Kenneth J. Bescak, M.D., F.A.C.C. , diagnostic cardiologist at the Heart & Vascular Center of Northern Arizona , recently became the only board-certified lipidologist north of Phoenix. He is one of only six certified lipidologists in Arizona.

As a lipidologist, Dr. Bescak focuses on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and its associated disorders. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cholesterol disorders, which cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Approximately one-third of all deaths in the U.S. are attributed to these health concerns.

Dr. Bescak is one of 500 board-certified lipidologists in the country certified by the American Board of Clinical Lipidology (ABCL). The ABCL certifies physicians who complete a range of continuing medical education requirements and successfully pass a rigorous examination. Dr. Bescak scored more than 90 percent in five of the eight test categories on the exam.

Also board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease, Dr. Bescak has founded successful clinics for cardiac rehabilitation and heart failure. He received his medical degree from the Ohio State University, Columbus. Dr. Bescak completed his internship, residency and a fellowship at Creighton University Affiliated Hospitals, Omaha, Neb. Prior to relocating to Northern Arizona, Dr. Bescak was in private practice for 30 years in Elyria, Ohio.

Dr. Bescak is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, and a member of the American College of Physicians, American Heart Association, American Echocardiographic Society, American Heart Society, Heart Failure Society of America and the National Lipid Association.

A partnership between Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) and Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC), the Heart & Vascular Center offers a wide spectrum of care. Diagnostic services available through the program’s affiliation with FMC and VVMC include stress testing, nuclear imaging, cardiac and peripheral ultrasound, cardiac Doppler and pacemaker/defibrillator interrogation and programming. When intervention procedures are necessary, cardiac catheterization, balloon angioplasty, stent placement, permanent pacemaker insertion and treatment for peripheral arterial disease are available (including aortic endograft therapy and carotid stenting).

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Bescak or any of the cardiovascular physicians at the Heart & Vascular Center of Northern Arizona, call 977 928-WELL. For more information, visit NAHeartCare.com .