Courtney E. Bennett, DO

As an expert in cardiac critical care, I often care for patients in their most vulnerable state. I take great responsibility to be sure the duress of our critically ill patients and their loved ones is addressed through compassion for their vulnerability and effective communication. Optimal care requires a patient-centered approach; there is no "one-size-fits-all" for each individual, their values and culture. I also feel very strongly about a multidisciplinary approach to patient care and how empowering every team member provides the highest quality care.

I initially chose to pursue medicine because I wanted to become a geriatrician. I feel empathy for our aging population and want to help them live an optimal life. During my cardiology rotation in medical school, I became enamored with running to the emergency department and rushing a heart attack patient to the cardiac catheterization lab. I was amazed at the cardiologist's ability to open the patient's blocked arteries and drastically improve their mortality – within minutes. I was also impressed by the strong science behind their subsequent care and how we could give patients back their quality of life. One of my core values is optimum health and I consider it a privilege to help patients achieve just that.

I believe knowledge is power and have created free medical education content for the community.

I love being active. I make sure I move every day, which ranges from running, triathlons, weightlifting, yoga or walking our dog as a family. My children are also active in sports, and my husband and I enjoy watching them compete. I am also very interested in nutrition and its impact on our health. When I am not doing work, I love getting lost in books, especially non-fiction or thrillers. To balance out my passion for activity, I like to cook and learn about viticulture to create the best pairings!