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Dr. Shea Hailey N oted C ardiologist N amed ECCC A lumnus of the Y ear

Bill Wagnon, who serves as vice president for public information at ECCC and is also a patient of Dr. Hailey, said, “He is not only an excellent physician, he’s a kind and caring individual who starts every visit with some- thing about East Central or my personal life. He truly cares about me and his other patients, and he’s made it quite obvious he cares about East Central Community Col- lege.” Dr. Hailey is a board-certified physician in the areas of internal medicine, cardiovascu- lar disease, and interventional cardiology. He received numerous awards during medical school and residency. However, he said his

Dr. Shea Hailey of Meridian, interven- tional cardiologist with the Cardiovascular Institute of the South, was recently named Alumnus of the Year at East Central Commu- nity College and will be recognized during Homecoming activities scheduled Thursday, October 20. “I am honored and humbled,” Hailey said. “I feel like EC has so many successful alumni that it is such an honor to be recognized.” A native of Union and member of the ECCC Class of 1988, Dr. Hailey attended pharmacy school with the goal of becoming a retail pharmacist. However, it was during his pharmacy externship that he found his true calling–becoming a doctor. He said, “I advanced to my clinical externship at the University

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greatest rewards are watching his patients’ lives improve. Jennifer Rodri- guez, a colleague

I am honored and humbled . I feel like EC has so many successful alumni that it is such an honor to be recognized .

of Dr. Hailey’s, said, “It is not surprising that Dr. Hailey is an interventional cardiologist, because he is “all heart”. His compassion and passion for excellence have driven him to become one of the best in his field. As remarkable as his skill and intelligence are, he is most known for his kind- ness, humor, and tireless service. He is a natural leader, in large part due to his uncanny ability to always find clarity amidst whatever storm is passing. He has a way of seeing the greatest potential in everyone and everything, and will not find peace until that greatness has been realized. When- ever help is needed, he is the first one called and the last to leave.” He was selected a Fellow for the Society for Cardiovas- cular Angiography and Interventions and the American College of Cardiology. He has participated on various professional committees and was a volunteer for the Wesley House Free Health Clinic for a number of years. He has been published in the American Journal of Pathology for research related to the detection of early acute myocardial infarction. “I don’t have any great awards or highlights to put on my resume, but my ‘awards’ are watching grandparents see a few more ballgames or weddings or the birth of another grandchild that they might not see without a little help or advice. “A really great day is seeing someone feel better … to see them smile and say ‘thank you’ because they feel like doing some activity that they didn’t feel like doing or couldn’t do before they met you.” He said the most taxing parts of his work are administra- tive challenges of governmental regulation and insurance limitations on delivery of care to patients. “These are challenges on top of the rigors of medicine

of Mississippi Medical Center as a senior pharmacy student and saw what the medical students, residents, and faculty were doing. I thought ‘this is what I have to do!’ Learn- ing about diseases and seeing medications actually work excited me and I realized this was my passion. This wasn’t work, it was fun and I just wanted more of it.” He said his pharmacy school counselor was elated when he called to tell him of this new revelation. “I was actually surprised by his encouragement and he immediately began helping me pursue my new-found career choice,” recalled Hailey. “Dr. Henry Pace was a true ambas- sador for Osteopathic Medicine in Mississippi. He worked tirelessly to help me and many others fill the clinics in rural Mississippi with Osteopathic Physicians.” After completing his bachelor of science in pharmacy, Hailey received the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree magna cum laude at the College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, Mo. He completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Baptist Health Systems, Inc., in Bir- mingham, Ala., and fellowships in cardiovascular medicine and interventional cardiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “Pharmacy School and the basics of pharmacology, physi- ology, and pathology were a tremendous advantage in my medical school studies,” he said. Dr. Hailey began his career as an inpatient physician at Rush Foundation Hospital and later held positions with Rush Cardiology Associates and Internal Medicine Clinic in Meridian. He has been employed by Cardiovascular Institute of the South since 2016. “The most important part of being a doctor is the pa- tient’s safety and well-being. You just want to see people get more from life because of your contribution,” Hailey said. “

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