Residents of northeastern Arizona now have access to a new cardiologist through the Heart and Vascular Center of Northern Arizona. Dr. Craig Peters recently joined the team, and will now be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays in his Winslow office, located at 1418 N. Williamson Ave., across from the Little Colorado Medical Center. Peters is also available to patients being seen at LCMC and for patients needing follow-up after surgery conducted at the Flagstaff Medical Center.

A native of southern Florida, Peters is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys the beauty of the area. “I worked in Tucson for awhile and fell in love with Arizona. I knew I’d be coming back here if I ever had the opportunity,” he noted.

He has received his medical degree from the Ohio University of Osteopathic Medicine, completed his internship there and at Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital and Cleveland Clinic Foundation, where his also completed his residency. His Fellowship in Cardiovascular Medicine was performed at the University of Ari-zona Sarver Heart Center in Tucson.

Peters has a relaxed, easygoing demeanor that makes communication easy, and he has an obvious devo-tion to the work he performs. He originally considered another field to specialize in, but discovered early on that cardiology was where he wanted to be.

“I did a rotation with a physician at the Cleveland Clinic and he became my mentor. The things he taught me just seemed to come naturally and I knew cardiology was what I was meant to do,” recalled Peters.

Peters not only accepts office visits, but also sees patients at LCMC. “I’ll see anyone who feels they need to be seen. I’ll take referrals from other physicians, but they can also call my office directly if they want to be seen by me,” stated Peters.

In discussing some of the health factors that could lead to heart problems, Peters cited poor diet, smoking, lack of exercise and genetics. Symptoms that Peters wants people to pay special attention to are continuous chest pain, increased fatigue and shortness of breath.

“Sometimes I’ll have patients who wait to come in because they thought they just had the flu or a severe case of heartburn; the symptoms are not always a tightness of chest, and pain or numbness down the left arm,” explained Peters.

The doctor will be hosting a free fireside chat from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10, at La Posada Hotel and Gardens, located at 303 E. Second St. in Winslow. He hopes that residents of Winslow, Holbrook and the surrounding area will come and feel free to discuss any concerns they may have relating to the health of their heart.

For more information or to make an office appointment, call (928) 289-6336.