Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
In studio with me right now, my very own doctor,
doctor Paul Wills. A legend, I think most would say
here in the valley and expert in prenatal care for
women here in Nevada at Desert Perinatal Associates.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome, doctor Paul Wilkes.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Thank you, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I get nervous for not really any type of celebrity
that comes through here, right, Taylor Swift, Kinwalkee and Kelly Clarkson,
I don't care.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
I care about you, wow, because you've made an.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Impact on my life and on thousands of people's lives
here in the valley. So for people who are not
familiar with you, doctor Wilkes, you know, give us a
little introduction, little background history of your tenure here in Nevada.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Sure. Well, it's been a while since I've been called
a legend, So thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I'm surprised. That's not like something you hear often.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well, now I know what I'm gonna put on my
license plate when I leave here.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
For business cards?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah? Yeah, no, I was. I moved to Las Vegas
in nineteen seventy two and population one hundred and twenty
five thousand.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Last paved road to cross Charleston was Decatur. My dad
was the second pathologist at Sunrise Hospital. It was a
two hundred bed hospital, and so my roots run deep
in Las Vegas. I was typical Vegas kid, rode my bike,
(01:25):
built Fords, ran from the cops, all the all the
normal Yeah yeah yeah. Went to school here all the
way up until high school. And then I went to
boarding school. Not because I was a bad.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Kid, because the cops caught you.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I was a bad kid, but that's not why I went.
I just my dad was really into education. Felt like
I needed to be challenged. Sure, went away to school,
spent some time in California and college, and then came
back here for medical school and did my residency here
in obstetrics and coology, went to Colorado for three years
(02:08):
for a postdoctoral fellowship in high risk pregnancy, and when
it was time to set up shop somewhere, Vegas was home,
and I came back to Las Vegas and I'd been
here delivering babies since two thousand and two, living where
I love. You know all the things about Vegas. Anyone
(02:30):
who spent time here knows makes it special.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Growing your own family here as well, yes, beautiful children.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
I do have three beautiful children. Katie who is thirty
getting married in November, Ryan twenty seven, lives in La
clothing designer, and my baby Charlotte turns twenty one next month.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Ooh fun ages and of course your beautiful wife.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Yes, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Well, I know you are a busy man, and I
think to a lot of people out there, you know,
you have a very unique profession being able to help
families bring life into this world. Now do you still
get butterflies to this day? Because you and I off
the mic, you told me what fourteen thousand yep?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Babies yep.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So what is that feeling like for you when you're
at fourteen thousand, five hundred? I mean, what is that
feeling for you every time?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
So the feeling that fourteen thousand was probably very similar
to the feeling at number one. Really yeah, and I
really have never lost sight of the fact that I
get to be a part of what is likely the
most special day in a couple's life. Sure, the opposite
(03:47):
side of that, you know, it's not all good news
in what I do. I do high risk pregnancy, and
that's kind of a tight rope walk without in that
and sometimes it doesn't go well, but it is. It's
an absolute privilege to be able to lean into those
situations as well and play a part in that sad
(04:09):
chapter of a family's life. Because we're taught in medical school,
I think, unfortunately to kind of develop a distance, build
a barrier, don't get emotionally involved with what's going on
with your patients. You know, we're supposed to be objective.
I've never been good at that. I mean, this is
(04:30):
a miracle happening before my eyes, and so I've made
myself a promise that if I ever deliver a baby
and am not awes struck, it's time to read higher.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
That's your point, and I think like you made a
good point that sometimes the outcome isn't, of course, what
families hope for. But I think maybe the potential downfall
of what they teach you in medical school is that
you have empathy for people, and you've been there for
someone like myself, who I've discussed with my listeners many times,
many you know, failed pregnancies and attempts along the way.
