Martin Health System | Focused On Exceptional Care | Spring 2019

martinhealth.org 5 Dr. Savage joined Cleveland Clinic Martin Health in 2018 as medical director of cardiovascular surgical services. Dr. Savage is a gradu- ate of Columbia University and Yale University Medical School, and he trained in cardiothoracic surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Dr. Savage has been in practice for 30 years. What activities do you enjoy outside of your medical practice? I go to the gym and do crossword puzzles, and I’m an avid reader of The Wall Street Journal . What led you to become a cardiothoracic surgeon? I’ve always been interested in medi- cine. I loved science and biology when I was younger. In medical school, I found cardiac physiology fascinating. Surgery allows me to use my hands. I enjoy addressing episodic conditions (temporary or occasional illnesses), rather than chronic ones (conditions that are more constant). As a surgeon who handles episodic conditions, how well do you get to know your patients? I feel that I have a closer experi- ence with my patients than many doctors due to the invasive nature of surgery. Although the proce- dures I perform may be routine, the stakes are high and things can go wrong very easily. I always try to develop a relationship with my patients by finding a common in- terest, like sports or other topics. Once the surgery is done, it’s still special surgery training I received. Once I participated in an open- heart surgery, I was hooked. What excites you about your practice? Patients place a lot of trust in their surgeon’s hands. I love to use robot- ics and other minimally invasive options that provide patients with quicker recovery times and less pain and trauma. What I love most is that patients feel better almost important for me to closely moni- tor my patients until I’m confident that their condition is stable. What have the past six months overseeing cardiovascular services at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health been like? Cardiovascular surgery is a team endeavor. There is close interaction between the surgeon and the perfu- sionist, anesthesiologist, physician assistants and nurses. As a surgeon, you have to build your team, and its performance depends on how you structure, lead and treat your team. When I arrived at Martin Health (before it became part of Cleve- land Clinic), I didn’t have to build a team, but we had to enlarge it to handle the volume of patients we would be seeing. From the start, we began operating on patients who would have been sent elsewhere just a short time ago. The care team that was in place at Martin Health was excellent. They were up to and embraced the challenge. immediately following surgery. What kind of clinical team is needed in cardiovascular surgery? As surgeons, we need a team that is experienced and confident. I also appreciate working with a team that really enjoys what they do. The team here at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health is great. We are here to provide exceptional care for our patients, and every- thing else is secondary. What led you to seek a surgical position at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health? We have family on the west coast of Florida, so we knew this was where we ultimately wanted to be. To be associated with a health care system like Cleveland Clinic, and be able to tap into the resources it can provide, was very exciting to me. Edward Savage, MD UP TO THE CHALLENGE CARDIOLOGY