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Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD

(Timothy Charles Nichols, MD)

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Specializes in: Cardiology (Heart Disease), General Practice and Pathology

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine (1978)

Professional interests include: coronary angioplasty (PTCA), coronary artery disease, cardiac catheterization, and more.

100 Eastowne Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

(984) 974-7244

Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD is a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC specializing in cardiology (heart disease), general practice and pathology. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine in 1978 and has 48 years of experience. Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD is affiliated with UNC Health and UNC Hospitals.

Office Locations

100 Eastowne Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

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Some issues Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD can help you with:

Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac catheterization is a procedure done to check on the health of the heart. A tiny, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel through a very small opening, usually in the groin, and threaded through the blood vessel up to the heart. Once the catheter is in place, it can diagnose problems in the heart and perform certain corrective procedures.

A coronary catheter can be used to:

Take blood samples
Inject dye for an angiogram
Check for valve defects
Measure oxygen and pressure levels within the heart chambers
Take a biopsy
Perform a percutaneous coronary intervention, or procedure to clear blocked arteries
Widen narrowed valve openings

Because all of this can be accomplished without the need for open surgery, cardiac catheterization has become a popular option.

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. It happens when the blood vessels carrying blood to the heart, called coronary arteries, narrow and harden. This occurs when cholesterol, a type of fat found in the blood, builds up to form plaque, which sticks to the inner walls of the arteries. As plaque accumulates, less blood can flow through the arteries, which may lead to the following:

Angina, which is chest pain that occurs when the heart does not receive enough blood flow.
Heart attack, which happens if the arteries leading to the heart are completely blocked.
Arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, which can develop if the heart does not have enough blood supply.
Heart failure, which may occur if a heart attack damages the heart and it becomes too weak to pump enough blood to the rest of the body.

Certain factors may increase risk for the disease, like smoking, lack of exercise, being overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. CAD tends to develop over decades, so it can go undetected until it has become quite severe. A diagnosis may be established using such tests as:

Electrocardiogram (ECG), which records the heart's electrical activity over a period of time. ECGs can detect whether there is enough blood flow to the heart or if a heart attack has occurred.
Echocardiogram (echo), which creates images of the heart using sound waves. Echos can show whether the heart is able to pump blood normally.
Stress tests, where an ECG or echo is combined with exercise, like riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill. This test is done to find out if the heart can function properly while performing a strenuous activity.

Treatments for the disease include medications such as vasodilators, like nitroglycerin, which dilates (widens) the coronary arteries. CAD may also be treated by a procedure called angioplasty with stent placement, where a balloon is inflated inside a diseased artery to flatten the plaque deposits against the artery walls, creating more room for blood to flow.

In some severe cases of the disease, multiple arteries may be blocked, and an open heart surgery called coronary artery bypass surgery may be necessary. This operation transplants a vessel from another part of the body to form a graft that goes past the narrowed arteries, thus enabling blood to flow around those arteries.

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 5%

By Volume:

inpatient hospital care

In 2023, Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD performed more inpatient hospital care (for patient admitted to hospital) procedures for Medicare patients than 95% of providers in related specialties within North Carolina.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2012 were hospital care, inpatient care and outpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	42
hospital care	292
inpatient care	271
outpatient care	21

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2013 were hospital care, inpatient care and outpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	36
hospital care	231
inpatient care	219
outpatient care	12

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	279
Female	253

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	367
Black	138
Hispanic	11
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	185
From 75 to 84	121
85 and over	76
Less than 65	150

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2013

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	65
Depression	41
Chronic Kidney Disease	53
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	33
Heart Failure	50
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	30
Diabetes	40
Dementia	17
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2014 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	33
hospital care	353
inpatient care	353

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	212
Female	211

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	287
Black	113
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	134
From 75 to 84	89
85 and over	58
Less than 65	142

