Thomas Haffey, D.O., recently joined the staff of Sebastian River Medical Center, where he offers patients along the Treasure Coast another option for top-notch cardiac care.
Dr. Haffey earned his medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his internship in cardiac medicine at Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital (now known as McLaren Oakland Hospital).
He went on to a fellowship at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, where he became the chief fellow. After completing his education, Dr. Haffey moved to Denver, where he practiced cardiology for 40 years before moving to Florida.
He says two motivations meshed simultaneously to spur his move to the Sunshine State.
“Marilyn, my wife of 47 years, and my daughter, Marie, both wanted to move to Florida. And I knew that Sebastian River Medical Center was looking for someone to add to its cardiology team,” he said.
Dr. Haffey also has a son, Tommy.
Dr. Haffey chose the field of cardiology for several reasons, but his earliest medical memory is of a time when his mother was ill, and a team of physicians cared for her around the clock in the hospital.
The cardiologist caring for his mother had a triple-headed stethoscope that caught his attention.
“I remember thinking, ‘If I ever become a physician, I want to be a cardiologist, because he had a triple-headed stethoscope.’ In my young mind, the cardiologist appeared to have more knowledge [of my mom’s health issue] than the physicians with single or double headed stethoscopes,” Dr. Haffey said.
In light of that memory, Dr. Haffey himself practices with a triple-headed stethoscope, and he has made every effort to emulate the cardiologist who made such an impact in his childhood, striving for the highest expertise in the field of cardiovascular medicine.
A board-certified clinical cardiologist who specializes in risk factor management, Dr. Haffey did research during the early stages of cholesterol studies, as far back as the 1980s. He has a passion for lipidology – the study of cholesterol management – and achieved board certification in the specialty 2005, one of the first 100 physicians in the world to earn the credential.
Dr. Haffey is recognized nationally and internationally for his leadership skills and holds three board certifications from the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine, National Lipid Association-American Board of Clinical Lipidology, and American Osteopathic Board of Cardiovascular Disease.
In addition, Dr. Haffey has held academic appointments and numerous administrative positions such as Chief of Staff, Vice Chief of Staff, President of the Southwest Lipid Association, and Governor of American College of Cardiology.
Dr. Haffey’s areas of special interest include clinical lipidology, echocardiograms including TEE (transesophageal echocardiography) and TTE (transthoracic echocardiogram), loop recorder insertions, pacemakers, and defibrillator checks. He is motivated by his belief that there is no such thing as a sudden heart attack and thinks that they can be prevented, or, at the very least, delayed.
A photographer and coin collector, Dr. Haffey is currently doing medical research to establish a procedure using sound to find changes in the carotid artery. A blocked carotid artery is one of the leading causes of stroke.
Dr. Haffey is modest about his many accomplishments in the field of medicine and cardiac care. “No one cares how much you know unless they know how much you care,” he says.
Dr. Thomas Haffey accepts new patients at Steward Cardiology Associates, 7754 Bay St., Suites 6 and 7, Sebastian. Call 772-589-3000 or visit providers.steward.org to schedule an appointment.
