About Us

Founded in March of 1977, Northern Virginia Cardiology Associates (NVCA) is one of the oldest practices of its type in Northern Virginia. Originally founded by Drs. Joseph Hallal and Carl Bon Tempo, the practice has grown to become one of the largest and well-known cardiology practices in the area.  Dr. Harvey Sherber, joined Drs. Hallal and Bon Tempo in September 1977, after they had all met at Georgetown University Hospital, where they were all full-time faculty.  After additional training at Georgetown and the National Institute of Health, Drs. Hallal and Sherber worked together at Fairfax Hospital to perform the first emergency cardiac catheterization and angioplasty in the northern Virginia area.  That first heart attack patient is still alive and well today.

As leaders, concerned patient advocates, and innovators in the field, NVCA physicians quickly became known both to the local physician community as well as patients throughout the area. By holding important leadership positions in the hospital such as Chief of Cardiology, President of the Medical Staff, Chairman of the Investigational Review Board, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Director of Nuclear Cardiology, and Medical Director of the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, we have been instrumental in transforming Inova Fairfax Hospital from a small, community hospital to a nationally acclaimed heart center which stands as an epicenter, attracting cardiac patients from all over the tri-state area.  Dr. Jack Horton, who also trained at Georgetown and served on staff at Georgetown University joined the group in 1980.   Nine years later in 1989, Dr. Bryan Raybuck joined NVCA, and has become well known as an accomplished interventional cardiologist, and now serves Fairfax Hospital as the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory after replacing Dr. Joseph Hallal who had held that position from 1978 to 2001.  Attracting physicians with similar philosophies of patient care as well as up-to-date with cutting edge technology, Drs. Christine Bussey, Todd Matros, and Todd Pulerwitz have since joined Northern Virginia Cardiology Associates.  Dr. Bussey focuses on women’s heart health as well as serves as the Director of Nuclear Cardiology at Fairfax Hospital.  Dr. Todd Matros joined NVCA after completing his training in New York City and serves as the director of NVCA’s noninvasive laboratory.  Dr. Todd Pulerwitz joined our practice in 2006 having followed Dr. Bussey from Johns Hopkins Hospital and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where they both completed their post-medical school training. Dr. Pulerwitz brings additional cardiac imaging experience such as Cardiac CT Angiography as well as having participated in national research protocols focusing on valvular heart disease. Dr. Tina Slottow most recently joined us in January 2009. Dr. Slottow specializes in interventional cardiology performing both cardiac and vascular procedures.

Our cardiovascular physicians are trained to perform invasive and non-invasive diagnostic procedures such as cardiac catheterization, echocardiography, arrhythmia monitoring, nuclear cardiology imaging and stress testing, cardiac CT, vascular ultrasound, and transesophageal echocardiography.  We additionally perform interventions such as coronary angioplasty and stenting, balloon valvuloplasty, and peripheral arterial angioplasty and stenting.