Physician Spotlights

Philanthropy helps Hoag recruit exceptional talent and foster it by creating nurturing environments that promote exploration and innovation. Meet two of the newest surgeons at the Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart & Vascular Institute:

Emaad Farooqui, MD Vascular Surgery

“I wanted to go to a place where I could expand the current vascular surgery treatments with innovative procedures that I learned in training, and Hoag has been very supportive of that.”

Since starting at Hoag in September 2021, Dr. Emaad Farooqui has found a nurturing environment. He was drawn to Hoag by the opportunity to build. There is always something new in cardiovascular care, and Dr. Farooqui appreciates the ability to bring new treatments and technology to patients. Vascular surgeons respond to urgent situations, which can touch all areas.

“We treat patients for stroke, dialysis, general vascular disease, aneurysms of the aorta and the peripheral vascular system, and more,” said Dr. Farooqui. With this wide scope, Dr. Farooqui is excited about offering patients more minimally invasive options for traditionally complex procedures that can mean shorter hospital stays and easier recoveries. “The next goal would be to advance the current technology on minimally invasive aortic surgery to improve patient outcomes,” said Dr. Farooqui. “Hoag has the team mindset and the resources to do that and more for patients.”

Timothy Lee, MD Cardiovascular Surgery, Thoracic Surgery

“Hoag’s priority is the patient and the community. The leadership at Hoag very much wants to empower its physicians to serve the community.”

Dr. Lee knew Hoag well before joining its team in October 2021. When he’d visit family in Orange County, they would rave about the hospital he could see from the beach. “My family and other physicians all spoke highly of Hoag,” said Dr. Lee.

“I heard Hoag had that attitude of getting things done, so I was excited about that.” As a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, he most often sees patients with coronary artery, valve, or aortic issues. “Seeing how we make a huge impact on a patient’s life by allowing them to live more symptom-free is pretty dramatic,” said Dr. Lee. As more procedures become available to patients and new treatments are explored, Dr. Lee sees Hoag’s dedication to innovation. “We’re fortunate here at Hoag to be invited to all these trials to implement new technologies,” he said. “Hoag is functioning as a high-volume center and has the resources of an academic center too.”