With her outgoing personality, exotic accent, and intense energy, electrophysiologist Ola Khraisha, M.D., would shine in any field of endeavor. But as a woman in a specialty that’s 80 percent male, Dr. Khraisha really stands out.  
    Electrophysiology is the cardiology subspecialty that focuses on heart rhythm disorders, including atrial fibrillation, flutter, tachycardia and so on. It’s a demanding field, one that requires physical stamina, intellectual rigor, precision and continual learning.
    A native of Jordan, Dr. Khraisha earned her medical degree from the University of Jordan College of Medicine in Amman. Following internships there, she started pathology residency training at Jordan University Hospital. But in 2008, Dr. Khraisha emigrated to the United States, landing in an internal medicine residency program at East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City. After completing a cardiology fellowship at ETSU in 2014, she moved to Washington, D.C., and Georgetown University/Medstar Washington Hospital Center where she completed two subspecialty fellowships in clinical cardiac electrophysiology and advanced cardiac electrophysiology.
    In 2017, she joined the staff at King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland. Today, she sees patients at King’s Daughters campuses in Ashland and Portsmouth, Ohio.
    One of the things that struck her most in coming to eastern Kentucky and southern Ohio is how involved families are in the healthcare of those they love. “We really see the entire extended family,” Dr. Khraisha said. Following a procedure, it’s not unusual to talk with spouses, children, grandchildren, siblings, grandparents, and even aunts and uncles, she said. “Families around here really take care of one another, and that’s refreshing to see.”
    They often ask excellent questions and really want to know what’s going on with their loved one. “Since electrophysiology is a newer specialty, a lot of people aren’t as familiar with what we do,” she said. “So, I take the time to talk with my patients and their families and really explain how the heart works, the electrical system that causes the heart to contract and pump blood, what can go wrong with that system, and how we can treat it.”
    Perhaps because heart rhythm specialists aren’t very common, Dr. Khraisha has noticed many of her patients suffer for years before making their way to her. “They know about heart attacks and bypasses, about stents and those kinds of things; they just don’t know about the electrical system of the heart and what we can do to treat arrhythmias.”
    Another thing she’s observed: Women around here tend not to seek the heart care they need, especially for atrial fibrillation, which can cause blood to pool inside the heart, thicken and form clots. Those clots can be pumped out to the rest of the body, potentially leading to what’s commonly called a mini-stroke (or TIA) or a full-blown stroke.
    “The most serious complication of atrial fibrillation is stroke,” Dr. Khraisha noted. “It’s clearly documented that strokes occur more frequently in women, with more devastating consequences. Simply being a woman puts you at greater risk for stroke. And being over age 65, having atrial fibrillation, smoking, and taking hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills compound the risk.
    “If there was one thing I wish women knew, it would be that their hearts are as much at risk as men’s, maybe more so. It’s essential for them to take care of their hearts, to talk with their primary care providers about their heart disease risk; to seek care when they need it; and to never, never delay.”