Atlanta is a nationally recognized center for cardiovascular medicine, with major health systems including Emory Healthcare, Piedmont Healthcare, and Northside Hospital operating extensive cardiology programs that have earned national quality recognition from U.S. News & World Report for heart surgery, heart failure management, and cardiac structural interventions. The city’s large population of adults with risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle — reflecting national trends exacerbated by Atlanta’s car-dependent urban design — creates significant demand for both preventive cardiology and acute cardiac care. Emory University Hospital’s cardiology program treats complex cardiac conditions and trains the next generation of cardiologists through one of the Southeast’s most prominent fellowship programs. Atlanta’s multi-system cardiovascular landscape means patients often have access to highly specialized cardiac subspecialties including electrophysiology, structural heart disease, advanced heart failure, and adult congenital heart disease that smaller markets cannot support.
When choosing a cardiologist in Atlanta, confirm that the physician is board-certified in cardiovascular disease through the American Board of Internal Medicine, and ask about their subspecialty training if you have a specific cardiac condition such as arrhythmia, valve disease, or heart failure. For procedural needs including catheterization, ablation, or structural heart intervention, confirm that the cardiologist has hospital privileges at a facility with the appropriate surgical backup and intensive care resources for your case complexity. Ask about the cardiac care team’s approach to coordinating with your primary care physician. Red flags include cardiologists who recommend procedures without first reviewing all prior cardiac testing, those who cannot clearly explain the indication for an invasive procedure in patient-understandable terms, and practices with unreasonably long wait times for concerning cardiac symptoms.
Top Cardiologist Companies in Atlanta
1. Northside Heart (Northside Hospital Cardiovascular Institute)
Address: 5670 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd, Suite 880, Atlanta, GA 30342
Phone: (404) 845-8200
Website: https://www.northsideheart.com
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Services:
- Interventional cardiology
- Structural heart disease
- Cardiac electrophysiology
- Preventive cardiology
- Heart failure management
- Advanced imaging and diagnostics
About: Northside Heart is the outpatient cardiology arm of Northside Hospital’s Cardiovascular Institute, located at the Peachtree Dunwoody Road campus near Northside Hospital Atlanta, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, and Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital. The Institute brings together leading cardiovascular experts with the resources of the Northside Hospital network, including facilities for interventional procedures, electrophysiology, and structural heart interventions. Their Atlanta office is one of multiple locations serving the north Atlanta metro corridor, with specialists in interventional cardiology, structural heart disease, and electrophysiology. The proximity to Northside Hospital’s inpatient cardiac units allows seamless coordination between outpatient and inpatient cardiac care.
2. Piedmont Heart Institute
Website: https://www.piedmont.org/heart
Service Area: 25+ cardiology offices across Georgia
Services:
- Comprehensive cardiology
- Interventional cardiology
- Advanced therapies (ECMO)
- Heart transplant program
- Ventricular assist devices
- Lifestyle management and prevention
- Heart surgery
About: Piedmont Heart Institute operates one of the Southeast’s largest cardiovascular programs, with more than 25 cardiology offices across Georgia making cardiology care broadly accessible across the metro area and beyond. The Institute’s integrated approach to cardiovascular disease management — developed by its own cardiovascular leadership team — has earned national recognition for quality and patient outcomes. Their program spans the full spectrum of cardiac care from preventive lifestyle management through advanced therapies including ECMO, heart transplantation, and ventricular assist devices for end-stage heart failure. Piedmont Healthcare’s multiple Atlanta-area hospital campuses support the Institute’s inpatient and procedural cardiac care.
3. Emory Healthcare Cardiology
Address: 1365 Clifton Rd NE, Building A, 2nd Floor, Atlanta, GA 30322
Website: https://www.emoryhealthcare.org
Services:
- General and preventive cardiology
- Interventional cardiology
- Adult congenital heart disease
- Cardiac electrophysiology
- Advanced heart failure
- Structural heart interventions
- Cardiac imaging
About: Emory University Hospital’s cardiology program operates at one of the nation’s top teaching hospitals, with Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital recognized as high-performing in aortic valve surgery, heart arrhythmia, heart attack care, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, pacemaker implantation, and TAVR by U.S. News & World Report. Emory’s cardiology faculty train cardiologists and cardiac surgeons through one of the Southeast’s most established fellowship programs, bringing academic medical depth to clinical care. Subspecialties including adult congenital heart disease, complex structural heart interventions, and cardiac electrophysiology represent areas of regional and national expertise. Emory cardiologists see both straightforward preventive cardiology patients and highly complex referrals from across the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When should I see a cardiologist rather than my primary care doctor in Atlanta?
A: Your primary care physician will typically refer you to a cardiologist when you have symptoms suggesting cardiac disease such as chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, or syncope; when your EKG shows abnormalities; when cardiac risk factor management has not achieved target blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar levels; or when a family history of early heart disease warrants cardiac evaluation. You can also self-refer to a cardiologist in Atlanta without a primary care referral, though most insurance plans prefer or require referral from a primary care physician for specialist visits. For emergency cardiac symptoms including severe chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, or suspected heart attack, go directly to an emergency department rather than scheduling a cardiology appointment.
Q: How much does a cardiologist visit cost in Atlanta?
A: An initial cardiology consultation in Atlanta typically costs $200 to $400 with insurance copays or coinsurance varying by plan. Basic cardiac testing including EKG, echocardiogram, and stress test adds additional costs, with echocardiograms commonly running $500 to $1,500 before insurance. Cardiac catheterization in Atlanta’s hospital settings typically costs $10,000 to $20,000 or more before insurance. Most cardiac procedures are covered by Medicare and major commercial insurance plans as medically necessary services, so out-of-pocket costs depend heavily on your specific plan’s coverage, deductible, and out-of-pocket maximum. Contact your insurance company to verify cardiology benefits and determine whether the specific Atlanta cardiologist or hospital facility is in-network before scheduling.
Q: Which Atlanta hospitals are nationally recognized for cardiac care?
A: Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as high-performing in multiple cardiac procedures including aortic valve surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, and TAVR. Piedmont Atlanta Hospital is also recognized for cardiac care, and Northside Hospital’s Cardiovascular Institute has earned quality recognition for interventional and surgical cardiac procedures. The presence of multiple nationally recognized cardiac programs in Atlanta gives patients access to sophisticated cardiac expertise without traveling to other cities for complex procedures.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s cardiovascular medicine landscape offers patients access to regionally and nationally recognized cardiac programs through major academic and community health system practices. Northside Heart brings multi-subspecialty cardiovascular expertise with convenient north Atlanta access through Northside Hospital’s Cardiovascular Institute. Piedmont Heart Institute provides the broadest geographic access with 25-plus cardiology offices across Georgia and a full-spectrum program from prevention through advanced heart failure. Emory Healthcare Cardiology delivers academic medical center depth at a U.S. News high-performing hospital with subspecialty expertise in adult congenital heart disease, structural interventions, and electrophysiology. Contact any of these systems to schedule a cardiology consultation.