Simone Bailey-Brown, MD, Takes a Preventive Approach to Heart Health

Simone Bailey-Brown, MD, a board-certified cardiologist and native of Jamaica, first decided to pursue a career in medicine when she was a high school senior. “I enjoyed studying the sciences and was fascinated with how the human body works,” she recalls. “I chose the medical field, as this would allow me to combine my love for the sciences with opportunities to interact with and help others.”

She attended medical school at the University of the West Indies – Kingston and served her internship and residency in the Danbury Hospital GME Program. She received her fellowship training in the Danbury Hospital GME Program and in the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine and Graduate Program. After practicing in New York State, she moved to San Antonio two months ago.

Dr. Bailey-Brown was attracted to cardiology in particular because, at an early age, she learned about several family members who died young from cardiovascular disease. “When I was twelve years old, my parents made a radical lifestyle change to improve the health of our family. They adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet and taught us the importance of diet and lifestyle in preventing disease. These early experiences, and a desire to learn more about the causes of heart disease, influenced my decision to pursue a career in cardiology – more specifically, the field of preventive cardiology, as this is an area in which lifestyle modification has the potential to tremendously improve the health and well-being of individuals.”

While Dr. Bailey-Brown’s cardiology practice incorporates patients with all types of heart disease, her areas of special interest include preventive cardiology, women’s heart health, and cardio-oncology – the prevention and management of heart disease caused by cancer therapies.

The cardiologist, who is affiliated with North Central Baptist Hospital and Northeast Baptist Hospital, says the most important things women can do to protect their heart health are to quit smoking, eat a diet that emphasizes whole foods derived mostly from plants, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, control their risk factors (e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol), manage stress in healthy ways, and take the time to count their blessings.

Dr. Bailey-Brown says one of the ways she takes time to count her own blessings is to spend quality time with her husband and children, enjoying the outdoors and creating fun memories.

Regardless of what disease or dysfunction she’s treating, Dr. Bailey-Brown enjoys working with patients and providing them with the information they need to understand their illnesses and the treatments that they require to improve their heart health.

“I believe that a well-informed patient is an empowered patient who’s better equipped to make decisions regarding their health,” she concludes. “The most gratifying moments for me are when my patients get better and experience an improvement in their quality of life. When patients express their appreciation for the time that it takes to listen to them and provide the care that they need, it makes it all worthwhile.”