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Department Cardiovascular Medicine
Primary Location Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Type of Doctor Adults Only
Languages English
Surgeon No
Locations
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Primary Location

Cleveland Clinic Main Campus

Appointment:
216.444.6697
Desk:
216.444.9288
Fax:
216.445.6165

Additional Locations

Specialties & Treatments

Treatment & Services

  • Biventricular Pacemaker
  • Cardiac Transplant
  • Cardiac Transplantation
  • Cardiology
  • Cardiomyopathy Radiation
  • Cardio-Oncology Center
  • Cardioprotective Treatment In Breast Cancer
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Medicine Department
  • Endomyocardial Biopsy
  • George M and Linda H Kaufman Center for Heart Failure
  • Heart Biopsy
  • Heart Failure Management
  • Heart Failure Section
  • Heart Transplantation
  • Mechanical Assist Devices
  • Pre-Transplant Evaluation
  • Transplant
  • Ventricular Assist Device
View all 19 Treatment & Services +

Specialty in Diseases & Conditions

  • Amyloid Sarcoid Heart Disease
  • Amyloidosis
  • Cardiac Amyloid Imaging
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Cardiomyopathy Secondary to Chemotherapy
  • Cardiomyopathy Valvular
  • Cardiovascular Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment
  • Cardiovascular Effects of Radiation Therapy
  • Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
  • Dilated Cardiomyopathy
  • Ejection Fraction
  • Ejection Fraction - Abnormal
  • Enlarged Heart
  • Familial Amyloidosis
  • Familial Cardiomyopathy
  • Heart Failure
  • Heart Failure in Women
  • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
  • Infiltrative Cardiomyopathy
  • Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
  • Mechanical Circulatory Support
  • Myocarditis
  • Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy
  • Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
  • Sarcoid Heart Disease
  • Shortness of Breath
View all 26 Specialties +
Insurance

Insurance

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Biography

About Karen James, MD

Karen James, MD, is a Staff Cardiologist, and a member of the transplantation team in the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. She is also Director of the Heart Failure Cardio-Oncology clinic.  She is board-certified as a diplomat in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and advanced heart failure and transplant medicine. Dr. James has a special interest in cardiac transplantation, left ventricular assist devices, congestive heart failure and heart failure in patients treated for cancer.

Dr. James completed her undergraduate degree at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, graduating summa cum laude. She received her medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia. She did her clinical training in internal medicine at Cleveland Clinic, then fellowships in peripheral vascular disease and cardiology. She was appointed to Cleveland Clinic in 1991.

Dr. James is Associate Professor of Medicine in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. She is principal investigator or co-investigator in many clinical trials focusing on heart failure therapies, transplant arteriosclerosis and heart failure physiology in LVAD patients, to name but a few of her many research efforts.

She is widely published in leading medical journals such as Circulation, American Heart Journal, American Journal of Cardiology and Transplantation on topics related to her specialty interests. She has written a number of chapters in medical textbooks, among them “Heart Disease arising from Pregnancy” and “Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy."  

She is a reviewer of abstracts for publications that include Circulation Heart Failure, Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, Journal of Cardiac Failure and Arthritis and Rheumatism. She has presented the results of her research and clinical experience at national and international conferences and symposia and published numerous abstracts on her specialty interests.

Dr. James is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) and a member of the International Society of Heart Transplantation and of the Clinical Council of the American Heart Association.

Education & Professional Highlights

Education & Professional Highlights

Appointed
1991

Education & Fellowships

Fellowship - Cleveland Clinic
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cleveland, OH USA
1989

Residency - Cleveland Clinic
Internal Medicine
Cleveland, OH USA
1985

Medical Education - Hahnemann University Medical College
Philadelphia, PA USA
1982

Undergraduate - Susquehanna University
Biology
Selinsgrove, PA USA
1978

Certifications

  • Internal Medicine
  • Internal Medicine - Cardiovascular Disease
  • Internal Medicine - Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology

Specialty Interests

Cardiomyopathy, cardiac tumors, heart failure, heart transplantation, ventricular assist device, myocardial biopsy, cardiac catheterization

Research & Publications

Research & Publications

See publications for Karen James, MD.

(Disclaimer: This search is powered by PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed is a third-party website with no affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.)

Industry Relationships

Industry Relationships

Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical expertise or education. Cleveland Clinic strives to make scientific advances that will benefit patient care and support outside relationships that promise public benefit. In order for the discoveries of Cleveland Clinic physicians' and scientists' laboratories and investigations to benefit the public, these discoveries must be commercialized in partnership with industry. As experts in their fields, Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists are often sought after by industry to consult, provide expertise and education.

To assure professional and commercial integrity in such matters, Cleveland Clinic maintains a program that reviews these collaborations and, when appropriate, puts measures in place to minimize bias that may result from ties to industry. Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses the names of companies when (i) its physicians/scientists receive $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) for speaking and consulting, (ii) its physicians/scientists serve as a fiduciary, (iii) its physicians/scientists receive or have the right to receive royalties or (iv) its physicians/ scientists hold any equity interest for the physician's/scientist's role as inventor, discoverer, developer, founder or consultant.* In publicly disclosing this information, Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its physicians' and scientists' connections with industry.

As of 2/16/2023, Dr. James has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.

Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.

* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.

Patient Satisfaction Reviews

118 Patient Satisfaction Reviews

The Patient Satisfaction Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown below from our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question.

Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

The comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cleveland Clinic.

Overall Star Ratings
4.8 out of 5
Explains 4.7
Listens 4.9
Courtesy, Respect & Concern 4.8
Patient Rating of Doctor 4.7

14 Patient Comments

Reviewed on Apr 7, 2023

Very pleased with Dr James

Reviewed on Apr 4, 2023

Dr. James was very formal and explained things I hadnt heard before

Reviewed on Mar 20, 2023

Always a pleasure seeing Dr.James

Reviewed on Mar 14, 2023

Dr. James was very very receptive to my perspectives and gave knowledgeable insight as always.

Reviewed on Feb 14, 2023

Dr. James has been very good about explaining, and helping me understand, the nature and extent of my heart issues.

Reviewed on Feb 13, 2023

I think the provider seemed very knowledgeable. I would of liked to of spent more time discussing future plans.

Reviewed on Jan 31, 2023

Dr. James is excellent

Reviewed on Jan 19, 2023

Dr. James is excellent.

Reviewed on Jan 16, 2023

Very pleased with Dr James as my cardiologist Answers questions seems interested in me as a patient and does not hurry the appt

Reviewed on Sep 20, 2022

Excellent physician, very caring and interested in me as a person.

Reviewed on Sep 20, 2022

FANTASTIC physician!!

Reviewed on Sep 8, 2022

Provider seemed disinterested. Asked very few questions.

Reviewed on Aug 1, 2022

Dr. James is empathetic, deeply knowledgeable and an excellent communicator.

Reviewed on Jun 2, 2022

Dr James is fantastic

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