Alot has changed since Renee Sangrigoli, MD, FACC, was in medical school. “Back then, there wasn’t much we could do for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) waiting for heart transplants,” she says. “Today, with the development of new medicines and special devices, we can help patients feel better and live longer.”

When she talks about the plight of patients with CHF, her passion for medicine comes alive. This is one thing that has never changed for Dr. Sangrigoli. “I always wanted to be a doctor,” she recounts.

Living her childhood dream has led to a distinguished career as a cardiologist, researcher and educator. In each of these roles she has continued to follow her heart, infusing patient care and community education with her personal values of family, compassion, and commitment.

Today, she practices with her husband, Robert M. Sangrigoli, MD, at Central Bucks Specialists in Doylestown. As a practicing physician and mother of two children, she admits to bringing a “motherly touch” to patient care. To that, she adds a commitment to the latest techniques and therapies for treating heart disease, especially CHF. Her concern for patients with congestive heart failure has led to ongoing involvement with national research trials of new therapies.

Dr. Sangrigoli is also a sought-after lecturer and educator on women’s heart disease. She stresses that heart attacks can be very different for women than men, presenting with sometimes subtle warning signs – nausea, shortness of breath, fatigue or palpitations – that women need to recognize.