Boothapuri Venkatesh, FACC, MD

Biography

What led you to pursue a career in cardiology? In medical school while rotating through different specialties, I found the cardiology rotation to be the most fulfilling. It was gratifying to see many patients come in very ill and get dramatically better by the time of discharge. Cardiology is also a field with many procedures and technology that require skills to be mastered, and I found those interesting.

Why do you enjoy working for St. Luke’s? What I really love about working at St. Luke’s are the people. They are genuine, compassionate, caring and highly competent professionals. The work atmosphere is friendly and collegial. We have a supportive administration that allows us to have the latest, top-notch equipment to stay on the cutting edge of cardiology. We are also provided with time and resources to undergo training in the rapidly expanding innovative fields of heart and vascular care.

In addition, I am incredibly impressed by the quality of my colleagues. Every single one of them is at the top of their field, and we work together as a team. It's a pleasure to work with such knowledgeable and dedicated professionals.

Year started at St. Luke's? 2005

What’s your proudest moment at St. Luke’s? Receiving a Guardian Angel award from a patient was one. There are many proud moments when patients’ lives are saved, and it is a team effort.

What’s the biggest thing you learned from caring for patients/what do our patients teach you? One of the most important things I’ve learned is to listen to patients; they'll tell you their diagnosis. Patients have implicit trust in us, and we have to live up to their high expectations. We need to listen and understand what they’re really trying to tell us, show compassion, be on the cutting-edge of medicine and treat the whole person.

What do you believe makes St. Luke’s stand out in terms of heart care and other services? St. Luke's has an edge over others in our region in having a large team of cardiologists and a wide range of sub-specialties within cardiology. We have accredited echocardiography, vascular and nuclear labs.  We also have vascular specialists, electrophysiologists, structural cardiologists, heart failure cardiologists and interventionalists on our team. At St. Luke’s, we know our patients are going to receive the best care in every aspect of cardiology.

I am the director of our Vascular Lab which has been fully accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), has dedicated personnel and state-of-the-art instruments. Our Vascular Lab Technical Director Pat Walheim is exceptional, with over 35 years in this field. She is an extraordinary teacher, and many budding vascular sonographers learn in our lab.

What are words you live by as a St. Luke’s team member? Treat patients as family, which aligns perfectly with our mission statement, “To give the healthcare we’d like our loved ones to receive.” I try to put myself in the place of the patient and think, “what would I want done for myself?”

Describe your family: My wife is an accountant by training, but right now she's a homemaker. We have two children: my son is a second-year medical student, and my daughter has a bachelor's in psychology and has taken a gap year.

What do you like to do in your free time/for fun? Hiking is my favorite activity. I try to get a walk in a beautiful park close to home, most days. I have been to Yosemite, Sedona and the Grand Canyon for hikes and travelled to Patagonia twice. I also dabble in photography.

One last message for the community: St. Luke's Heart and Vascular Center is the center of excellence. We have dedicated and passionate people who provide compassionate care. Everything we do centers around what’s best for the patient. When you come to St. Luke's, you're going to see some of the best trained physicians in the country.