PRINCETON, WV (LOOTPRESS) — WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital (PCH) marked a mileston with a celebration of its formal affiliation with the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI), one of the nation’s top-rated cardiac programs. The event also introduced Dr. Kiran Kanjerla, a board-certified cardiologist and electrophysiologist, whose arrival expands local access to advanced cardiac services.
Held at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute Cardiology Clinic on the hospital’s North Tower third floor, the event featured remarks by PCH President and CEO Karen Bowling, HVI Chair Dr. George Sokos, and PCH Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Stephen Ward.
Karen Bowling opened the event by emphasizing the significance of the HVI partnership, calling it “a turning point for cardiac care in southern West Virginia.” She highlighted how the affiliation directly connects patients to the state’s leading academic medical center, known for excellence in inpatient, outpatient, and emergency heart care.
“This is just a monumental day—an accumulation of a lot of work we’ve been doing to ensure that our patients and our region continue to get the best, highest-quality care close to home, in partnership with the renowned Heart and Vascular Institute,” Bowling said.
Sokos added, “We think everybody deserves the same level of care, no matter where you are—and it’s possible here, close to home, to receive the same care you’d get at Ruby or in Morgantown. That’s what we’re striving to do.”
The event also introduced Kanjerla to the cardiology team, a major advancement for the hospital and its patients. Starting May 19, Kanjerla will offer comprehensive services in both general cardiology and electrophysiology, including the hospital’s first-ever permanent pacemaker and implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) procedures.
Ward said “In the last few weeks, we’ve had Dr. Kenjerla start with us, and he brings great experience—fellowship-trained in electrophysiology at George Washington University—which is a huge plus for our area. He’s already making an impact; his very first consult helped us avoid a patient transfer by enabling timely device placement right here at our hospital.”
Kanjerla will treat a wide range of heart conditions including atrial fibrillation, arrhythmias, heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension. His practice will also include outpatient device checks and cardiac clearance evaluations. He is now accepting referrals, and new patient appointments begin May 19 in Suite B of the PCH North Tower.
