Physicians & Staff
Edward Chafizadeh, MD
Dr. Edward Chafizadeh has practiced Cardiology in Austin since 1997. He received his B.A. in Molecular Biochemistry from Yale University in 1985, and earned his M.D. with High Honors from Baylor College of Medicine in 1989. He subsequently completed Internal Medicine residency at Baylor, and served as Chief Medical Resident at Baylor/St.Luke's Episcopal Hospital. Dr. Chafizadeh then completed fellowship in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology at Harvard Beth Israel from 1993-1997. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease.
Dr. Chafizadeh currently practices General and Interventional Cardiology at St. David's Medical Center in Austin. He is on the Bylaws Committee, the Quality Assurance Committee, and is the Medical Director for STEMI care at St. David's. His clinical interests include Preventive Cardiology, Lipid disorders, Interventional Cardiology (including both Cardiac and Peripheral Vascular disease), and non-invasive imaging of the heart and blood vessels.
Dr. Chafizadeh is a past president of the Capitol Area Division of the American Heart Association, and has served on the Texas Board of Directors of the American Heart Association.
In his spare time, Dr. Chafizadeh enjoys spending time with his wife and four kids, running, playing basketball, flag football and golf, and working the Sunday Times crossword puzzle.
David Terreson, MD
Dr. Terreson went to the University of Mississippi for undergraduate training and medical school, where he was Phi Kappa Phi. He then did his internship and residency at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, and his cardiology fellowship at the Texas Heart Institute. At Texas Heart, he was Chief Cardiology Fellow and elected Fellow of the Year.
He has practiced general cardiology in Austin since 1996, with an interest in coronary and peripheral intervention.
He has been elected a Texas Super Doctor every year from 2004 to present, and has participated as a clinical investigator in multiple clinical trials, though his primary interest is individual patient care. Dr. Terreson enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, hunting and fishing and living in Austin.
Dr. Terreson serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin
F. Javier Otero, MD, FACC
Dr. Otero earned his Medical Degree from the University of Seville in Spain, where he also obtained a Master's Degree in Emergency Medicine. During this time he also served as Chief Resident. He is Board certified in Cardiovasular Disease, Interventional Cardiology, and Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.
Dr. Otero completed his Internal Medicine residency program, Cardiology Fellowship, and Interventional Cardiology Fellowship in Galveston, Texas at the University of Texas Medical Branch. During his training at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, he was honored with the Outstanding Faculty Nomination and Aventis Outstanding Cardiology Fellows Award.
He is fully trained in general cardiology, including cardiac catheterization, PTCA, coronary stenting, peripheral vascular angioplasty and stenting, rotational atherectomy and nuclear cardiology. In recognition of his clinical accomplishments, Dr. Otero has been recognized as “Top Cardiologist in Austin/Leading Physicians of the World” (International Association of Cardiologists, 2010), “America’s Top Cardiologists” (Consumers Research Council of America, 2007), and “Outstanding Physician” (St. David’s Medical Center, 2007). As a physician leader in his specialty, he has also served as the Chairman for the Department of Cardiology (2005-2009) and Cardiac Catheterization Lab Medical Director (2010-present) for the St. David’s Medical Center. He is a member of the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, Texas Medical Association, American Society of Internal Medicine, Royal College of Medicine of Spain and the Travis County Medical Society.
Steve Lewitton, MD
Dr. Lewitton is originally from South Africa but grew up in Kansas City. He first moved to Austin in 1991 to attend college at the University of Texas. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with High Honors from UT in 1995, and then moved to Dallas where he attended medical school at the Univerity of Texas Southwestern Medical School. After medical school, Dr. Lewitton completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas before moving to New York City for further training. While in New York, Dr. Lewitton completed his General Cardiology Fellowship at New York University where he served as Chief Fellow before going to Weill Cornell Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hosptial for futher training in Interventional Cardiology and the percutaneous treatment of Peripheral Vascular Disease.
During Fellowship, Dr. Lewitton was extensively involved in basic science research exploring gap junction molecules and their role in the molecular mechanism responsible for arrhythmias. He also pursued clinical research comparing intravascular ultrasound to computed tomography (CT) in the measurement of coronary plaque burden and complications of peripheral vascular disease. His research has been published in multiple peer reviewed journals.
Board Certifications
- Interventional Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Internal Medicine
Specific Areas of Interest in Cardiology
- Primary prevention and the medical management of heart disease
- Nuclear Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Interventional Cardiology
Away from the practice, Dr. Lewitton loves running and biking. After 5 years of dodging taxis in New York, he is excited to be able to run around Town Lake. He also enjoys reading novels and traveling to new places, especially if it involves hiking or a fun outdoor activity.
Elizabeth Jackson, ACNS, BC, FNLA
After being raised in the Midwest, Elizabeth Jackson graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science. Following her work in pharmaceutical research and neuropsychology, she returned to the University of Texas at Austin. She graduated with honors receiving her Master’s of Science in Nursing in conjunction with Advanced Practice Nursing Credentials. She is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist with Prescriptive Authority.
Elizabeth has remained active for nine years with the Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Southwest Chapter of the National Lipid Association. She is a Clinical Lipid Specialist, certified by the Accreditation Council for Clinical Lipidology, and has been awarded the recognition of Fellow of the National Lipid Association. She has worked in collaboration with Dr. Edward Chafizadeh since 2003. Her days off are spent enjoying the outdoors with her husband and two daughters.
Dorothy Darby RN ANP-C ACNS-BC
Dorothy Darby has been in nursing since graduating Hunter College in New York City in 1972. She has worked several years as a RN in medical surgical nursing, management services, intensive care unit, cardiac cath lab, emergency room and as a heart transplant/congestive heart failure Advanced Practice Nurse.
She received her graduate degree as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Health from the University of Texas at Austin in 2003. She then received her Post–Masters Degree Adult Nurse Practitioner from Seton Hall University in 2007. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society and Cardiovascular Care Associates since 2003. She is the present Chair Austin Advanced Practice Nurses 2008-2010. She has worked in a collaborative practice with Dr. David Terreson since 2003 in his private cardiology practice, assisting him in the provision of specialty care in the management of clients with cardiovascular disease.
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