POTSDAM -- Board certified cardiologist Dr. Ricardo Benenstein, MD, FASE, FACC, has joined the medical staff of St. Lawrence Health System’s Canton-Potsdam Hospital.

His office is in the Leroy Outpatient Center on the main campus at Canton-Potsdam Hospital, 50 Leroy St.

Dr. Benenstein is a fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography (FASE), and a fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC). He is American Board of Internal Medicine certified in cardiovascular disease, and internal medicine; National Board of Echocardiography Board certified in adult comprehensive echocardiography; and board certified in cardiovascular computer tomography, and nuclear cardiology.

“Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States today. It takes more lives in one year than car accidents and cancer combined. I can’t stress enough how important it is to take heart disease preventive actions,” Dr. Benenstein said. “It is very important to treat and control cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, among others, at earlier stages to delay the progression of cardiovascular diseases.”

Dr. Benenstein noted St. Lawrence Health System is a fast-growing organization that has become the regional center for enhancing access to healthcare, and he is excited to be practicing medicine here. Having spent the majority of his career in metropolitan areas, Dr. Benenstein said he actually likes the pace of a small community. “I like the fact I will come to know people on a first-name basis, and the nature in this area is outstanding,” he stated

Dr. Benenstein underwent a cardiovascular fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami, Fla., and a cardiac imaging fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. He earned his medical degree at Facultad de Medicina, Montevideo, Uruguay, and completed his internal medicine residency at New York University Downtown Hospital, New York, N.Y.

He has served as an instructor/assistant professor at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Hofstra-NS-LIJ School of Medicine, and New York University School of Medicine. He has written and edited publications, given national and international presentations, and received numerous awards. He is a member of the American College of Cardiology, American Society of Echocardiography, American Heart Association, and Society of Vascular Medicine.

As a cardiologist, Dr. Benenstein has expertise in all areas of adult cardiology, including coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, adult congenital heart disease, arrhythmias, and preventive cardiology.

For more information on Dr. Ricardo Benenstein, visit https://www.stlawrencehealthsystem.org/providers/ricardo-benenstein.