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2014

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	64
Depression	38
Chronic Kidney Disease	57
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	33
Heart Failure	52
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	30
Diabetes	50
Dementia	14
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2015 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	42
hospital care	394
inpatient care	394

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	574
Female	552

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	748
Black	322
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	24
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	364
From 75 to 84	276
85 and over	152
Less than 65	334

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2015

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	66
Depression	39
Chronic Kidney Disease	57
Asthma	28
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	34
Heart Failure	53
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	31
Diabetes	45
Dementia	20
Cancer	16

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2016 were hospital care, inpatient care and outpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	48
hospital care	310
inpatient care	294
outpatient care	16

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	325
Female	311

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	426
Black	177
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	13
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	222
From 75 to 84	138
85 and over	69
Less than 65	207

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2016

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	62
Depression	39
Chronic Kidney Disease	62
Asthma	38
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	32
Heart Failure	52
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	32
Diabetes	46
Dementia	23
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2017 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	32
hospital care	273
inpatient care	273

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	384
Female	324

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	496
Black	175
Hispanic	17
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	250
From 75 to 84	155
85 and over	103
Less than 65	200

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2017

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	63
Depression	41
Chronic Kidney Disease	61
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	33
Heart Failure	52
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	30
Diabetes	42
Dementia	24
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2018 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	15
hospital care	247
inpatient care	247

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	314
Female	303

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	411
Black	165
Hispanic	14
Asian	0
Other	14
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	206
From 75 to 84	155
85 and over	79
Less than 65	177

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2018

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	65
Depression	45
Chronic Kidney Disease	60
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	24
Heart Failure	46
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	30
Diabetes	43
Dementia	28
Cancer	16

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2019 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	12
hospital care	194
inpatient care	194

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	183
Female	147

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	241
Black	69
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	111
From 75 to 84	96
85 and over	44
Less than 65	79

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2019

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	15
Ischemic Heart Disease	67
Depression	46
Chronic Kidney Disease	60
Asthma	15
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	28
Heart Failure	52
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	34
Diabetes	44
Dementia	30
Cancer	17

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2020 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	12
hospital care	114
inpatient care	114

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	132
Female	99

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	163
Black	51
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	85
From 75 to 84	60
85 and over	26
Less than 65	60

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2020

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	70
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	65
Depression	44
Chronic Kidney Disease	62
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	23
Heart Failure	51
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	32
Diabetes	45
Dementia	25
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2021 were hospital care, inpatient care and outpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

hospital care	179
inpatient care	168
outpatient care	11

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	300
Female	262

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	404
Black	118
Hispanic	19
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	201
From 75 to 84	157
85 and over	84
Less than 65	120

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2021

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	57
Depression	39
Chronic Kidney Disease	62
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	48
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	25
Diabetes	42
Dementia	33
Cancer	17

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2022 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

hospital care	91
inpatient care	91

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	221
Female	210

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	299
Black	93
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	20
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	158
From 75 to 84	120
85 and over	65
Less than 65	88

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2022

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	19
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	38
Chronic Kidney Disease	47
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	14
Atrial Fibrilation	39
Heart Failure	44
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	27
Diabetes	47
Dementia	26
Cancer	19

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2023 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC during 2023 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	13
hospital care	30
inpatient care	30

2023 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	79
Female	76

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	113
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	61
From 75 to 84	43
85 and over	24
Less than 65	27

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD in 2023

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	17
Ischemic Heart Disease	53
Depression	32
Chronic Kidney Disease	41
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	19
Atrial Fibrilation	39
Heart Failure	39
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	30
Diabetes	40
Dementia	22
Cancer	17

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2023

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated as a cardiologist in Chapel Hill, NC were hospital care, inpatient care and outpatient care.

doctor visit	28
hospital care	225
inpatient care	220
outpatient care	15

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2023

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD.

