What is Direct Specialty Care ?
For patients who wish to have regular access to their Cardiologist, we offer a membership-based model
Direct Specialty Care is ideal for patients with:
- High blood pressure
- Heart rhythm issues
- Coronary artery disease
- Valvular heart disease
- Heart failure
- Or any combination of these issues
How it works
Direct Specialty care is a membership-based model
- $400/month (3 month minimum) per person or $3,500/year for those who pay annually
- New patients pay a one-time $100 registration fee
- We accept patients ages 18 and older without regard to their prior conditions or medical history
- No co-pays: membership ensures that there are no additional charges for office visits, virtual care, or any other communication with your doctor
- The membership model allows us to limit the number of patients in our panel, so appointments are easier to schedule including same day/next day availability for urgent matters.
- Patients enjoy that we will be accessible between office visits for quick questions or advice, and we enjoy the opportunity to get to know our patients without feeling rushed
How it works
Would you like a consult
or second opinion?
- If joining a membership model is not right for you, our doctors offer an $800 Executive Cardiology Comprehensive Exam which includes two visits where they will review your medical history, order comprehensive testing, and formulate a treatment plan that you may use as a roadmap to excellent health.
- If one wishes to convert an Executive Cardiology Comprehensive Exam to a concierge membership plan, the cost of the Executive Cardiology Comprehensive Exam will be credited toward the cost of an annual membership plan. We would love the opportunity to guide you on the road to good health, altering the trajectory of your future!
Please contact the doctor for availability.
$800 Executive Cardiology Comprehensive Exam
This is ideal for a patient with a family history of cardiovascular disease, a patient seeking a second opinion, or a patient who wishes to understand their personal risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death.
We will formulate a treatment plan that you may use as a roadmap to excellent health. We will start or adjust medications to get you on the path to success using guideline based recommendations.
The duration of a your initial comprehensive evaluation is typically 60 -90 minutes.
*** All blood work, imaging, and/or stress testing will be billed through insurance, separately
We will formulate a plan to optimize:
- Blood pressure
- Heart rhythm
- Cholesterol levels
- Weight loss, if needed, including GLP-1 counseling (Ozempic)
If needed, we will order:
- Coronary calcium score
- CT coronary angiogram
- Direct coronary angiography
- Echocardiogram
- Stress testing
Cost: Introductory rate of $800 for *two* personalized visits (intake and one follow up).
Direct Cardiology Care
by Dr. Esberg
Dr. Lucy Esberg is a board-certified Cardiologist who has been practicing cardiology since 2013. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Dr. Esberg graduated medical school at Creighton University School of Medicine in 2007. She then completed Internal Medicine residency and Cardiology Fellowship at the University of Colorado in 2013.
After starting private practice at Aurora Denver Cardiology Associates, Dr. Esberg met her husband and moved to Minneapolis. For the past nine years she has been employed at North Memorial Health, a Level 1 trauma center in Robbinsdale, MN.
Dr. Esberg is board-certified in Cardiovascular disease, Echocardiography, Vascular Medicine, and Vascular Imaging.
Dr. Esberg served as Chief of Medicine for North Memorial Health over the past four consecutive years. During her time at North Memorial Health, she was also Director of the Heart Center’s Vascular Lab and the Director of the Vein Center.
Dr. Esberg’s peers have voted her Minnesota Monthly’s Top Doctor for the past four consecutive years.
The Why...
Growing up on a farm, my work ethic and love for all living creatures was born. It was a natural transition becoming a healer as a physician. The noise of modern medicine has created distance in healing relationships and access to doctors has stifled. In an effort to provide more personal and stream-lined care to our patients, we would like to turn back time where your doctor and team were just a phone call away.
“Humanity, sensibility of heart to feel for the distresses of fellow beings, and a powerful urge to help them.”
- John Gregory’s 18th century
characterization of an ideal physician
Direct Cardiology Care
by Dr. Saleh
Dr. Nizar Saleh is a board-certified Cardiologist who has been practicing cardiology since 1996. Dr. Saleh received both his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics as well as his Medical Doctorate degree from The American University of Beirut. He then completed his Internal Medicine residency and Cardiology fellowship from State University of New York at Stony Brook
For the past 6 years Dr. Saleh has worked at North Memorial Health, a Level 1 trauma center, in Robbinsdale, MN where he also served as the Director for Nuclear cardiology
During his 16 year tenure at St Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, MN, Dr. Saleh was director of cardiovascular imaging which included Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiac CT, and Structural Heart Disease. He also held the directorship of the Heart Failure Program as well as the directorship of SMDC Annual Cardiology Conference
Dr. Saleh is board-certified in Cardiovascular disease, Echocardiography,
Nuclear cardiology, and Cardiac CT
The Why...
Partnering with my patients to help them make an informed decision about their healthcare is sacred for me. It is their life, their decision. I take pride in truly knowing my patients and educating them about their health issues as much as possible. I can help put things in perspective and assist in making the decisions that are right for the patient and their families. It can be difficult to achieve a true partnership in today’s fast-paced medical business model. It is my goal to give my patients priority access to my medical expertise via a concierge medicine model where they know their calls will always be answered.
“At the intersection of science and doctoring is the human relationship"
Know your risk
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, even more than cancer.
Cardiovascular disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined.
10% to 20% of women will have a health issue during pregnancy, and high blood pressure, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes during pregnancy greatly increase a women’s risk for developing cardiovascular disease later in life.
A woman’s risk for heart disease and stroke increases at menopause.
Women die of heart attacks more often than men.
learn more
Contact Executive Cardiology Independent Physicians
952-232-6132
Let’s
Executive Cardiology Independent Physicians
