Steven E. Kelley is determined to improve the Baton Rouge community from the inside out. As an interventional cardiologist, Kelley performs sophisticated procedures that use a thin tube to repair structural problems in the arteries that slow or stop blood flow to the heart.
Kelley became attracted to the specialty for two reasons. “I had family members and friends that suffered from cardiovascular diseases, and I wanted to prevent it, to help and give them cutting-edge treatment. I also like interventional cardiology because there are two sides to it. [Sometimes] you have time to work the patient up and put together a plan. There’s also the acute care, when the patient is having a heart attack and you intervene immediately.”
While Kelley is highly skilled in high-tech treatments, his heart lies in prevention. ”[Cardiologists] are good at technological procedures,” he says, “but we have to get more involved in exercise and diet.” More than taking care of his own patients, Kelley’s concern extends to the greater community. “I know I can’t treat everyone,” he says, “but I can educate people about cardiovascular diseases and effect a change within my practice and my community as a whole.”
The community’s overall low educational level and high incidence of heart disease and obesity does not discourage the Cotton Plant, Ark., native. Instead, Kelley says the deficits provide an even greater opportunity to make a difference.
His approach is evangelical and urgent. Kelley’s experiences as a private practitioner, Baton Rouge General Medical Center chief of cardiology and medical director of the King David Baptist Church health care ministry have proven education has the potential to create a healthier population. “You work hard to educate the entire population about health care and what’s available, so people are better able to take care of themselves,” he says.
Kelley also believes patients reap the greatest health benefits when doctors address more than physical condition. “When I visit with patients, we have a long discussion. Then, they actually believe in themselves,” he says. “For example, I asked a lady to walk 45 minutes a day and just think about her diet. When she came back, she had lost 70 pounds. It does not happen every day, but it does happen often enough. As physicians, we need to motivate people to believe in themselves.”
Age: 39
What is your best business advice?
“Get up early. Stay up late. I really mean that you have to work hard. You have to work smart. You also have to play hard. You’ve got to balance. You’ve got to go at it tough every day.”
Click here for the complete list of 2008's Forty Under 40 winners.
Comments
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)