In-Focus Advertorial | Published October 13, 2025
ROCHESTER — Heart disease is the nation’s leading killer, causing a heart attack every 40 seconds and a cardiac death every 90 seconds. “Prevention is the only solution to heart disease, the No. 1 killer of men and women,” said Dr. Pierre Charbel Atallah, M.D., CEO and second-generation practicing cardiologist at the Rochester Medical Center (RMC). “We are prevention pioneers; it’s our specialty. We’ve been saving lives in Rochester since 1976.”
That philosophy has led RMC to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as the next evolution in preventive cardiac care.
For 50 years, RMC has built its reputation on comprehensive care that blends compassion with technology. Services include cardiology, vascular medicine, primary care, diagnostic imaging and specialized therapies for vein disease and chest pain. The mission, Dr. Atallah said, comes down to one simple goal: working as a team to save lives before emergencies occur. “Physicians used to tell people what to do,” he said. “That culture has shifted. Now it’s about listening to patients, understanding their goals and making decisions together.”
RMC recently became the first facility in Michigan to integrate a groundbreaking AI platform for diagnosing heart disease. “We’ve always been early adopters,” Dr. Atallah said. “Decades ago, we brought the first cardiac catheterization lab to Rochester and 3D CT angiography (3D Heart Scan) to Michigan. Adopting AI continues that tradition of combining innovation with compassionate care.”
“The pure benefit for patients is that we can now save lives with one simple scan,” he added. “One CT scan shows us if there’s disease, where it is and how it’s impacting the heart. Waiting for a cardiac event makes no sense—you’re already too late. A 3D Heart Scan identifies tomorrow’s heart attack, today.”
The technology’s power was proven just weeks after its launch. A patient arrived with mild symptoms that might not have raised alarms elsewhere. The new AI system analyzed the data within seconds, flagging a critical blockage in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, referred to as the “widow-maker” due to its lethal potential.
“Part of what I love about cardiology is that we can actively do something,” Dr. Atallah said. “When the AI flagged that blockage, we moved straight to intervention. It was exciting for us and life-saving for the patient.”
An angiogram confirmed a 90 percent blockage posing an imminent risk of a fatal heart attack. The team placed a stent and restored blood flow, preventing what could have been a deadly event—marking the first time in Michigan that an AI-driven diagnosis directly saved a life.
The center’s AI platform can analyze complex cardiac data from 3D Heart Scans—within seconds. “The problem with heart disease is that it’s largely asymptomatic,” Dr. Atallah said. “Once you feel chest pain or shortness of breath—it’s too late. For 350,000 people in the U.S., their first symptom of heart disease is cardiac arrest. With CTA and AI, we can save lives. Our goal is to teach people that heart disease is preventable.”
For Dr. Atallah, AI represents the perfect balance between human expertise and technology. “AI is a wonderful tool, one that enhances how we care for our patients. We are very proud to be the first to leverage this technology in Michigan and to make it available to our community.”
As RMC marks its 50th anniversary, Dr. Atallah said the practice’s focus remains unchanged: “We want people to know that right here in Rochester, we can do amazing things. Our tradition has always been to innovate and save lives, and this technology allows us to keep doing that.”
Rochester Medical Center, 543 N. Main St. in Rochester, offers consultation with its cardiology team. Call (248) 656-3100 or visit rochestermedicalcenter.com.