Cardiology Associates of Somerset County, also known as CASC, has been providing exemplary cardiac care and services for their community of patients for more than 40 years.

After these years of such experience and dedication, the physicians of this practice well understand quality and comprehensive cardiac care and services. They are committed to leading edge cardiology care while providing a warm and personal touch for the community they serve. Over the past 25 years the practice has grown to be a community valued group of seven cardiologists. The most senior partner of the group joined Cardiology Associates in 1982. Since that time the group has continued to grow adding sophisticated clinical techniques and state-of-the-art technologies to best compliment the services offered within the specialty of cardiology.

Today they are able to provide total cardiovascular clinical care, diagnostic services, and therapeutic interventions that provide a continuum of cardiac care to their patients.

The group of seven cardiologists includes; Dr. Mark Lebenthal, Dr. Stephen Ocken, Dr. Robert Benigno, Dr. Chandreshwar Shahi, Dr. Jeff T. Taylor, Dr. Alexander Ivanov, and Dr. Shivang Trivedi. These highly trained and accomplished specialist in Cardiovascular Medicine hold many board certifications that transcend into providing quality care with a focus on the standards of care available today within their specialty. All of the cardiologists are board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Medicine. The group provides consultative evaluations, hospital care and cardiovascular treatments at both Somerset Medical Center, Somerville, NJ and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ.

In addition, Dr.’s Shahi, Taylor, Ivanov, and Trivedi are board certified in Nuclear Cardiology. Dr.’s Shahi and Ivanov are board certified in Echocardiography. Dr. Taylor is board certified in Interventional Cardiology, performing balloon angioplasty and stent placement. He also performs advanced procedures that use techniques similar, such as balloon angioplasty and stent placement in the vessels that supply blood to the legs. The “Electrician” of the group is Dr. Ivanov who is board certified in Electrophysiology. He performs procedures such as, pacemakers, implantable Cardiverter Defibrillators, and Catheter Ablation, the latest treatment for atrial fibrillation and other abnormal irregular heart rhythms.

The latest technology known as CTA or Rapid CT Angiography is now used to evaluate the presence of coronary artery calcium, which can predict the likelihood of a cardiac event in ones future. Both Dr.’s Lebenthal and Shahi are certified in the interpretation of CT Angiography and are now able to provide this servie for their community of patients.

Within the board specialty and training in Cardiovascular Medicine there are several physicians in the group that perform invasive procedures, such as cardiac catheterization. This procedure records a moving picture providing a road map of the coronary arteries that evaluates the blood flow to the heart muscle. A heart attach can be prevented by undergoing this procedure that determines future treatment options that may include coronary balloon angioplasty and/or stent. By early detection and treatment of coronary narrowing/disease the prevention of heart muscle damage and heart attach will be alleviated. The physician’s that perform the invasive procedure Cardiac Catheriterization are; Dr.’s Benigno, Shahi, Taylor, and Trivedi. Dr. Taylor, being the interventional specialist, performs the balloon angioplasty and stent placement when determined to be the standard treatment option for that patient..

Members of the group have held prestigious positions throughout their career that further attest to their commitment to the patients they serve. Dr. Lebenthal, at Somerset Medical Center, served as Director of the Department of Medicine, Chief of Cardiology and Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation Center. Dr. Lebenthal has also participated in the American Heart Association’s “Caring Hearts” lecture series and served as President of the Somerville chapter of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Ocken has served as Director of the Department of Medicine and as Chief of Cardiology at Somerset Medical Center. He also served on the Medical Executive Committee and is presently the Medical Director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center.

Dr. Benigno was elected to Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Somerset Medical Center from January 2004 thru December 2005 and was re-elected to serve thru December 2007. Dr. Shahi is an American Heart Association Council Member within the specialties of Cardiopulmonary, as well as the Critical Care Society and Cardiovascular Radiology.

In July of 2000, Dr. Jeff Taylor joined the group as the Interventional Cardiologist. Dr. Taylor, in adddition to coronary interventions, also performs interventional Peripheral Vascular procedures and holds the position of Medical Director of the Peripheral Interventional program at Somerset Medical Center. He also holds the position of Radiation Safety Officer for the Cardiac Lab located within Cardiology Associates private testing laboratory.

The practice offers the following services:

• Atrial Fibrillation
• Continuum of care for the cardiac patient
• Consultative services for all physicians within service area
• Preventive Cardiovascular Services
• Diagnostic Cardiac Testing
• Interventional diagnostic Cardiovascular Procedure.
• Interventional Therapeutic Cardiovascular Procedures
• Pro-time Clinic.

Practice Office Diagnostic Testing:

• Electrocardiogram
• Echocardiogram, Color flow, Cardiac Doppler
• 24 hour Holter Monitor
• Cardiac Event Recorder
• Carotid Doppler
• Pacemaker Evaluation
• Nuclear Muga Scan

Practice Office Cardiac Stress Testing:

• Regular Stress Test
• Nuclear Stress Test
• Non-Exercise Nuclear Stress Test
• Stress-Echo
• Non-Exercise Stress-Echo

In Hospital Procedural Services Offered:

• Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization
• Emergent Coronary Angioplasty & Stent Placement
• Elective Coronary Angioplasty & Stent Placement
• Rotational Atherectomy
• Peripheral Vascular Disease Angiography
• Peripheral Vascular Disease Intervention/Angioplasty and Stent Placement

Our complement of Advanced Practice Nursing staff;

• Mary Joan Barr, R.N., APN-C
• Andrea Walborn-Haynie, R.N., APN-C
• Yvonne Levine, R.N., APN-C