But the world needs people like you, needs that you know,
(05:06):
needs that empathetic soul that is going to make them
feel better. And I feel like that's a gift and
maybe a little bit of a curse for you too,
because it has to wear on your emotions.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
It's tough. I mean, fortunately, I come home to a
very lovely and very understand, very compassionate wife yep, who
can kind of tell two steps in the door, like, hey,
what's on your mind, what's on your heart? So I
have that ability and that gift to be a received
(05:37):
like that when I get home and kind of be
vulnerable and open up and you know, let her know
what's going on. But it is a very physically demanding job.
But the physical demands pale in comparison to the emotional demands.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Absolutely, And you're right. I love the point that you hit.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
You have to have that strong partner waiting for you
at home to get you through some of those tough days. Yeah,
important stuff there. We'll talk more about that a little bit.
But I know you've been helping mamas deliver babies here
in the valley for, like you said, more than twenty years.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Now.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
I want to talk a little bit about Southern Hills
Hospital where you delivered my son Brock in twenty twenty two.
You'll be delivering my daughter Isabella here this summer. You
know what do you love about working with the Southern
Hills Hospital.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Well, the short answer is everything. The detailed answer is
that I have found like minded souls at Southern Hills Hospital.
And it's not just on labor and delivery, which is
where I spent the vast majority of my time. Sure,
(06:40):
I have spent time in the neud logic I see you.
When my mom had a stroke, I took her to
Southern Hills. I've spent time in the emergency room with
patients who text me and tell me this is going on.
I say, I'll meet you at the emergency room and
go to Southern Hills. And really from Christian, who is
(07:02):
one of the guys who keeps the place going. He's
the guy that's rolling a card around full of tools
repairing things. I see Christian, He's always got a big
smile on his face. Hey, doc, how you doing. All
the way up to administration, you know, like the CEO
over there, I mean everyone, everyone is all in for
(07:24):
patient care. And there are some instances in healthcare where
I feel like it's being run too much like a
business and not enough like a center for healing, okay,
And I really get that sense at Southern Hills. It
really is. It's it's a place to go where families
(07:47):
are embraced, where the emotional side of what a patient
might be going through is taking it into account. And
I don't get the feeling that at least the staff
with whom I've been privileged to work, sure, they're punching
a clock like I'm going to punch in, this is
how I feed my family in eight hours, I'm gonna
(08:08):
punch out. I've had nurses some labor delivery clock out
come back to the room and stay for delivery because
they've been with that patient during their labor. And that
I think speaks volumes about the caliber of the healers
that work at Southern Hills.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Right, It's not just about the clocking in clocking out,
it's about actually showing compassion for patients with Obviously we
can tell already within less than ten minutes into our
conversation that you have that about you too, right, the
connections that you make with the people that you're able
to work with.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yes, it's something it really is a privilege to work
over there. I mean we we being doctor Adishek and
myself we started Desert Piry Natal Associates, and we were
in line for credentially at Southern Hills when they had
just poured the foundation and our third office in town
(09:03):
took up almost the entire second floor of the office
building that's connected to Southern Hills. Okay, And that was
just I sat on the original credentialing committee, which is
the committee where you view doctors folders for people who
would like to work there, and you go over and
you kind of decide is someone who is in line
(09:24):
with our mission? And from very early on I could
tell even the administration was not looking to rubber stamp
doctors to get them in there, to generate building, to
generate revenue. That we had some very difficult discussions about
is this individual or the values of this individual in
line with the values of our mission. Wow, And that
(09:46):
was really refreshing to see, Oh.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I'm sure right, just not stamping it for seal of approval,
You're actually looking for people who are compassionate and care
Now I want to dive in a little bit more
to your career. Obviously very incredible and you so many
people here in the valley. I feel like, you've got
a super fan base of women who would probably follow
you to the end of the earth because that's how
much they trust you, and that's how special you've made
(10:10):
these people feel. Now, besides your super fans out there,
you know what keeps you waking up every single day
and doing what you do and having this passion because
it definitely comes through very easily when you talk about this.
