By Dr Mark Kennedy Specialist Physician

09/26/2009 Mark has been a Northland Specialist Physician since 1991. He is New Zealand trained, qualified as MBChB (Otago), and attained the FRACP in 1987. He is also a member of the Ascot Cardiology Group.

Mark is an experienced Internal Medicine Clinician, with expertise in the full range of adult general medical conditions. He enjoys seeing patients with mystery Illness or complex medical conditions.

Mark’s experienced and competent team prides itself on taking a patient focused approach to care.

He has a broad range of interests including ischaemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, cardiac rhythm disturbances, syncope, cardiomyopathy and heart failure, difficult hypertension, dyslipidaemia, gastro-oesophageal reflux, peptic ulcer disease and coeliac disease. He has experience in chest disease including asthma, bronchitis, COPD, cough, respiratory failure, lung cancer, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, DVT, pulmonary embolism and disordered breathing. He also cares for patients with cerebrovascular, thyroid, endocrinological, renal and liver disease, haemochromatosis, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and chronic fatigue syndrome, bacterial and viral illnesses.

He undertakes non-invasive cardiac investigation including exercise testing, exercise and Dobutamine stress echocardiogram, echocardiography, ECG, cardiac rhythm monitoring, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, electrical cardioversion, gastroscopy, liver biopsy, bronchoscopy, pleural procedures, spirometry and full lung function testing.

Mark is affiliated with Ascot Cardiology (Auckland). He is involved in the assessment of chest pain, angina, ischaemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, palpitations, rhythm disturbances, breathlessness, hypertension, dizzy turns, blackouts, heart murmur, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, cholesterol disorders and stroke.

He investigates patients with cough, breathlessness and wheeze, and cares for patients with COPD, asthma, bronchitis, bronchiectasis, deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, lung cancer, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, interstitial lung disease, disordered breathing, hyperventilation, pleurisy, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, asbestos related pleural and lung disease.

Mark undertakes both gastroscopy and liver biopsy. He is familiar with the investigation and management of heartburn, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, regurgitation, difficulty in swallowing, bloating and malabsorption. He also cares for patients with liver disease including hepatitis, fatty liver disease, alcohol relate liver disease, haemochromatosis and cirrhosis. He has expertise in the management of reflux disease (GORD), Barrett’s oesophagus, peptic ulcer disease, Helicobacter pylori, coeliac disease, iron, vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies.

Referral to Dr Kennedy is usually by way of a letter from the patient's General Practitioner.