FEATUREZ
Cardiologist Brings Better Heart Health Here By Stan Leland
D
r. Umesh Arora was 5 years old when his father had a massive heart attack.
“I can vividly recall the terror of sitting in the ambulance holding my father’s finger watching him writhe in pain,” Arora said. The Arora family lived in New Delhi, India at the time and when they arrived at the emergency room it took 90 minutes before his dad saw a doctor. It took another nine hours before a cardiologist came to evaluate him. “From that day I decided to become a cardiologist. I wanted people to get the help they need when they need it,” Arora said. That vow, made over 40 years ago, is the reason Sonterra Cardiovascular Institute exists. After spending several years as a professor of cardiology at the University of Texas Health Science center, Arora opened his private practice in 2007 with two locations -Stone Oak and another on Toepperwein across from Northeast Methodist Hospital. The practice on Toepperwein grew quickly and before long it had outgrown the lease space. “We had patients sitting in their cars because our waiting room was full,” Arora said.
One of his patients, Richard Dziewit, (pronounced Jev-it) an active volunteer with Schertz city government, suggested that the cardiologist move to Schertz. “Having firsthand experience as a patient of Dr. Arora, I knew he would be a great asset for our community,” Dziewit said, adding he and the Schertz Economic Development Department helped look for a suitable location. Several potential properties were considered before the former Health and Human Services building across from the Schertz Public Library became available. In August 2014, Arora purchased the building and did a total interior makeover. He saw his first patients on Oct. 1 of last year. continued on page 24
schertzmagazine.com
MARCH 2015
23