Thomas Deering

Dr. Deering is a cardiac electrophysiologist at the Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta where he serves as Chief of the Arrhythmia Center, Chairman of the Clinical Centers for Excellence and Chief Quality Officer. He also serves as the chair of the Cardiac Governance Council for Piedmont Healthcare. He has participated in a variety of volunteer and leadership roles for the Heart Rhythm Society, functioning as president between May 2018 and May 2019. His research and clinical interests are focused on creating and implementing quality initiatives and programs in cardiac electrophysiology and cardiovascular medicine. Dr. Deering has served as a speaker and moderator at national and international electrophysiology and cardiology meetings; has authored and co-authored numerous publications addressing cardiac arrhythmia and cardiovascular quality issues; has coordinated and continues to participate in a number of cardiac electrophysiology arrhythmia research projects and serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for multiple cardiac electrophysiology and general cardiac journals. Dr. Deering earned his medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine. After finishing his post-graduate training at Yale he completed his cardiac electrophysiology fellowship at Tufts New England Medical Center. He has previously been a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and at present is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia and the Mark E. Silverman, M.D. Educational Chair.

Dr. Sandeep K. Goyal, MD, FHRS, FACC is a board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist and Medical Director of the Electrophysiology Laboratories at Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. He specializes in advanced management of cardiac arrhythmias, with a focus on atrial fibrillation ablation, pulsed-field ablation technologies, intracardiac echocardiography–guided procedures, cardiac implantable devices, and left atrial appendage occlusion. Dr. Goyal is an active clinical investigator and national speaker, with a strong interest in innovation, workflow optimization, and the strategic growth of electrophysiology programs.

Dr. Michael J Riley earned his medical degree at Georgetown University. He completed Internal Medicine residency at Wasington University in St. Louis/Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Cardiovascular Disease fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, OH, and EP fellowship training at Emory University. He is a Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Wellstar Cardiovascular Medicine in Marietta, GA.

Brett Gidney, MD, is a cardiac electrophysiologist specializing in the treatment of atrial fibrillation and other complex heart rhythm disorders. He is one of the highest-volume atrial fibrillation ablation operators in the United States and has personally performed more than 1,500 left atrial appendage closure procedures.

Dr. Gidney previously practiced at UCLA and is now with Pacific Central Coast Health Centers and CommonSpirit Health, where he provides electrophysiology services at Marian Regional Medical Center and French Hospital Medical Center on California’s Central Coast.

He has helped build nationally recognized atrial fibrillation and left atrial appendage closure programs, including centers designated for excellence in AF care and Watchman implantation. Dr. Gidney is particularly interested in improving procedural safety, expanding access to advanced rhythm care, and developing scalable systems for high-volume electrophysiology practice.