Pragnesh A Patel,MD

Interventional Cardiology & Nuclear Cardiology
Pragnesh Patel, MD, is an interventional cardiologist and peripheral specialist at Genesis Heart & Vascular Associates in East Tennessee.

He enjoys providing cardiac and vascular care to patients in his community. He has a keen interest in treating peripheral vascular disease and carotid artery disease as they are closely linked with cardiac conditions and are under diagnosed and untreated. He strives to treat all his patients with compassion and respect just as he would expect someone to treat his family. He enjoys spending time with his family, volunteering in medical clinics, cooking for his family and friends, meditation, exercise and reading.

Education and Training:

  • Internal Medicine: University of Illinois, Chicago
  • Cardiology: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
  • Interventional Cardiology: Lenox Hill Hospital, New York

Areas of Interest in Cardiology:

  • General Cardiology
  • Heart failure management
  • Stroke Prevention
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Peripheral Vascular Diseases
A native of India, Dr. Patel moved to the United States in 1994 after completing his medical school at one of India’s most prestigious medical schools. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine from the University Of Illinois at Chicago, and thereafter, practiced at the Community Health Care Center in Davenport, Iowa. He provided care to the underserved and homeless of the Quad Cities for five years.
During this period, he pursued his research interest and published papers in gastroenterology and cardiology. His priority is serving the community to provide healthcare to all in need.

Subsequently, he completed his fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Iowa, during which he participated in basic science and transitional research.

He pursued further training in interventional cardiology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, where he performed over 600 cardiac stent procedures, over 150 peripheral interventions, and 50 carotid stents under the mentorship of one of the most renowned pioneers in this field, Dr. Gary Roubin. Since then he has performed many more of the same.

Since 2009 moved with his family to East Tennessee, and has been serving the communities of Hamblen, Knox, Cocke, Greene, Hancock, and Jefferson counties.

He lives with his wife and two sons.

Having served members in small communities, Dr. Patel truly believes the patients benefit most from receiving follow-up care in their hometown but with access to tertiary care centers for invasive procedures performed by their own physicians where there is prompt availability of all specialty services and cutting-edge technologies, including participating in trials.

He has staff privileges at Newport Medical Center in Newport, Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Jefferson, Tennova North in Knoxville, and Turkey Creek Medical Center in Knoxville.

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Hanna Rae Larsen, CVNP-BC

Board Certified Cardiology Nurse Practitioner
She is a current resident of Knoxville, TN, originally hailing from Morristown, TN. Having earned her Associates degree in nursing from LMU in 2012, followed by a Bachelors degree from King University in 2014, and a Masters degree from Carson-Newman University in 2019, she boasts an impressive educational background.

Board certified by both the AANP and ANCC as a family nurse practitioner, she pursued further specialization in cardiovascular care at the University of South Alabama, culminating in her certification as a cardiovascular nurse practitioner. Her journey in nursing commenced in 2005 as a certified nursing assistant, progressing to a registered nurse in 2013, and finally attaining the status of nurse practitioner in 2019.

Throughout her career, her passion has remained steadfastly focused on cardiovascular patients, a commitment reflected in her extensive experience. Beyond her professional pursuits, she finds joy in traveling, cherishing moments with her family, including her two beloved dogs. A lover of literature, she often finds solace and inspiration in the pages of a good book.

Guided by her Christian faith, she relies on its principles to navigate and enrich her life.

Emily Smith, FNP

Nurse Practitioner
Her nursing practice began after graduating with her Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Lincoln Memorial University in 2019. While pursuing her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree, she gained experience and knowledge by caring for cardiovascular patients on a telemetry unit, then graduated in 2020. Continuing her education at Lincoln Memorial University, she graduated from their Master’s of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner program in 2021.

As a board-certified nurse practitioner through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, she spent the following year serving the population of east Tennessee through travel nursing in multiple cardiac step-down intensive care units, further building her knowledge and expertise in cardiology. Joining the team at Genesis Heart and Vascular in 2023, her professional values of dedicated and exceptional patient care immediately meshed within the practice’s atmosphere of healing with compassion, respect, and courtesy.

Originally from a rural town near Kingsport, TN, she currently resides in Tazewell, TN. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors in her community, engaging in hobbies such as hiking, biking, and reading. Aspiring to live a faith-oriented lifestyle, she demonstrates her dedication through church involvement and assisting with youth activities. Her heart’s desire is to continue her passion in providing exceptional care to all patients by combining her medical knowledge with her desire to be a positive light to those around her.