Vaani Panse Garg, MD

Vaani Panse Garg, MD, is a cardiologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, nuclear cardiology, and adult comprehensive echocardiography.

Dr. Garg diagnoses and treats the full spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, from hypertension to heart failure. She is passionate about prevention and works with patients for the entire duration of their disease process.

She is particularly interested in structural echocardiography, which enhances her diagnosis of, and treatment decisions for, a variety of pathology. She is highly skilled at interpreting –and teaching other providers how to read–transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE), transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE), and 3-D echocardiography.

Her current research interests involve novel techniques and teaching approaches in echocardiography, as well as new initiatives to enhance provider wellness and medical education.

Dr. Garg earned her medical degree from …Tufts University School of Medicine. She then completed an internal medicine residency at Mount Sinai Hospital. Following her residency, she remained at Mount Sinai Hospital for a clinical cardiovascular disease fellowship, during which she served as chief cardiology fellow for two years.

Participating in several international projects throughout her training years introduced Dr. Garg to a global health perspective. This interest brought her to Soweto, South Africa, where she was a volunteer at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital Cardiology Department, as well as Pune, India, where she was a public health service corps fellow with the William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service Program. She brings this broad, global health awareness to her practice today.

Prior to joining MedStar Health, Dr. Garg practiced at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, where she also served as site director for the cardiology fellowship program (Veterans Affairs track) and the associate program director of the cardiology fellowship program. She was also a clinical assistant professor of medicine (cardiology) at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Philosophy of Care

I always aim to understand each patient's life and daily practices. This gives me a deep understanding of how to coach them on medications, exercise, and healthy lifestyle changes. I also emphasize hands-on health education. I draw diagrams, share images, and ensure all questions are answered. I fully explain the "why" of decision making, and in doing so, empower them to better manage their health.

In my partnerships with referring providers, I emphasize open communication and make myself readily available to discuss patient cases.