So you know, besides the super fans, what is it
for you that keeps you going?
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Well, I think it's kind of a focus on spirituality. Sure,
I think that you know, my life has not been
a straight line. My life has not always been easy,
and some of the most difficult times in my life
internally looked the shiniest on the outside. Yeah, and I
(10:49):
struggled mightily. You know, I didn't really know if I
was fulfilling my purpose. Okay, And that might sound ridiculous
to you know, patience I've taken care of for people
who say, you deliver babies for a living. How could
you struggle with your purpose? The important thing for me
(11:10):
was to kind of figure out my why. I knew
what my plan for my life was, and I don't
know that it had always been in alignment with God's
plan for my life. Okay, And so when I stopped
talking and started listening, Yeah, started to really listen to God.
(11:34):
Where do you want me? I'll go anywhere you want
me to go. And what do you want me to do?
I'll do anything you want me to do. I just
want peace in my life, definitely. And when I started
to listen to that, it life got great. It got great.
And so when I'm hungry, or when I'm tired, or
(11:56):
when I'm feeling alone, I know I'm exactly where I'm
supposed to be.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
And when challenges come into my life, I no longer
look at them as something bad. I look at them
as something that has been placed into my life to
either course correct or teach me a lesson. Right, So
I no longer have good days or bad days.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
I have days, days and which we're all lucky to get, right.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
I have days. You know I woke up this morning. Yeah,
a lot of people didn't. Yep in a bed next
to a woman I love unconditionally and loves me unconditionally,
in a home like with the roof over my head.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Come on, I know it's sometimes a lesson in life.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
People discover later, but I always say that at least
you got there at some point to discover that. Some
people go through their whole lives and don't realize that
type of lesson, right, So you must, you know, despite
everything you've gone through and the ups and the downs,
you know you have such gratefulness in at least learning
that lesson and being able to say it out loud
(13:03):
and look back and see how far that you've you've come, truly,
and then the impact you've made along the way.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
I had to get to a point where I had
everything in my life that I wanted to realize that
I nothing I needed ooh yeah, And that day was transformative, sure,
in that I realized I can focus on the outside,
I can focus on the shiny things, I can be materialistic,
(13:30):
I can worry about how others are perceiving me sure,
or I can look for a path to become okay. Yeah,
And it took me a long time to be okay
with everything being okay. Sure, I'm kind of in adrenaline junkie.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
I love a challenge. I love when there's a problem
to solve or a crisis to kind of dive into.
That's exhaust state after a while.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
So definitely I got to.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
A point where, you know, being peaceful is enough.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Now I want to dive into a little bit more
about how you handle stress, right because I think going
into that delivery room, no matter what I can't imagine,
no matter how many times you do it, it's high
stress situations. Now you alluded to the fact that you
go home and it's your happy place. You have your
partner that you trust. You know what else gets you
through stressful situations in life, anything along with any tips
(14:29):
that maybe even just any anybody could maybe utilize in
their life.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Yeah, for me personally, it's really leaning into exercise. I
do things like the cold plunge on things that physically
reset my system. And by the way, all three things
that I just mentioned suck. It's horrible. Sure, like no
(14:55):
one is ever fired up to get in fifty degree
water for six minutes, but that it's kind of the
external thing that gets me going and keeps me going.
I would say the motivating force in my life that
keeps me completely engaged and hungry for another day is laughter.
(15:16):
Oh yes, number one on my list, and I wake
up in the morning I'm laughing before I brush my teeth.
The only thing that keeps me up at night and
keeps me from falling to sleep immediately when my head
hits a pillow. Yeah, is I'm talking with my wife
and I'm laughing. I mean, there are times when I
have to tell her, like, please stop, I have got
(15:37):
to follow to sleep. But I think laughter is such
an important part of what just gets me hungry for
another day, like what is going to be awesome tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (15:48):
You know?
