Bridges Medical Center has a new ally in the fight against the number one killer of men and women in the United States. Dr. John Ragan is a cardiologist from Innovis Health, a sister facility within the Essentia Health system, who will be seeing heart patients at Bridges Clinic beginning Monday, March 10.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. In 2008, an estimated 770,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack, and about 430,000 will have a recurrent attack. About every 26 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one.*

Dr. Ragan is board certified in internal and cardiovascular medicine, a member of the American Heart Association, and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. He received his medical degree from New York Medical college in Valhalla, NY, and completed his residency at the naval Hospital in Portsmouth, VA. He completed his fellowship in cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, OH. As an invasive cardiologist, Dr. Ragan is experienced in cardiac catheterization, coronary angiography, and echocardiology, including stress echo, and many other facets of cardiac diagnosis and treatment.