A new technology for treating atrial fibrillation received FDA approval in January 2024 called Pulsed Field Ablation, or FARAPULSE.  We are happy to share that our cardiac electrophysiologists, Dr. Nghia Hoang and Dr. Saeed Khaja, performed the first FARAPULSE procedures in our area in June at Ascension Sacred Heart Bay. Atrial Fibrillation, or AFib, is…

Smartwatches & AFib

Do smartwatches really detect atrial fibrillation and other rhythm disorders? Cardiac Electrophysiologist Dr. Saeed Khaja explains in this short video how smartwatches can help detect and facilitate diagnosis and treatment of rhythm disorders, but not other heart conditions.

:60 AFib Overview

Cardiac Electrophysiologist Dr. Saeed Khaja gives a quick :60 overview of Atrial Fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder, in this YouTube Short. Fortunately, treatment for AFib is more accessible than ever with modern AFib ablation techniques available here in Panama City, Florida with Dr. Khaja and Dr. Nghia Hoang of Cardiovascular Institute. An ablation…

Welcome Dr. Ross Melvin

Cardiovascular Institute is pleased to welcome Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Ross Melvin. Dr. Melvin is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine in Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease, and Internal Medicine, with additional certifications in Nuclear Cardiology and Adult Echocardiography.  He holds two Bachelor of Science degrees in Physiology and Psychology from Michigan State…

Emergency Ablation Saves Woman’s Life

Electrophysiologist Dr. Saeed Khaja performed the procedure on a patient with a rare heart condition. Wendy Price found herself in emergency care at Ascension Sacred Heart Bay when her heart began to race 226 beats per minute because of a rare heart condition. Price’s condition is called ventricular tachycardia (VT), a life-threatening heart disorder that causes clustering…

CVI Opens New Beach Location

With the unprecedented population growth on Panama City Beach, Cardiovascular Institute will open a second office on the west end of the beach on March 1, 2023. The new office is located inside the Beach Commerce Park, just west of Hwy 79, at 17745 Ashley Drive in zip code 32413. It will be open five…

Is leg pain a sign of vascular disease?

In our latest “Ask a Cardiologist” video, interventional cardiologist Dr. Amir Haghighat addresses the signs and symptoms of vascular disease in the legs and how a diagnosis is made.  Common symptoms include cramping when walking that goes away with rest, swelling of the ankles and feet, and discoloration, however Dr. Haghighat explains the types of leg pain…