Speaker 3 (15:50):
And then I don't want to sound like, you know,
a thumper, but I will tell you knowing that there's
a great or purpose for me than just me providing
for me or me providing for my family. Being able
to be a part of situations where the ability to
(16:12):
radically change the lives of others for the better is
what fills my cup. Service service to others, you know.
And I think if I wake up in the morning
and it's about what's in it for me today, I
(16:33):
have a really frustrating day. But when I wake up
in the morning and I'm looking for opportunities to be
of service, not just in the office or in the hospital,
but in life.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Yeah, man, I just I don't.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Know I've strung together some really good days by getting
away from being selfish.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Sure, I think those are both really solid points, especially
the laughter. I think that if you can't find laughter
in any situation or with your partner life, maybe are
doing it wrong.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I think that's a huge life lesson along the way.
And I noticed that every time I go.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Into your practice, of course, I see how much fun
your nurses and staff are having. I've had numerous employees
of yours say, you know, if it wasn't for doctor Wilcs,
I would have been gone.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
I'm here because of him.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
I mean, that's powerful stuff, and it's because you have
fun and you find the fun. So I want to
dive into that a little bit more too. Tell me
maybe about a funny or unique situation. We know there's
stressful stuff, we know there's hard stuff that you see,
but sometimes you probably see some funny in the delivery room,
maybe a husband fainting anything. I'm an experience that you
can share with us that really sticks out that made
(17:37):
you smile, not just bringing life into the world, but
maybe something that happened that was like, oh man, look
at this.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
So the one that immediately pops into my mind is
I was taking care of a family here in Lats
Vegas and they are a very large Italian family, Okay,
and I will give it. I will give a hint
they're entertainers. I won't give you any more hints than that,
(18:08):
but a very large family. I mean we're talking like brothers, sisters,
brother in law, sister was cousins, the whole thing, grandparents,
the whole thing. And I remember, And this delivery took
place at Southern Hill's Labor and Delivery Room four.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
The reason I remember it was room for it is
it's a larger delivery room. Sure, I came in to
do the delivery. There were it was obviously pre COVID.
There were fourteen people in the delivery room and about
half of them were holding iPads with grandparents all over
the United States and a couple in Italy who were
(18:46):
all part of the delivery. Wow. And it's those deliveries
that really like, I just remember those deliveries because it's
so family. And that was a really tough part during COVID.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Absolutely that, I mean I delivered still when there was
protocol only one person was allowed.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Yeah even yeah, in the room after.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
And in some cities, they wouldn't even allow the husband
or the wife for the partner trying to beat woke care.
So the significant other, they wouldn't even allow him in
the room, right, So it would be like the doctor,
a nurse, and a pregnant woman in labor. Thank goodness,
we didn't get to that point in Las Vegas. You know,
(19:32):
I love it now. It's like the life is back
on labor and delivery, families in the rooms, you know,
people like all part of.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
The experience and everything.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
Yeah, I think that's cool.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
I think that is pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
So I want to talk about a little bit more
about the care at Southern Hills Hospital. I know a
lot of people don't know, but Southern Hills Hospital is
a part of Sunrise Health System and they have a
system of care in place. Now, can you talk to
us a little bit more about how important it is
to have a hospital that has direct ties with Sunrise
Children's Hospital, because I toured there recently and they're pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Over there too.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Yeah. I think where I think where Sunrise has really
excelled is in the care of sick children who need
sub specialists. Sure, and I think that Las Vegas has
done a good job across the board of developing subspecialty
(20:28):
platforms in different areas of medicine. But for as long
as I can remember, Sunrise has been focused on children's
health as kind of a carbouty. I so I mentioned
my dad was working at Sunrise Hospital. I was at
(20:50):
two hundred bed hospital, and I remember going in sometimes
on the weekend if he had to go to the hospital,
he'd be like, Hey, you want to come with me?
