Kevin A. Friede, MD

I became a doctor because I liked the idea of making scientific discoveries and being able to translate directly into making a difference in taking care of patients. In college and medical school, I fell in love with the heart and the cardiovascular system and the kinds of procedures that we can do to restore blood flow to the coronary arteries. I am an interventional cardiologist who performs procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndromes (heart attacks), peripheral artery disease (blockages in the leg and arm arteries), cardiogenic shock (severe heart failure), and acute pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung arteries). I meet many of my patients in the hospital when they are having a heart attack. For many people, this is the first time they are diagnosed with a serious medical condition. After our team opens the blockage causing the heart attack, there is still a lot to do, including getting patients on the right combination of medications, addressing any lifestyle changes that need to be made, and ensuring that patients have what they need to get back to their daily activities. I believe that it is very important to make sure each patient understands their condition, its treatment, and how we can work together to make sure they stay out of the hospital and the cardiac catheterization lab in the future. When I am not at work, I love listening to music, watching (and sometimes playing) soccer, and spending time with my wife and two daughters.