The Vaughn Regional Medical Center recently welcomed a new cardiologist to their medical family.

Dr. Steven Allyn, a board certified interventional cardiologist from Missouri, was hired to work at the Vaughn Regional Medical Center. He began work Monday.

“He is an experienced physician with a great enthusiasm for his work,” David Sirk, the CEO of the medical center, said. “I know he will work very hard in striving to further the mission of Vaughan Regional Medical Center of making our communities healthier.”

Allyn said he has been enjoying his time at Vaughn so far thanks to his kind fellow employees.

“My experience has been really good. I’m still learning my way around the hospital and learning my way around the medical records,” Allyn said. “People here are extremely friendly.”

Allyn received his medical degree and completed his residency at Indiana University School of Medicine. He earned his fellowship from University of Oklahoma Health Science Center. He said he became interested in cardiology while training at Indiana University Medical Center.

“I trained at a center that was really known for heart treatment at Indiana University Medical Center, and I think that probably is what stirred me in that direction,” he said. “They had several world renown people there, and that is where I got my interest.”

Allyn said he was unhappy at his former job and decided to seek another employer that would be a better fit. Allyn, who has a wife and stepchildren, said he thought it would be best to job search in Selma.

“It had to be a place that was a nice place to live for the family, and a good place to practice,” Allyn said. “This seemed to be all of that. This is a nice community.”

Just 12 hours after he applied for a job at the Vaughn Regional Medical Center, he received a call from the medical center inviting him to the city to further the interview process.

“They were very interested in me for what they are trying to do to rebuild the program.” Allyn said.

Sirk said the Vaughn Regional Medical center, which is the sole community provider hospital in Selma and employs over 600 people at its 175-bed Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations accredited facility, will expand on their cardiology services to better cater to the community.

“We are also excited to grow the cardiology services here at Vaughan Regional, offering our patients and community members more heart care right here at home,” he said.

Although Allyn’s wife and kids are still residing in Missouri, he said he and his family have been able to adjust by traveling back and forth to visit one another.

“One of us travels every weekend, just about. I’ll either go back on a weekend or she’ll fly out to see me,” he said. “During the school season, my wife and kids will be back in Missouri and will commute back and fort, and that actually works out pretty good right now.”