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Rhea L. Pimentel, FACC, FHRS

Rhea Pimentel portrait
Associate Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine
rcpimentel@kumc.edu

Professional Background

Dr. Rhea Pimentel is an Associate Professor of Medicine with the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Kansas Hospital. Dr. Pimentel received both her undergraduate and medical degrees from Northwestern University and the Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago followed by Internal Medicine Residency at University Hospitals of Cleveland at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. From there, she completed fellowships in both Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Following completion of her training, Dr. Pimentel joined Mid America Cardiology at University of Kansas Hospital in 2004.


Dr. Pimentel currently serves as Director of the Electrophysiology Lab at the University of Kansas Medical Center. In that role, she also heads the Cardiac Lead Extraction Program. From 2009 to 2019 she served as Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Program director. She is a core faculty member for the General Cardiology fellowship program at KU. Dr. Pimentel remains active in teaching, organizing an annual heart dissection for cardiology fellows and serving as the cardiology liason for internal medicine residents during their training.

Dr. Pimentel has participated in many national research studies and served as primary investigator for several multicenter trials. Her research has been published in major peer reviewed journals throughout her career. Currently, she serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of American College of Cardiology. She also maintains a busy clinical practice performing state of the art ablations as well as device implantation and complex lead extraction.

Dr. Pimentel represents her profession in the American College of Cardiology in a national committee focused on maintaining professional competence. In the community, Dr. Pimentel is the Board President for the Kansas City chapter of the American Heart Association. She also is active on the advisory committee for the KC Women's Heart Clinic and has contributed her time to the “Go Red for Women” campaign.

Education and Training
  • BA, Political Science, Northwestern Univ.
  • MD, Doctor of Medicine, Northwestern Univ.
  • Internship, Internal Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland , Ohio
  • Residency, Internal Medicine , Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
  • Clinical Fellowship, Cardiovascular Diseases , Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis, Missouri
  • Clinical Fellowship, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
Licensure, Accreditations & Certifications
  • American Board of Internal Medicine -EP
  • American Board of Internal Medicine-Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Kansas State Board of Healing Arts
  • Missouri Board of Healing Arts
Professional Affiliations
  • American Heart Association , President, 2019 - Present
  • Heart Rhythm Society , Fellow, 2012 - Present
  • American College of Cardiology, Fellow, 2004 - Present
  • American Heart Association , Member, 2004 - Present

Research

Overview

Dr. Pimentel has published on various topics in electrophysiology, including complex atrial arrhythmia ablation and lead extraction. Her current interests center on congenital cardiac arrhythmias and thus works closely with Children's Mercy Hospital pediatric electrophysiologists. Additionally, she has been focused on pacemaker implantation after Transaortic Valve Replacement Surgery. She has a number of abstracts and papers submitted on this topic.

Current Research and Grants
  • Smart MSP, Boston Scientific, PI
  • Preempt HF, Boston Scientific, Co-I
  • BlueSync, Medtronic, Co-I
Publications
  • Chandler, Jonathan, Apte, Nachiket, Ranka, Sagar, Mohammed, Moghniuddin, Noheria, Amit, Emert, Martin, Pimentel, Rhea, Dendi, Raghu, Reddy, Y., Madhu, Sheldon, Seth., H. 2021. Ultrasound Guided Axillary Vein Access: An Alternative Approach to Venous Access for Cardiac Device Implantation . JCE, 32 (2), 458-465. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jce.14846
  • Sheldon, S., H, Cunnane, R, Lavu, M, Parikh, V, Atkins, D, Reddy, Y., M, Berenbom, L., D, Emert, M., P, Pimentel, R, Dendi, R, Lakkireddy, D., R. 2018. Perioperative hematoma with subcutaneous ICD implantation: Impact of anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapies.. Pacing and clinical electrophysiology : PACE
  • Turagam, M., K, Afzal, M., R, Reddy, M, Pillarisetti, J, Lavu, M, Atkins, D, Jeffrey, C, Christensen, K, Pimentel, R, Dendi, R, Vacek, J, Hurwitz, J, Di Biase, L, Natale, A, Lakkireddy, D. 2017. Practice variation in the re-initiation of dofetilide: An observational study.. International journal of cardiology, 236, 221-225. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167527316339511?via%3Dihub