There’s a New Interventional Cardiologist in Town

Dr. Nowwar Mustafa Joins Washington Township Medical Foundation

Washington Township Medical Foundation (WTMF) warmly welcomes cardiologist Nowwar G. Mustafa, MD, who specializes in interventional cardiology and treating cardiovascular disease. Prior to joining WTMF Dr. Mustafa spent seven years bringing cutting-edge heart and vascular care to patients at Marion General Hospital in Ohio. He began practicing with WTMF in June.

Dr. Mustafa’s passion for learning and excellence is reflected in his commitment to staying abreast of the latest technology and treatments in his field. He is board certified in half a dozen specialties, including internal medicine, nuclear cardiology, cardiovascular disease, echocardiography, and interventional cardiology. After completing his residency at Indiana School of Medicine, he received fellowship training in cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology at Jefferson Medical College/ChristianaCare health care system in Newark, Delaware. As a fellow, Dr. Mustafa won the distinguished American Heart Association Young Investigator Award. Most recently, he participated in Harvard Medical School’s Global Clinical Scholars Research Training program where he gained advanced training in health care research and methods.

Fluent in Arabic and English, Dr. Musafa was born and raised in Shajarah, a small town in Jordan near the Syrian border. He says that his loving and supportive family instilled in him a strong work ethic. After receiving high marks on his high school exams, he had the opportunity to attend the prestigious Jordan University of Science and Technology School of Medicine in Irbid, and graduated first in his class. It was while attending medical school that Dr. Mustafa gained his lifelong interest in diagnosing and healing patients. “I learned new things every day. I became fascinated by how the human body works. I liked how internal medicine specialists were in many ways investigators who solved mysteries.”

Deciding whether to specialize in internal medicine or surgery was a difficult decision for the doctor. In his cardiology practice today, Dr. Mustafa sees patients with atherosclerosis or heart blockages, patients who are at risk of or who have suffered heart attacks, and patients with arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats. In addition to attending to patients in his clinic, Dr. Mustafa performs a range of heart procedures, including catheter interventions and the insertion of coronary stents. Stents are small mesh tubes that are used to unblock and keep arteries open, which greatly reduce the chances of a heart attack.

“The technology for cardiology is always improving,” Dr. Mustafa notes. “There is so much more we can do now. The design of stents has evolved greatly over the last 10 years. Most significantly, in many instances we can treat narrowed heart valves and other heart diseases with catheters; where in the past, patients would have had to undergo open heart surgery.”

The same is true for diagnosing heart conditions. “The machinery for diagnosing cardiovascular symptoms and diseases is also advancing. Ultrasounds, stress tests, and nuclear medicine are all contributing to better outcomes. Patients are sick for shorter times, they receive less radiation during imaging, and they suffer less discomfort,” he explains.

Dr. Mustafa is enjoying working with the health care team in his new practice. “Washington Hospital and WTMF are unique among health care providers. All my interactions with the doctors and the clinical staff here have been about putting patients first, and treating them as individuals.”

His commitment to the highest quality of care comes from helping his own father navigate medical treatment. “My dad was very sick, and I was the one helping him meet with medical professionals because I was in medical school and had the most medical knowledge in my family.” Dr. Mustafa continues, “We had many good interactions with doctors, but some of them were not very good and I made a promise to myself to emulate those doctors who, despite their high case load and other responsibilities, always maintained a professional and compassionate bedside manner.”

“Patients come to us at their most vulnerable moments. I think about how I would want my own family members treated in the same situation, and that is how I try to treat my patients.”

Dr. Mustafa recently moved to the Bay Area with his family. He says that his wife, who is also a physician, has been a huge support. With the mild climate, they are looking forward to year-round opportunities to hike and enjoy other outdoor activities with their four children.

To find out more about Dr. Mustafa’s interventional cardiology services, visit the Find a Doctor section at www.mywtmf.com.