**Gender**
Male	250
Female	229

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	118
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	329
Hispanic	5
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Other	5

**Age**
75 to 84	117
85 and over	65
Less than 65	132
65 to 74	164

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD From 2012 - 2023

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

Hypertension	68
High Cholesterol	60
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	56
Depression	36
Chronic Kidney Disease	51
Asthma	14
Osteoporosis	10
Heart Failure	44
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	27
Diabetes	40
Atrial Fibrillation	28
Cancer	14
Dementia	21

Education & Training

Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine in 1978. He completed residency at University of North Carolina (UNC) Affiliated Hospitals. He is certified by the Internal Medicine, Board Certified and has a state license in North Carolina.

Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine (1978)

Residency: University of North Carolina (UNC) Affiliated Hospitals (1981)

Board Certification: Internal Medicine, Board Certified (1982)

Licensed In: North Carolina

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

UNC Health

UNC Hospitals

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: WellCare, AmeriHealth Caritas, Aetna, Humana, Cigna, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina (BCBSNC), MedCost, UnitedHealthcare, Carolina Complete Health, Liberty Advantage, Contigo Health, Veterans Affairs, Medicare Advantage, United Healthcare, Medicaid, OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions (United Behavioral Health), CHAMPVA, Centene, Group Health Plan (GHP), HealthTeam Advantage, MedCost PPO, FirstCarolinaCare Insurance Company Group Health Plans, North Carolina State Health Plan, Atlantic (Packaging) Corporation, Inc. (administered by Lucent Health), BCBSNC Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance (Blue Home with Novant Health is out of network), FirstCarolinaCare FirstMedicare Direct, Contigo Health Plan (WakeMed employees only) (out-of-network beginning January 1, 2026), Aetna Premier Care Network Plus (APCN+) (Tier 2), BCBSNC Group Health Plans (except for Blue High Performance Network (BlueHPN)), Aetna Whole Health (Tier 2), Meritain Health, an Aetna Company, Longevity Health Plan I-SNP and Veterans Affairs Community Care Network.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

WellCare

AmeriHealth Caritas

Aetna

Humana

Cigna

BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina (BCBSNC)

MedCost

UnitedHealthcare

Carolina Complete Health

Liberty Advantage

Contigo Health

Veterans Affairs

Medicare Advantage

United Healthcare

Medicaid

OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions (United Behavioral Health)

CHAMPVA

Centene

Group Health Plan (GHP)

HealthTeam Advantage

MedCost PPO

FirstCarolinaCare Insurance Company Group Health Plans

North Carolina State Health Plan

Atlantic (Packaging) Corporation, Inc. (administered by Lucent Health)

BCBSNC Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance (Blue Home with Novant Health is out of network)

FirstCarolinaCare FirstMedicare Direct

Contigo Health Plan (WakeMed employees only) (out-of-network beginning January 1, 2026)

Aetna Premier Care Network Plus (APCN+) (Tier 2)

BCBSNC Group Health Plans (except for Blue High Performance Network (BlueHPN))

Aetna Whole Health (Tier 2)

Meritain Health, an Aetna Company

Longevity Health Plan I-SNP

Veterans Affairs Community Care Network

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	$2,541 $2,541
Novo Nordisk AS	$182 NovoSeven RT $89	$93
Allergan Inc.	$38 LINZESS $38

**Types of Payments**
Royalty or License	$2,541
Food and Beverage	$220

Research Payments

Dr. Timothy C. Nichols, MD has received 51 research payments totaling $1,759,776.

Biography

Dr. Timothy Nichols is a specialist in general practice, cardiology (heart disease), and pathology in Chapel Hill, NC. Dr. Nichols's areas of expertise include coronary angioplasty (PTCA), coronary artery disease, and von willebrand disease. He usually is in-network for UnitedHealthcare, Blue California, and Coventry, as well as other insurance carriers. After completing medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine, he performed his residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of North Carolina (UNC). He is professionally affiliated with UNC Hospitals. UNC Health reports that Dr. Nichols is not accepting new patients.