Hospitalist Shares the Patient Journey

St. Jude Hospitalist Steven Carey, MD, PhD, is known for the kind, friendly way he cares for his young patients with cancer and blood disorders. He connects with and comforts them. As a childhood cancer survivor, Carey knows how important these things are. His early struggles shaped him to become a compassionate provider who is transforming health care.

From patient to physician-scientist

When Carey was in the 4th grade, doctors found a mass in his brain. He had 4 surgeries to get at the tumor and remove most of it, but a small part was left behind. After his last surgery, he had numbness and some semi-paralysis on one side. After much physical therapy, he began to recover. But then another MRI showed that the tumor had grown again. Carey had a 5th surgery, followed by more physical therapy. 

During his treatment, he asked a lot of questions. Carey had always wanted to be a doctor, and his experience made him even more interested in medicine. 

In high school, he focused on his goals.

“I wasn’t even thinking about cancer; it was a side thing,” Carey says. “I kept thinking about going to school and getting good grades. I became more interested in my disease and why it happened. This experience sparked my interest in oncology.” 

Carey eventually earned an MD and a PhD in cancer biology at the University of Arizona.

Today, he encourages his patients to follow their dreams. He tells them, “You can be whatever you want to be.” 

Hospitalist on a mission

Carey and his colleagues in the St. Jude Hospitalist Medicine Program work with a patient’s primary care team to offer specialized medical care when the primary clinic is closed. These highly trained clinicians provide the best possible care around the clock. 

Carey says his position allows him to build close relationships with patients and their families. He understands their challenges, including the isolation that young patients often feel. 

“What matters to young cancer patients changes a lot, as compared to other things their friends worry about,” Carey says. “It can be harder to relate to your friends because you mature faster. You are in a different place now, and you have to adapt. You know your goal and what you want. Others your age may still be trying to figure that out. You have to find your group—those who will understand you the best.”

Carey says he enjoys talking to patients and families about other aspects of their lives, not only their disease. 

“I want to be part of their journey, not just the doctor treating them,” he says. “When good things happen to them, I am part of that, and when bad things happen too.”

Carey’s patients and families appreciate his approach. They watch for him when they come for appointments. 

“Parents know you care; they know you are invested in their child,” Carey says.  

Advice for patients and providers

Carey wants patients to know that their care team is trying to give their child the best care they can give. 

“If you have questions, ask your doctor,” he says. “If you ask, we can tell you why we are doing something and give you an explanation. We are all working hard to treat you. Even when you don’t see us, we are in the background, watching and paying attention to your care.”

Carey also encourages other doctors to get to know their patients. 

“Be more involved in their lives,” he says, “Be part of the family; part of their journey. It makes a huge difference to parents.”