About

About Dr. David Burkett

Dr. David Burkett’s medical career is extensive. He specializes in cardiology and has subspecialties in general cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology (E.P.), echocardiography, and non-invasive cardiology. His experience includes coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndrome, cardiac arrhythmias, hyperlipidemia, valvular heart disease, atrial fibrillation, cardiac ablations, echocardiography, and pulmonary hypertension.

He approach to medical care involves looking at the patient as a whole and one of preventative care, pursuing the appropriate solution to an ailment when needed. He practices in his home state of Texas with Cardiology Cardiovascular Associates of San Antonio. He is certified by the Texas Medical Board and the A.B.I.M. Cardiovascular Disease Boards.

An Accomplished Private Practice Career

In practice for nearly 20 years, his bespoke medical career began when he joined his father’s practice at Burkett Cardiovascular Associates in Monroe, Louisiana. When his father became too ill to practice medicine, he opened a private Cardiology/E.P. practice, Burkett Heart Clinic, with about 3,500 patients, drawing people from nearby Arkansas and Mississippi. During this time, he served North Monroe H.C.A. Hospital, St. Francis Medical Center, Glenwood Regional Medical Center, and St. Francis P&S Surgical Center.

Academia Draws Dr. David Burkett

After nine years of private practice, he took his experience and passion in his field to academia to practice and teach the next generation of medical professionals. Dr. Burkett found academic medicine one of the best ways to stay current, learn and practice new ablative techniques, and share his experience with others. He also enjoyed the camaraderie of academic medicine.

He served as a full-time Assistant Professor of Medicine at L.S.U. School of Medicine and Director of Cardiology at the Cardiac/E.P. Catheterization Lab, where he practiced internal medicine, invasive and non-invasive cardiology, cardiac E.P., and emergency medicine. He educated medical residents, cardiology fellows, N.P.s, nurses, and P.A.s.

The Breadth and Depth of Dr. Burkett’s Education

After graduating from high school, David attended Southern Methodist University (S.M.U.) in Dallas, Texas, and received a B.S. in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering. From there, he attended LSU HSC School of Medicine in New Orleans and did his internship, residency, and Cardiology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He also did a Cardiac Electrophysiology fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
During his cardiology and E.P. training, he moonlighted at various hospitals, including as an E.R. physician at the Ochsner-LSU-Monroe Campus (E. A. Conway), Jackson Parish Hospital, Morehouse General Hospital, and Allen Parish Hospital.

Advancing Research in His Medical Profession

Dr. Burkett’s extensive research includes developing multiple ways to ablate atrial fibrillation. He recently submitted a proposal to the L.S.U. School of Medicine will participate in an observational study on the success of various ablation techniques.

In 2007-2008, he conducted an independent study for CV Therapeutics (now known as Gilead) to research the use of Ranexa in treating atrial dysrhythmias (particularly P.A.C.s, atrial tachycardia and atrial fibrillation). Ranexa was found to significantly decrease atrial ectopy in those who took it.

As a Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellow at Northwestern University Medical School (a P.G.Y. 7 and P.G.Y. 8), he published two critical abstracts: “New Ablation Technique for R.V.O.T. Tachycardia Utilizing the Lasso Electrode Catheter” and “The Incidence of A.V.N.R.T. and Inappropriate I.C.D. Therapies in Patients with Implantable Defibrillators.” He also published a case report: “A Rare and Benign Electrophysiologic Finding: A Right Ventricular Fasciculo-Ventricular Accessory Pathway.”

When studying E.P. at Baylor College of Medicine as a P.G.Y. 6 Cardiology Fellow, Dr. David Burkett researched a deflectable pulmonary vein ultrasound ablative catheter for atrial fibrillation.
During his time at S.M.U., his research work included “Signal Averaged E.C.G. Research” and “Evoked Potentials Research,” and he co-authored a research project published in the IEEE Journal entitled “The Effects of Signal Averaging of Evoked Potentials to Minimize Data Acquisition.”

Honors and Activities

David Burkett’s honors began as a college student when he was recognized as “Who’s Who Among American College Students.” He was also a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

His medical profession accolades include public recognition as the “Best Practicing Cardiologist” in West Monroe, Louisiana, in 2018. He was recognized in 2020 as the first E.P. physician in the United States to implant the newly released MEDTRONIC Bluetooth Bi-Ventricular A.I.C.D. in Monroe.

He is currently a member of the American Medical Association and the American Heart Association, a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (F.A.C.C.), an associate member of H.R.S. (Electrophysiology), a member of the American College of Physicians (A.C.P.), and a member of Bexar County Medical Society.

Recognized for his expertise, for two years, Dr. David Burkett traveled throughout the country on behalf of United Therapeutics Pharmaceutical Corporation to provide up-to-date lectures on the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to fellow physicians, nurses, PAs, N.P.s, and patients.

On the personal side, Dr. Burkett is the proud father of five. His eldest daughter is completing dental school in New Orleans, and the other two daughters now attend Tulane University. His two sons are in high school.