Dr. Merrill Stewart specializes in non-invasive general cardiology at Ochsner Health. He attended medical school at the University of Alabama School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency at Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Stewart also completed a cardiology fellowship at the John Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute. His research interests include patient education and engagement, and cardiovascular imaging with cardiac PET and echocardiography. From Dr. Stewart, "I first decided to become a doctor during college when I realized it was a profession that would allow me to combine my love of science with a daily ability to help others through this knowledge. Creating a connection with patients and helping them understand their medical problems is the most rewarding and motivating part of my day. In addition to clinical work, I am actively involved in retrospective and prospective research in the areas of cardiac PET and echocardiography. I feel that a robust research portfolio in addition to clinical work keeps one knowledgeable on the most current evidence-based practice in medicine. The heart of engaging patients starts with helping them to understand their medical issues. I feel that one of the most important things I can is to facilitate this understanding and education, and I look forward to answering the questions my patients have. I also like to note that each patient is the driver of their own medical care, they ultimately make all the important decisions. As such I consider each encounter a dialogue where hopefully we can arrive at a decision together about what the best course of action is for their care. I try to make myself as openly accessible and responsive to patients, calling all patients back with their results, answering emails as quickly as possible, and doing all I can to make sure their needs are met."