Why Cardiac Guides was Started

When I graduated as a new PA, I jumped straight into cardiology. I loved it from the beginning, but I quickly realized how challenging it can be to care for patients with high-risk cardiovascular conditions—especially when you’re still developing your clinical confidence.

One of the biggest things that helped me was learning what “big sick” looks like. Experience taught me to recognize when a patient was truly ill, when something didn’t fit, and when I needed to take a closer look. But just as important was building a strong foundation in the basics: What is this condition? How does it present? How do I recognize it? What workup do I need? And how do I treat it?

Over time, I realized that having a strong grasp of the fundamentals made everything else easier.

But there was another challenge I didn’t expect: getting patients to buy into their care.

It isn’t enough to know that a patient needs a medication, a test, or a particular treatment strategy. Patients want to understand why. When I could clearly explain what was happening with their heart, why we were concerned, what we were looking for, and how I expected the treatment plan to help, those conversations became much easier.

That experience shaped the way I approach cardiology—and ultimately inspired me to create Cardiac Guides.

I wanted to create the resource I wish I had as a new graduate entering cardiology: a place to build a strong foundation, connect the pathophysiology to what you actually see in clinic, and develop the confidence to recognize, work up, and treat cardiovascular disease.

Cardiac Guides is built around a simple idea: the better you understand cardiology, the more confidently you can practice it—and the better you can explain it to your patients.

Whether you’re a new PA or NP entering cardiology, an experienced APP looking to strengthen your foundation, or simply someone who wants a more practical way to learn cardiovascular medicine, my goal is to make cardiology understandable, clinically relevant, and easier to apply.