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Meet Your Neighbor: Meet The Neighbor – Robert Shiroff, M.D.
By Callie Thomas
It seems apropos that accomplished cardiologist and 89052 resident Robert Shiroff was also a recipient of the American Heart Association’s Heart of Gold Award. If you’re going to trust your heart to any doctor, it should be someone with experience, compassion and a whole lot of heart.
Although born and raised in Philadelphia, Dr. Shiroff has been a Henderson resident for the past thirty-five years, and he fills the bill and then some. Along with Dr. Michael Sawaya, he created one of the largest cardiology practices in Nevada (then known as Cardiovascular Consultants of Nevada) and he has also served as the former Affiliate President of the American Heart Association on both a local and national level. Now retired, his current focus and passion is serving as a volunteer cardiologist and a board member of Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada (VMSN), a non-profit group that provides free quality health clinic services to the uninsured and unemployed in the community. Shiroff’s compassionate nature fits well with the culture at VMSN, which is built on caring for the neglected and unseen. It is estimated that one out of seven people are uninsured in America, and there are approximately 580,000 uninsured in Nevada alone. The volunteer medical team at VMSN provides preventative health care which reduces overall hospital costs and assists in ultimately decreasing taxpayer burden.
Shiroff is not only foremost in his field, he’s a loving husband to wife Angie, father to five children and grandfather to their soon-to-be nine grandchildren. He’s proud to give back to the community where he’s made his life. Shiroff talks about his experiences with the organization, his five rules for living and his love of theatre, particularly The King and I.
What prompted you to become involved with Volunteers in Medicine?
“You always hear that if you work hard, you will bear the fruits of your labor. Yet, there are so many people who are working hard and have found themselves struggling. They may have been laid off or experienced a medical emergency. I’m glad to lend a helping hand.”
You treated patients every day at your former practice. What is different about VMSN?
“No one said life is easy, and it’s not. Our patients just need that extra helping hand. I can feel their sincere appreciation when I see them and they know that someone really cares.”
The group recently had its annual star-studded fundraising ball. Were your efforts successful?
“More than $380,000 in donations was raised during the Fourth Annual Ball this past October. Over 500 guests attended and the event was emceed by Wayne Newton and featured other entertainment performances. With this support, we can improve the lives of so many of Southern Nevada’s working families as they persevere through difficult times.”
Of your many accomplishments, what are you most proud to have achieved?
“I am most proud of my children and their accomplishments – even more important, the kind of people they have become!”
As a father of five and grandfather of almost nine, you must have some words of advice?
“I have developed a few rules for living along the way:
- You are responsible for your actions and the consequences of your actions.
- You cannot control the actions of others; you CAN control your responses (back to rule 1).
- He who has the gold rules; if you pay for it, you decide how it goes!
- Pick the hill you are going to die on – in other words, pick your fights.
- As a parent, you have the right and responsibility to give advice to your children; they should listen with respect; they can do what they choose, unless rule #3 applies.”
So, if you weren’t a doctor, you’d be on Broadway as the King of Siam?
“I would love a career in theatre – singing, dancing and acting – if I had the talent!”
