Staff

Meet The Team

The Memorial Heart & Vascular Center is home to five cardiologists and one cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, all based at the main campus on Oak Park Boulevard with satellite clinic coverage across the region. The group is collaborative, high-volume, and well-supported by a team of five nurse practitioners and a dedicated cath lab staff.

Shape

Cardiologists

Edward Bergen, DO, FACC, FSCAI, CCDS Fellowship-trained interventional cardiologist and Medical Director of Cardiac Catheterization and Inpatient Cardiology. Dr. Bergen is a Rutgers University graduate who received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He served 14 years as a U.S. Army physician, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and completed deployments in support of Operation New Dawn in Baghdad. His post-graduate training includes an internal medicine residency, fellowships in cardiology and cardiac devices, and an interventional cardiology fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in both interventional cardiology and cardiovascular disease, and holds additional board certifications in nuclear cardiology and cardiac rhythm device therapy. Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.

Ahmad Awan, MD, FACC, FSCAI, RPVI Fellowship-trained interventional cardiologist with expertise in peripheral vascular and endovascular interventions. Dr. Awan earned his medical degree from Army Medical College in Rawalpindi and completed his cardiology fellowship at Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC, followed by an interventional cardiology fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. He received the Outstanding Chief Resident and Most Valuable Resident awards during his training and has served on the vascular committee of SCAI and the scientific sessions committee of the Society of Vascular Medicine. He is board-certified in cardiovascular disease, nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, and peripheral vascular interpretation. Practices at the main campus and outreach clinics in Sulphur and DeRidder.

Karl Duncan, MD, FSCAI Board-certified interventional cardiologist with advanced training in cardiac imaging. Dr. Duncan is an LSU School of Medicine graduate who completed his internal medicine residency at Wayne State University in Detroit and pursued four additional fellowships: advanced cardiac imaging at Columbia University, cardiac CT at Johns Hopkins, cardiovascular disease at New York Medical College, and interventional/peripheral vascular at Wayne State. He is a member of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians, and Association of Black Cardiologists. Practices at the main campus and the Sulphur outreach clinic.

Kurt Duncan, MD, FACC, FSCAI Board-certified interventional cardiologist with extensive peripheral vascular training. Dr. Kurt Duncan is Karl Duncan's twin brother and trained at many of the same institutions, earning his medical degree from LSU School of Medicine and completing fellowships in echocardiography at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, nuclear cardiology at Yale University, cardiovascular disease at New York Medical College, and interventional/peripheral vascular at Wayne State University. His practice includes treatment of deep vein thrombosis, venous ulcers, and pelvic and iliac vein stenosis in addition to standard interventional work. Practices at the main campus and outreach clinics in Sulphur and DeRidder.

Kevin Young, MD, FACC Board-certified cardiologist specializing in interventional cardiology and cardiac implantable rhythm management devices. Dr. Young is a Kentucky native who completed his medical degree, residency, and cardiology fellowship at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He has served as a clinical investigator for device manufacturers and brings particular expertise in pacemakers, defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy. He is one of only two cardiologists in the group currently performing device implantation, and the primary physician anticipated to reduce his call responsibilities as he approaches the later stage of his career.

Lam Nguyen, MD Board-certified cardiologist serving the Jennings community since 2012 and recently joined Memorial Medical Group. Dr. Nguyen earned his medical degree from LSU Medical School in 1991 and completed fellowships in general cardiology at the Tulane Heart and Vascular Institute and interventional cardiology at Duke University Medical Center. He previously operated his own internal medicine practice before dedicating his career to cardiology. He practices exclusively at the Memorial Heart & Vascular Center in Jennings.

Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

J. Gregory Lugo, MD Board-certified cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon and Medical Director of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. A Stanford University and Medical College of Wisconsin graduate, Dr. Lugo completed his internship, residency, and cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Southern California. He specializes in aortic surgery, minimally invasive valve repair and replacement, peripheral vascular surgery, carotid procedures, and thoracic surgery. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and was recognized with the LCMHS Golden Stethoscope Award in October 2023. His presence in the same facility gives interventional cardiologists direct on-site surgical backup.

Advanced Practice Providers

Five nurse practitioners support the Heart & Vascular Center. Two are dedicated to outpatient clinic; three rotate between hospital rounding and clinic care. NPs operate with significant scheduling autonomy and are not assigned to specific physicians. They manage consult evaluations, patient workups, outpatient follow-up, and weekend rounding coverage but do not participate in cath lab procedures.