Cardiologist retires after 27 years

When Dr. Nelson Seen first joined the Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, the list of employees could fit on a single piece of stationary.

“I think I was doctor number 52 at the group. At this point I think we are in the hundreds,” said Seen.

Today, that number is one fewer, as Seen has retired after 27 years with the practice.

“It’s been a really interesting experience. Cardiology has changed. I think being part of the Sanger Clinic has been a great professional experience,” he said.

Seen joined the Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute in 1995. He was the first doctor to join Dr. Doug Boyette, who passed away in 2021, at the clinic and has been with the clinic as it transitioned from a private practice to one partnered with Carolina’s Medical Center and eventually being absorbed by Atrium Health.

With those changes the clinic has also seen new ways of treating patients.

For many years, patients who came to the clinic after a heart attack would be treated with medication. Today, mechanical interventions are the norm for treating those patients, and through Atrium Health’s network of hospitals and clinics, patients are able to be driven or flown from Shelby to Charlotte for those procedures.

Similarly, procedures which used to require open heart surgery are now done with small incisions and can yield better results for patients, he said.

Originally from New York, Seen met his wife, Dr. Terry Seen, in medical school. When looking for a place to practice, the couple found themselves interested in some place close to Rock Hill, where Terry’s parents live. Seen said he was impressed with the model Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute had when he interviewed there.

“(We treat) everyone who comes through their door, regardless of their ability to pay. When I came to the clinic I was of the opinion that is what medicine should be about, taking care of people who are sick. We take all comers. I’m still proud to say that after 27 years that has never been a consideration for who we provide care for,” he said.

While in Shelby the couple has raised four children, Kathryn, David, Michael and Joseph, and Seen said he has no immediate plans to move away.

“Shelby has been good for us. Wwe have had a good experience. Was a great practice and the community was good. It was great place to raise our family,” he said.

Dustin George can be reached at 704-669-3337 or Dustin.George@ShelbyStar.com.