And I would go in and fiddle around and play
with the laboratory equipment, look through the microscope, and I
just even have fond memories as a kid running around
there that it seemed like the doctors knew each other,
(21:13):
the doctors knew the nurses. It was more of a
horizontal plan of care that a vertical plan of care
with like administration at the top and then the doctors,
then the nurses, then the orderlies. It was like we're
all part of a team. I've had patients who I
(21:33):
specifically delivered at Sunrise Hospital and anticipation of complex issues
after birth, and there was a little boy I delivered
over there, a family with whom I'm still very close,
but he had a heart deep fact that doctor Ackerman
(21:55):
and Children's Heart Center helped us detect and he'd never
seen anything like it before. It was this very kind
of delicate, abnormal blood vessel in this unborn baby's heart.
And there was no question that we were going to
deliver this baby at Sunrise. And this baby went from
(22:16):
cesarean section on labor and delivery to doctor Scolo's operating
room in main O r and went immediately into open
heart surgery. And that baby boy now is a goalie
for his soccer team. We see him and his family
(22:38):
at events, we run into them all the time. And
that's just one micro example of the kind of miracles
that have been possible because of collaboration between you know,
my practice, Sunrise Hospital. I've had babies that were delivered
(22:58):
at other hospitals that have been transported there, yep. And
they receive care there that wasn't available at other places. Sure,
and those babies are doing well today. Oh.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
I mean, it's just reassuring for so many families out
there now.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I feel like there's no way I could.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
End a Paul Wilkes interview without asking for some additional
words of wisdom and advice. So the first one I
want to talk to you about is in terms of,
you know, the parents that you meet and you're dealing
with on the day of delivery.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
You know, they have so many.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Nerves, so many fears, possibly just sitting in their brain
playing over and over again.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
You know.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Is there anything that you say, Maybe it's unique to everybody,
but is there anything in particular that you really like
to get across to parents before they head into the
delivery room with you to bring this miracle into the world.
Any words of just advice for those parents before they
welcome a new child into the world.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Yeah, I ask them to go on TikTok and develop
a seven page birth plan and tell me how to
do my job.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
Oh man, right, TikTok good for something, is terrible for
other things. And yeah, I can't imagine the stuff people
see and bring to you.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Yeah, yeah, it's interesting. You know what, I really encourage
patients and this. I have more of a chance to
do this when we're getting ready to do a sarian
section than a vaginal delivery, because the vaginal delivery is
you know, a little less predictable. Sure, but what I
(24:28):
tell parents before they're going in versus Harran section is
I want you to focus on each other, and I
want you to think about the fact that you're about
to meet your child, because if you worry about the
you know, the beeping monitors or your cold toes because
the operating room's cold, or the bright lights, or sure,
(24:48):
you're gonna miss out on what is going to be
the best of your life. So let me worry about
everything on my side of the surgical treape. You guys,
be pressent for each other and get ready to meet
your baby. And that's the most important thing. Sure is
focus on the big picture, which is where about to
(25:09):
meet our child? Right let me worry about all the details.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
That's incredible advice, especially for somebody who had a C
section the first time having one again, incredible advice. Now
you work, like you said, with high risk patients. One
being myself right here now, going down that road of
conceiving can be tough for so many women out there.
I do just want to end it with one more
piece of advice for anybody out there who dream is
(25:35):
to have a family and who feels that it's just
so far off in the distance they can't even fathom
it ever happening for them one day. Now, I've had
this conversation with you personally numerous times in your office
because I've shared my fertility struggles for many years. But
I want them to hear it from you. You know,
what's that piece of advice that you can give a
(25:56):
family out there who so longs for a child, but
maybe it just doesn't seem like it's ever gonna happen
for them.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Yeah, I've dealt with that professionally and deal with that
professionally on a regular basis. Yeah, And fortunately I never
had to deal with that as a father. We got
pregnant three times and we had three kids, and that
is a unicorn obstetrical history. Sure, but I have walked
(26:26):
families through fertilities struggles, and I've walked the path with
my patients with pregnancy laws. I think the most important
thing is to remember that there is a baby out
there for you, and just because it wasn't this baby,
(26:48):
or just because it's not happening on your preferred timeline,
lean in and truly believe in your heart and in
your head that there's a baby becoming your way, because
I firmly believe that's what's going on between your ears
and your brain affects everything from the eyeballs down and
(27:11):
manifesting and believing this is going to happen. I'll tell
you a quick story. Do I have a patient with
whom I am just dear friends with her and her
entire family. Yeah. She had fourteen miscarriages before she met me.
