Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Bailey.
Hi Charles, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I remember knowing that I wanted to be a doctor even as a little kid, probably no older than 10 or 11. I’ve just always wanted to help and care for people. I think I understood, even at that young age, that I would not be just a collector of knowledge but a practitioner of it. I have great admiration and appreciation for those who devote their lives to research and certainly benefit from the resulting innovation every day. However, the real joy of medicine for me is in the application of knowledge and skill to connect with people and improve lives. Even with that strong sense of professional calling, I have to admit that the rigor and pace of medical school and training did, from time to time, cause me to question my choice. Fortunately, those doubts were short-lived, and when the future seemed less clear, they actually served as catalysts for me to reexamine and recommit to my true passion of helping others. I was initially very unfocused in my desire to put that passion into practice. I loved the idea of caring for children. I loved the idea of caring for the elderly. I loved the idea of caring for families throughout the entire spectrum of life. Like a kid in a candy shop, I was genuinely excited about all the possibilities and found it challenging to decide on just one path. I began to define that path a little as I progressed through medical school. I remember an experience I had during my 3rd year surgical rotation that, looking back now, seems rather unremarkable. In fact, it was more of a revelation that I experienced while observing and learning about the routine work of internists caring for their patients. I read a note in the chart of a patient with a particularly complicated and difficult to manage electrolyte imbalance. It read like a map, clearly outlining the complex chemistry, treatments, responses and further recommendations. The science, so painstakingly detailed on the paper beautifully gave way to the art of healing realized in the person. That interplay of art and science immediately drew me toward pursuing a career in Internal Medicine, with a subspecialty in Nephrology.
However, as most well-intentioned plans do, mine soon changed when my father suffered a heart attack. I remember talking to the cardiologist about my dad’s care. As a physician, I had the benefit of understanding the medical terms and concepts he discussed. But as my father’s son, I just felt overwhelmed and afraid. In that moment of feeling so helpless, I realized what I was meant to do. I was meant to help people care for and protect their hearts. I understood that I would be with patients and their families through some of the most painful and vulnerable times in their lives. I was meant to help patients, like my dad, who have had a heart attack, understand the physical and emotional toll it can take and navigate the aftermath of that trauma. I felt called to educate and counsel people in efforts to prevent debilitating cardiovascular disease and to alleviate pain and restore function when disease can’t be prevented. That was the beginning of what has become a very rewarding career in Interventional Cardiology.
One of the highlights of my career has been pioneering the interventional cardiology program in New Braunfels. I was the only Interventionalist in New Braunfels when I began practicing there in 2005. In fact, I performed the first coronary intervention done there–placing a stent in a coronary artery. After working to meet the community need for Interventional Cardiology in New Braunfels for seven years, I set out to establish a practice in San Antonio which would primarily utilize ambulatory surgical centers for outpatient cardiovascular procedures. This practice model incurs lower costs to patients and the medical industry as a whole.
In January 2021, I joined my long-time friend and colleague, Dr. Nima Amjadi, in Austin where we have established a state-of-the-art private practice dedicated to the provision of cost-effective, high-quality, outpatient services. We take a very detailed approach, keeping our patients at the center of every decision we make.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Nothing worth doing is easy. Adversity and struggles should be expected. They are the catalysts for true learning and growth. Of course, I have experienced struggle in my career, just as I have in all meaningful aspects of my life. That is the same for every one of us. We can lie down and be buried by those hardships or we can use each one as a stepping stone toward new heights. Perspective is what makes all the difference.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Dr. Charles Bailey has been practicing Comprehensive Cardiology for over 16 years. In January of 2021, he, along with his best friend, opened their own private, independent, comprehensive cardiology practice in Austin called Heart Endovascular and Rhythm of Texas (HEART). In addition to comprehensive general cardiology, he is a trained Interventional Cardiologist who performs both coronary and peripheral interventions. The concept of this practice is a unique, patient-centered, cost-effective approach, offering same-day patient appointments as needed and outpatient services for peripheral vascular and cardiovascular patients.
Below are the outpatient services that HEART offers:
Echocardiogram
Stress Echocardiography
Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)
Holter Monitoring Devices
Mobile Continuous Telemetry
Carotid Doppler
Abdominal Aortic Ultrasound
Venous Studies
Arterial Dopplers
Nuclear Studies – with same week availability
Chemical Stress Tests – Myocardial Perfusion – Treadmill or Lexiscan
PET/CT Studies
Sleep Studies – At Home Sleep Studies – study results delivered within 1 week of study completion
They have 3 locations – Dripping Springs, South Austin, and Lakeway. The website is www.heartdoc.care, in case you want to check us out. You can also find us on social media: Facebook and Instagram – @heartdocaustin
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Deepening understanding of disease processes and the rapid development of new technologies make this both a difficult and exciting time in medicine. We are able to stabilize, repair and cure illnesses we once thought were impossible to overcome. Unfortunately, these incredible technological advances come with a price tag. The ever-expanding costs of medicine has made it difficult to meet the needs of much of the uninsured and underinsured population. I believe in the next 5-10 years, we will make a concerted effort to prioritize preventative measures. Primary prevention of modifiable disease states to prevent secondary outcomes will have a positive impact on millions of Americans. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, tobacco use and obesity are the first hurdles we must overcome. Six of the top eight leading causes of death are attributable to these modifiable risk factors and co-morbid conditions. This even includes COVID-19, which has been a stark reminder of how poorly we, as the wealthiest country in the world, are at addressing preventative care. Since the 1st balloon angioplasty in 1977, cardiovascular technologies have exploded. No arena has seen a greater advance in technology in the past 45 years, and yet cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death in America. Benjamin Franklin addressing the City of Brotherly Love said it best: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Although he was referring to the many fires impacting the city of Philadelphia at the time, his words have proven prophetic within the field of medicine. I hope we will light our own fire over the next ten years.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@heartdoc.care
- Website: www.heartdoc.care
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartdocaustin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartdocaustin
