A bittersweet farewell: Mount Vernon's first cardiologist retiring after 38 years

MOUNT VERNON – When Dr. Jawahar Pala was hired by Knox Community Hospital in the summer of 1982, he was the only cardiologist in Mount Vernon.

Until his arrival, Knox County patients had to travel to Mansfield, Columbus or Cleveland to see a heart specialist.

“They were just building the new hospital at that time,” Pala told the Mount Vernon News. “We had two older hospitals and the two merged and we became Knox Community Hospital.”

Pala was able to work with the architects as they designed the cardiology department.

He told the hospital administrator at the time that it was going to cost a lot of money to fully equip a cardiology unit.

“The administrator told me he met with the hospital board of directors, and they wanted to give me a blank check and that I could fill in the amount I wanted,” Pala said.

Planning to retire at the end of this month, Pala noted that there have been incredible advances in cardiology over the span of his career. 

“When I was doing my training in the 1970s and someone would have a heart attack, we would give them oxygen, morphine and some nitroglycerine and confine them to a bed for a week and that was about it,” he said.

Then came angioplasty and stints that allowed doctors to open blocked arteries.

“Now, if somebody has a heart attack, a lot of times the patients are ready to go home in 24 to 48 hours,” he said.

The best way to keep a healthy heart is to not to smoke; have a low-cholesterol diet; control your diabetes, weight and blood pressure; and exercise, Pala said.

“Smoking is the worst of the worst,” he stressed.

Retirement is “bittersweet,” Pala commented.

“I’ve been saying farewells to all of my patients, and it’s been very tearful,” he said. “But also, everyone says they are so happy for me. They all wish me well.”

In retirement, he plans to continue teaching at The Ohio State University. He enjoys golfing and boating in Palm Beach, Florida; and traveling to India, where he still owns a large-circulation magazine founded by his father, along with eight other magazines.    

The Cardiology Department at Knox Community Hospital, which started with three people, now has nearly 60 including four other cardiologists.

“In 38 years of practice, I have touched every family in Knox County, directly or indirectly,” Pala said. “I love my patients.”