Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1364218
SiG MT 88 TO YOUR HEALTH TEXT BY BENEFIS HEALTH SYSTEM Can you describe your connection to Montana and your passion for caring for its residents? Montana suggests both a place and a state of mind, a place where the natural landscape influences the loving, robust character of those who choose to call Montana home. Helping them with their cardiovascular and surgical healthcare needs is fulfilling in many ways. Each day provides a new experience in patient care, with exposure to unknown disease processes and new patients seeking relief from unidentified maladies. e greatest satisfaction and joy I derive from my practice as a cardiovascular surgeon is being afforded the opportunity to see my surgical skills and knowledge provide relief and improved health to my fellow Montanans. What procedures do you perform that are not widely available in this area? As a Heart and Vascular Institute, our team of Benefis providers strives to introduce new and vastly improved technology to northcentral Montana. e latest innovations in treatment for cardiovascular disease reduce surgical risks, shorten hospital stays, and facilitate faster recovery times. Some of these new innovations include endovascular stent graing of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms as well as robotic surgical treatments for many thoracic surgical disease processes. How long have you been a cardiovascular surgeon? What stands out in your career? I have been afforded the privilege of providing cardiovascular and thoracic surgical care for nearly three decades. I consider myself very fortunate to have had impactful experiences with many great surgeons and teachers, and perhaps my most memorable time was spent with the "father of heart surgery," Dr. Michael DeBakey, when I was chief of cardiac surgery at the DeBakey Heart Institute. We spent most of our time together discussing potential treatments and reviewing outcomes data, but the most valuable time was spent soaking up his experiences and sharing his passion for surgery. Dr. DeBakey's dedication to his patients and his cra motivated me to grow and mature as a physician and as a person, and this evolution as a surgeon intern greatly influenced the care I continue to provide today. This Great Falls Cardiovascular Surgeon Has A Track Record You Can Trust Dr. Steven Bailey is a cardiovascular surgeon at Benefis Health System. He has extensive experience in all aspects of general thoracic and vascular surgery and is an expert in a full range of traditional, diagnostic, and interventional procedures. S MT