Dr. “Ken” Shankar arrived in Schenectady in 1973 as chief of Cardiology at Ellis Hospital. He was graduated first in his class at Mysore Medical College. He trained in Internal Medicine at the Edinburgh College of Medicine in the United Kingdom.
He was the first Cardiologist to offer cardiac catheterization to Schenectady patients. He initially performed these at the Albany VA Hospital. He was instrumental in creating a Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Ellis Hospital. He started a private practice in Schenectady in 1976. He was affiliated with Drs. Setty and Goel prior to forming a solo practice. He was a dedicating, caring and compassionate physician. He was beloved by his patients and colleagues. In addition to his clinical expertise he was the first to offer color flow Doppler in the area.
He was a member of Cardiology Associates from 1996 until his retirement in 2008 . Dr. Shankar passed away in 2015 at age 85.