Roy D. Flood, Jr., M.D.

Dr. Roy D. Flood, Jr., M.D. admits that being a clinical and interventional cardiologist can be stressful. However, that also is the part of the job that he loves.

“It can be extremely stressful,” he said, “but I think that’s also one of the more gratifying parts of the job. I can come home from the hospital and say I have made an immediate impact on a patient and his or her family. A week later, they can be sitting in my office in regular clothes and you can help them by building upon what you’ve already done by providing advice on medications and by making suggestions that can help them to have better cardiovascular health. I find that tremendously gratifying.”

Dr. Flood joined SouthCoast Health in August of 2016. For most of the previous 12 years, he worked in private practice in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Dr. Flood had the unique opportunity to go to St. Thomas through some contacts he developed in the medical community.

During his time there, he started a cardiac catheterization lab. Cardiac catheterization labs are where patients are taken when they have a blocked artery. In the lab, physicians determine where the artery is and then open it back up to prevent and treat heart attcaks.The lab served both tourists to the island, as well as the local population.

“We had a great time starting the lab there and treating both emergent and non-emergent patients that came to our door step,” Dr. Flood said.

Prior to moving to St. Thomas, Dr. Flood worked out of Providence Hospital and Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., for eight years. The nation’s capital is where Dr. Flood also did his residency, internship and fellowship. In total, Dr. Flood spent almost 15 years in the Washington, D.C., area.

“I tend to stay places relatively long times once I get there,” he said.

Dr. Flood said that he elected to join SouthCoast Health because he was looking for a clinical practice that specialized in what he likes best, which is “patient care, long-term relationships with patients and also cutting-edge research and technology.”

“I like to talk and build relationships,” Dr. Flood said. “I also enjoy the hands-on aspect and the ability to treat and manage cardiac emergencies and heart attacks. Cardiology marries those different aspects of medicine in the best way.”

“Most of the time, you’re able to get a very clear picture of what’s wrong with the patient just by speaking with them. But if you like technology and computers, we have a wealth of toys to play with. I enjoy the mix.”

His medical interests include angioplasty, working in the cardiac catheterization lab, and acute myocardial infarction. He also is interested in the identification and treatment of coronary artery disease in African-Americans, and exercise and sports cardiology.

When it comes to sports, Dr. Flood counts basketball among his favorites. He attended the University of North Carolina, where he was a Morehead Scholar, as both an undergraduate and for medical school. A North Carolina native, he attended UNC during the intercollegiate basketball career of Michael Jordan. (Dr. Flood is very dedicated to his alma mater, as he has served on its Board of Visitors since 2013, its Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity since 2010, and has been a reader for the Morehead-Cain Foundation Scholarship Program since 2010.)

In addition to his interest in basketball, Dr. Flood also has run in numerous marathons, including the New York City Marathon (four times), the Miami Marathon, the Chicago Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon (twice).

He is married to his college sweetheart and has daughters who are nineteen and nine.

“I love the weather in Savannah,” he said. “Summers are a little warm but a tough winter day is 75 degrees. You can be outdoors year-round. I like that aspect. I like to run and to cycle and it’s a great place for that. There are a lot of things you can do when you’re not working.”