Meet Our Staff
Our friendly and Karing staff is looking forward to meeting your healthcare needs. Take a minute to get to know the people you will see when you visit Karing Hearts Cardiology.

Dr. Jeff Schoondyke
MD, MPH, FACC, CCDS
Psychology from Northern Arizona University in 1992, his master’s degree in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from The University of Oklahoma in 1995, and finally he earned his medical degree from St. George’s University in 1999. He is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease and is recognized by the Heart Rhythm Society of America as a Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (CCDS). He currently performs a number of both office and hospital based procedures including right and left heart catheterization, pacemaker and defibrillator implantation, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms, carotid ultrasound, coronary CTA interpretation, nuclear stress test interpretation, venous ablation and consultative services in both the hospital and his office. He has authored multiple scientific papers that appear in numerous peer reviewed medical journals and he has participated in several national clinical trials for the development of new pharmaceuticals. Dr. Schoondyke is currently an active medical staff member at the Johnson City Medical Center, Franklin Woods Community Hospital and Sycamore Shoals Community Hospital.

Dr. Erasme Coly
MD
and residency at the State University of New York, Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York and he completed his fellowship in cardiology at the University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Coly also trained in Interventional Cardiology and Peripheral Interventions at the Cardiovascular Institute of the South in Houma/Lafayette, Louisiana. He is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease, licensed in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Dr. Coly’s area of expertise include clinical cardiology, electrocardiograms (ECG), holter monitoring, stress testing, echocardiography (transthoracic and transesophageal), right and left heart catheterization, peripheral angiography, pacemaker implantation, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation and nuclear cardiology. Dr. Coly is currently an active medical staff member at the Johnson City Medical Center, Franklin Woods Community Hospital and Sycamore Shoals Community Hospital. He enjoys watching sports and documentaries on TV, gardening, fishing and hunting.

Dr. Kamesh Sivagnanam
(Dr. Siv)
MD
He was both chief resident and chief fellow during his training. He is board certified in cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear imaging, coronary computed tomography angiogram (CTA) and vascular imaging. He performs multiple procedures including right and left heart catheterization, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, electrocardiograms (ECG), holter monitoring, stress testing, peripheral vascular studies, coronary CTAs, pacemaker and loop recorder implantations and venous ablations. Dr. Siv is an active medical staff member at the Johnson City Medical Center, Franklin Woods Community Hospital and Sycamore Shoals Community Hospital.

Dr. Nikoloz Koshkelashvili
(Dr. Nik)
MD

Julie Bentley
FNP-BC
full scholarship to the University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill where she completed her Master of Science in nursing in the Family Nurse Practitioner Program (2008). She then moved back to Tennessee and began her career as a nurse practitioner at Heart and Vascular, where she trained and worked with Dr. Schoondyke before joining him at Karing Hearts Cardiology.
Early in her healthcare career, Julie developed a passion for cardiac care in the front lines of the Emergency Department. She was excited to take her experience back to her hometown in East Tennessee and work as a nurse practitioner in a cardiac specialty where she would continue to learn and grow. Julie loves cardiology, in part, because it is a field that is constantly advancing, offering new and improved therapies that can not only save lives but also, in many instances, improve quality of life for patients and their families. She has a special interest in the management of heart failure but enjoys and has an interest in all aspects of general cardiology practice.
Outside of work, Julie enjoys days spent outdoors with her family and friends, especially at the lake. She and her family also have a love for international travel. Whether it is a day at the hospital, the office or a leisurely day off, Julie likes to start her morning with a good cup of coffee.

April Reece
FNP-C
Medical Center and Sycamore Shoals Hospital. In 2015, April received her Master of Science in nursing (family nurse practitioner) from East Tennessee State University. After, she worked as a hospitalist in internal medicine before joining the Karing Hearts Cardiology family. She provides professional cardiology care for men and women of all ages; her special interests focus on atrial fibrillation and preventative cardiac testing. She is an active member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). April, her husband, Aaron, and their son, Dawson, enjoy camping and cruising. She also enjoys riding alongside Aaron on their many motorcycle adventures.

Whitney Pyles
FNP-BC
clinic leader. She is a 2008 graduate of Milligan College where she received her Bachelor of Science in nursing. She then decided to continue her education and obtained her Master of Science in nursing (a family nurse practitioner) from King University in 2017. She grew up in Asheville, North Carolina but after graduating from Milligan College and meeting her husband, Seth, they settled down in Jonesborough, Tennessee. They are the loving parents of their son, Rowan, and love to spend time with extended family, playing cards or board games, camping and doing whatever their son wants to do. Whitney’s clinical interests include coronary artery disease, specifically post-myocardial infarction and percutaneous coronary intervention, focused on overall health and risk factor modification and prevention. She looks forward to serving the Tri-Cities.

Alisha Houseright
FNP-C
Alisha is originally from Kingsport, TN. She graduated from Milligan University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, magna cum laude. During her nursing career she worked cardiovascular intensive care unit at Johnson City Medical Center (JCMC) andMission Hospital in Asheville, as well as neuro/trauma intensive care unit at Holston Valley Medical Center (HVMC) and Fort Sanders Hospital in Knoxville. She graduated with her Master of Science in nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner from Chamberlain University in 2022 and excitedly joined the Karing Hearts Team.
Before she even began her healthcare career, Alisha had a passion for cardiology. She is close to her grandfather who has heart failure, which lead her to start researching the cardiovascular system. When she started her nursing journey, she always loved learning about the heart, and focused on cardiology in much of her career. She loves caring for patients and finds that she can empathize with them and their families and finds it rewarding.She lives in Kingsport with her three beautiful girls. Outside of work she enjoys activities with her children, yoga, time with family and friends, and warm sunny days.
