Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Salim Shammo as the Medical Director of Cardiology. Dr. Shammo is a highly esteemed interventional cardiologist who has been with the organization part-time for over 29 years. Recently, he took a full-time position at WRMC as an interventional cardiologist, allowing him to see more patients in-clinic and perform more procedures in the newly renovated Cath lab.
“Watertown Regional Medical Center is a special place. It’s not just a community hospital located between Madison and Milwaukee. It’s a place you can come and be taken care of by your friends and neighbors,” said Dr. Shammo. “I am excited to be named Medical Director of Cardiology here and am ready to for the opportunity to expand my practice.”
As a respected member of our medical staff for many years, Dr. Shammo brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role as Medical Director. Dr. Shammo completed his residency and cardiology fellowship in Chicago, IL and in addition to his time in Watertown has spent part of the last 30 years working at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin and Aurora St. Luke’s in Milwaukee. His passion for heart health and his patients come, in-part, from the fact his father died of heart disease at just 55 years old.
"I chose to become a cardiologist because my father died at a young age of heart disease and I want to keep that from happening to other families,” said Dr. Shammo. “As Medical Director of Cardiology, I am committed to building upon the strong foundation established by my colleagues and look forward to working collaboratively with our talented team of physicians and staff to further enhance the level of cardiovascular care provided to our community."
In addition to Dr. Shammo, the cardiology team at Watertown Regional Medical Center includes interventional cardiologists Dr. Paul Volkert and Dr. Issam Al-Bitar and Nurse Practitioner Beth Pape. Dr. Volkert works with Dr. Shammo to perform procedures in the Cath lab including cardiac catheterization, pacemaker insertion, tilt table, direct current cardioversion, loop recorder insertion, and to provide 24/7 interventional cardiology coverage. In addition to performing procedures, Dr. Al-Bitar spends time working with patients suffering from heart related issues in the Heart and Vascular Clinic.
Dr. Volkert and Dr. Al-Bitar expressed their support for Dr. Shammo's appointment, saying, "Dr. Shammo's leadership qualities and clinical acumen make him the ideal candidate for this position. We look forward to working with him to further enhance the quality of cardiology services we offer at Watertown Regional Medical Center."
Earlier this year, Watertown Regional Medical Center announced the grand opening of their newly renovated Cath lab. A Cath lab is a specialized area where tests and procedures are performed to diagnose and treat heart disease and heart attacks. The upgraded Cath lab is the first of it’s kind in Wisconsin and offers state-of-the-art technology to better serve the needs of patients in Dodge and Jefferson counties.
“When I first started in Watertown, I made it my goal to keep patients closer to home for their healthcare,” said Dr. Shammo. “The newly renovated Cath lab is a huge asset to the community and allows my colleagues and I to diagnose and treat 95% of all heart related care right here in Watertown.”
