Effective Oct. 1, Dr. Daniel L. Scharf will be joining Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants, a division of the hospital’s award-winning Mid America Heart Institute, bringing with him his more than three decades of clinical cardiology experience. Many of Dr. Scharf’s more than 1,500 cardiology patients have been anxious to hear where they can continue to see him since his departure from his previous practice. He will primarily see patients at Saint Luke’s South, located at 12330 Metcalf in Overland Park, but will also be seeing patients at Saint Luke’s Plaza location at 4330 Wornall Road.
“I want to be available to as many of my patients as possible including those who live closer into town as well as those farther south,” said Dr. Scharf, who has been a cardiologist here in the Kansas City metro area for 35 years.
Dr. Scharf expressed his excitement for the move, citing Cardiovascular Consultants and Saint Luke’s track record of excellence in the field of cardiology.
“They have enormous capabilities in a wide variety of cardiovascular disciplines. I’m particularly impressed by the sheer volume of clinical research that is done regularly at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, which places them on a par with the great academic medical centers in our country.”
Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute publishes more academic papers than any other cardiology group in the region. The Mid America Heart Institute also features one of the 10 largest transplant programs in the country, staffs the largest team of cardiologists and surgeons in the region and has pioneered more than 115 cardiovascular research trials.
“Their advanced research capabilities will allow me to offer many of the new technologies available in cardiology to my patients and that is something that greatly appealed to me in making my decision to join Cardiovascular Consultants,” Dr. Scharf said.
Dr. Scharf first came to Kansas City in 1977 after serving two years in the United States Navy as a lieutenant commander. He founded Midwest Cardiology Associates in 1981, and during his career he has pioneered many major advances in heart care in this region. He introduced the first electrophysiology laboratory for studying and treating complex heart rhythm disturbances, the first two-dimensional echocardiography laboratory for studying structural heart problems and participated in the area’s first heart transplant as medical coordinator. He has been a leader in advancing the care of patients suffering heart attacks using angioplasty balloons and stent procedures to open clogged heart arteries. He is looking forward to working with his new colleagues at Saint Luke’s to further advance cardiovascular care for his patients.
Dr. Scharf earned his medical degree in a combined program at Albany Medical College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., in what was one of the first six-year medical school programs in the country. He completed his internship and residency at New York University-Bellevue Hospital and did his cardiology fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania.
Over the years Dr. Scharf and his wife Miriam have dedicated a significant amount of their time to the Kansas City Jewish and general communities. Dr. Scharf has served on the boards of the Jewish Heritage Foundation (president from 2006-2008), the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and the Jewish Community Foundation. He has been the chairman of the Council on Aging and also the chairman of the Special Task Force on Education for the Funder’s Council. Miriam Scharf is the current president of the Greater Kansas City Jewish Federation.
Appointments to see Dr. Scharf may be made by calling 816-751-8445 or by visiting the website at www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/slcc.