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Hamilton Health Care System

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Hamilton Physician Group

Shalaka Akolkar, DO

Dr. Akolkar is a gastroenterologist at Hamilton Physician Group-Gastroenterology in Dalton, Georgia. She attended medical school at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and her fellowship in gastroenterology at UNC Blue Ridge.

Dr. Akolkar treats patients with Gl conditions, including GERD, abdominal pain, peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, liver conditions including fatty liver, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, and functional Gl conditions like gastroparesis and irritable bowel syndrome. She also performs general Gl procedures such as upper endoscopies, colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies, video capsule endoscopies, and manometries.

“I enjoy making a positive impact on my patients’ lives,” says Dr. Akolkar. “I picture myself in my patient’s position or imagine they are a family member, and treat them the same way I would like to be treated.”

Edwin Rao, MD, FCCP

Edwin Rao, MD, FCCP, is a double board-certified pulmonologist/intensivist at Hamilton Physician Group-Specialty Care in Dalton, Georgia. Dr. Rao attended medical school at the University of the East College of Medicine in Manila, Philippines. He completed his residency training in internal medicine and his pulmonary medicine fellowship at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He also obtained a second fellowship in critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Rao treats patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, COVID conditions, pneumonia, acute and chronic pulmonary hypersensitivity conxditions, pulmonary hypertension, bronchiolitis, etc.

“I am committed to listening to my patients and investing in their health,” says Dr. Rao. “We determine a plan of treatment together. It is rewarding to determine the cause of their health issues, implement a treatment plan, and watch their quality of life improve.”

Saresh M. Akmal, MD

Saresh Akmal, MD, is a family medicine primary care physician at Hamilton Physician Group-Convenient Care-Dalton, located inside the Medical Plaza in Dalton, Georgia. She also serves on the faculty of the Hamilton Family Medicine Program.

Dr. Akmal attended medical school at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, and completed her residency training at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Family medicine allows me to evaluate and manage conditions involving all age groups,” says Dr. Akmal. “I enjoy building relationships and positively impacting people’s lives.

Taylor Hellin, DNP, FNP-BC

Taylor Hellin, DNP, FNP-BC, is an advanced practice provider at Hamilton Cardiovascular Institute in Chattanooga, TN – a part of Hamilton Health Care System.

Melissa Parks, MSN, NP-C

Melissa Parks, MSN, NP-C, is an advanced practice provider at Hamilton Physician Group – Neurology in Dalton, GA.

Alan Simeone, MD, FACS

Dr. Simeone is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon at Hamilton Medical Center and Hamilton Physician Group-Cardiology in Dalton, Georgia, and Hamilton Cardiovascular Institute-Catoosa in Ringgold, Georgia.

He attended medical school at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, and completed his residency training in general surgery at Wake Forest University/Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and his residency in thoracic surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.

He also completed his fellowships in trauma and surgical critical care at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and cardiopulmonary transplantation and mechanical circulatory support at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

Kristina Daly, FNP-C

Kristina Daly, FNP-C, is an advance-practice provider at Hamilton Physician Group – Cardiology in Dalton, GA.

Ateet Patel, MBA, MD, FACC

Dr. Patel is the Chief of Cardiology at Hamilton Medical Center and a board-certified interventional and structural cardiologist at Hamilton Physician Group-Cardiology in Dalton, Georgia, and Hamilton Cardiovascular Institute-Catoosa in Ringgold, Georgia. He attended medical school at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and completed his residency training in internal medicine at the University of California San Francisco in San Francisco, California. He earned his Master in Business Administration degree at Northwestern University-Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois.

He also completed his fellowships in cardiology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, and then further trained in structural and interventional cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Patel and his wife have three young children. He enjoys traveling and spending time with his family, often participating in youth soccer programs. He chose the field of interventional and structural cardiology because he enjoys meeting patients in the medical practice and performing procedures in the hospital. His role is rewarding to him because he gets to help his patients regain their quality of life.

“Hamilton Medical Center now offers a cardiac surgery and structural heart program. This is just the beginning. It’s exciting to be able to help further grow the cardiology program.”

Timothy M. Ashburn, MD, FCCP

Timothy Ashburn, MD, FCCP, is a double board-certified pulmonologist at Hamilton Physician Group-Specialty Care inside Hamilton Cardiovascular Institute in Ringgold, Georgia. Dr. Ashburn attended medical school at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, Tennessee, completed his residency training in internal medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and his fellowship in pulmonology and critical care medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, Tennessee.

Dr. Ashburn treats patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, COVID conditions, pneumonia, acute and chronic hypersensitivity, pulmonary hypertension, bronchiolitis, obstructive sleep apnea, etc.

“I’m excited to provide high-quality pulmonology services in Catoosa County,” says Dr. Ashburn. “I enjoy talking to my patients and building relationships with them. I believe strongly in lung cancer screenings and I’m excited about the many new medication options in the field of pulmonology.”

M. Ali Al-Azem, MD, MSHA, FCCP, FACP

M. Ali Al-Azem, MD, MSHA, FCCP, FACP, is a double board-certified pulmonologist at Hamilton Physician Group-Specialty Care in Dalton, Georgia.
Dr. Al-Azem attended medical school at the Damascus University School of Medicine in Damascus, Syria, and completed his residency training in internal medicine at the Damascus University Hospital in Damascus, Syria, and St. Barnabas Hospital in New York, New York. He completed his pulmonology and critical care medicine fellowship at Mt. Sinai Medical Center/Queens Hospital in New York, New York.

Dr. Al-Azem treats patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, COVID conditions, pneumonia, acute and chronic pulmonary hypersensitivity conditions, pulmonary hypertension, bronchiolitis, and more.

To schedule an appointment with Al-Azem, call Hamilton Physician Group-Specialty Care at 706-529-3072.

Sergio F. Quijano, MD

Dr. Quijano is a board-certified gastroenterologist at Hamilton Physician Group-Gastroenterology in Dalton, Georgia. He is fluent in English and Spanish. Dr. Quijano attended medical school and completed his residency training at the New York University School of Medicine in New York, New York. He also completed his fellowship in gastroenterology at the SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn in Brooklyn, New York.

Dr. Quijano treats patients with GI conditions, including GERD, abdominal pain, peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, liver conditions including fatty liver, hepatitis B, C, and functional GI conditions like gastroparesis and irritable bowel syndrome. He also performs general GI procedures such as upper endoscopies, colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies, video capsule endoscopies, and manometries.

“I chose to work in gastroenterology because it offers me the opportunity to perform procedures that can help prolong people’s lives and the opportunity to provide ongoing care to patients with chronic GI conditions,” says Dr. Quijano.

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