Your Care Team
Welcome to Cherry Creek Heart
At Cherry Creek Heart, each and every member of our care team has a personalized and patient-oriented philosophy to your care. You're not being rushed through by a large hospital system. We treat you as if you were family.
Your Care Team
Who We Are
Dr. Payal Kohli, MD, FACC
Founder & Medical Director, Cherry Creek Heart
Associate Adjunct Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Associate Adjunct Professor, Duke University
Dr. Payal Kohli is a noninvasive cardiologist, preventive Cardiologist and founding partner of Cherry Creek Heart in Denver, Colorado. She is also an Associate Adjunct Professor in the Cardiology Division of Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University and at Duke University. Dr. Kohli earned her undergraduate degree from MIT with a perfect GPA and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School, magna cum laude. She completed her Internal Medicine training at Harvard Medical School/Brigham & Women’s Hospital and her Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship and Preventive Cardiology Fellowship and Echo Fellowship from University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She completed a clinical trials fellowship from Harvard Medical School/TIMI Study Group. She has had dozens of publications and is an international key opinion leader in Cardiology and Cardiovascular Prevention. She is the winner of the distinguished awards as the American College of Cardiology Colorado "Cardiologist of the Year" and "Gifted Educator of the Year", and is a 5280 Top Doc. In her free time, she loves to travel and spend time with her niece and nephew.
303-364-1057
Sarah Jacobs, PA-C
Sarah Jacobs, PA-C, originally from Indiana, comes to Cherry Creek Heart experienced in cardiac care. She earned her undergraduate degree at IUPUI Indianapolis in Health and Rehabilitation Science. She graduated top of her class while playing D1 collegiate soccer. She went on to complete her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies at Indiana University. From there, she acquired her cardiology experience at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. In every year of hire, she was recognized as a top performing provider in patient satisfaction surveys in the category of “Most Likely to Recommend Provider.” She is passionate in preventive cardiology and loves to hike, ski, and play pickleball in her free time.
303-364-1057
Khadra Zakariya
Medical Assistant
Khadra is a dedicated healthcare professional with over two years of experience as a Medical Assistant. She has worked with diverse patient populations and thrive in fast-paced, team-oriented environments. Her passion for helping others has inspired her to pursue her Registered Nurse (RN) degree. She is eager to continue expanding her knowledge, challenging her skills, and growing both personally and professionally within the medical field.
303-364-1057 || khadra@cherrycreekheart.com
Hope Hanks
Echo Technician
Hope Hanks RCS is a registered cardiac sonographer with four years of experience in patient care. She has achieved her sonography certification from Cardiac and Vascular Institute of Ultrasound in Mobile, Alabama. Being originally from Colorado, Hope strives to serve her community by caring for patients at Dr. Kohli’s office and has a drive for not only cardiac ultrasound, but patient care as well. In Hope’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and trying new foods.
303-364-1057
Michael Watts
Echo Technician
Michael is a multi-modality sonographer with 8 years of experience in diagnostic ultrasound imaging. Originally from Texas, he earned a Bachelors from The University of Texas before going on to complete an Associate of Diagnostic Medical Sonography at Amarillo College and a Master of Healthcare Administration at Louisiana State University. Upon completing his education, he was recruited for a position in Denver which has been his home since. While he has a variety of experience in the field of ultrasound, he has spent the past five years performing high quality cardiovascular ultrasound studies in an accredited cardiac imaging lab and he continuously strives to provide the best possible care for his patients. When he is not working, you can usually find him paddle boarding, playing with his pets, or cooking up something fun in the kitchen.
303-364-1057
Azeem Ahmad
Practice Biller
Azeem is a dedicated Medical Billing & Revenue Cycle specialist supporting Cherry Creek Heart with complete billing operations. He manages eligibility, claims, denials, AR follow-ups, and patient billing with accuracy and consistency. Known for clear communication and strong follow-through, Azeem focuses on clean claims, faster payments, and smooth revenue flow. His goal is simple: protect the practice’s financial health with reliable, transparent, and efficient billing.
303-364-1057
Kevin Lee Manzanas
Office Manager
Kevin Lee Manzanas has attained his Bachelor of Science in Psychology in the Philippines and has a strong background in technology and customer service. He supervises all operations and logistics at Cherry Creek Heart. He is polite, friendly and always ready and willing to take on a challenge.
303-364-1057