Fourteen Wow. And she came to me she was about
(27:34):
five or six weeks pregnant and had complete defeat, like,
I know how this ends. And I remember going into
her room after reading her history, and the first thing
I said to her was have you thought of a name?
And she said for what I said for your baby?
(27:54):
And she said, no, we don't think that far ahead.
I said, I want you to think that far ahead.
You're taking this baby right now. I didn't know maybe
some people would criticize me and say, that's a foolish
thing to say, you're giving false hope. I don't think
there's such thing as false hope. I think there's hope
and there's hopelessness. And I will bet on hope seven
(28:15):
days a week.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Right.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
And they delivered their son Kai, and subsequent to that
had two beautiful daughters.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
And that had very little to do with me other
than I was there to monitor the pregnancies and deliver
their children when it was time. I believe that was
her finally buying in This's gonna.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Happen, right, willing your hopes and dreams into the universe.
And you personally, you've you've dealt without yourself. There's things
that you've spoken out loud and you've and you've seen
come true.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Yeah. Absolutely absolutely, I'm an all in guy.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Speak it into existence.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
I love that, Doctor Paul Wilkes, what does Paranidal Associates?
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing incredible
words of wisdom and support and of course reiterating the
incredible care over at Southern Hills Hospital and with.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
The Sunrise Health System. Thank you for being on today.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
My pleasure.
In studio with me right now, my very own doctor,
doctor Paul Wills. A legend, I think most would say
here in the valley and expert in prenatal care for
women here in Nevada at Desert Perinatal Associates.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome, doctor Paul Wilkes.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Thank you, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I get nervous for not really any type of celebrity
that comes through here, right, Taylor Swift, Kinwalkee and Kelly Clarkson,
I don't care.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
I care about you, wow, because you've made an.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Impact on my life and on thousands of people's lives
here in the valley. So for people who are not
familiar with you, doctor Wilkes, you know, give us a
little introduction, little background history of your tenure here in Nevada.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Sure. Well, it's been a while since I've been called
a legend, So thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I'm surprised. That's not like something you hear often.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well, now I know what I'm gonna put on my
license plate when I leave here.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
For business cards?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah? Yeah, no, I was. I moved to Las Vegas
in nineteen seventy two and population one hundred and twenty
five thousand.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Last paved road to cross Charleston was Decatur. My dad
was the second pathologist at Sunrise Hospital. It was a
two hundred bed hospital, and so my roots run deep
in Las Vegas. I was typical Vegas kid, rode my bike,
(01:25):
built Fords, ran from the cops, all the all the
normal Yeah yeah yeah. Went to school here all the
way up until high school. And then I went to
boarding school. Not because I was a bad.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Kid, because the cops caught you.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I was a bad kid, but that's not why I went.
I just my dad was really into education. Felt like
I needed to be challenged. Sure, went away to school,
spent some time in California and college, and then came
back here for medical school and did my residency here
in obstetrics and coology, went to Colorado for three years
(02:08):
for a postdoctoral fellowship in high risk pregnancy, and when
it was time to set up shop somewhere, Vegas was home,
and I came back to Las Vegas and I'd been
here delivering babies since two thousand and two, living where
I love. You know all the things about Vegas. Anyone
(02:30):
who spent time here knows makes it special.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Growing your own family here as well, yes, beautiful children.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
I do have three beautiful children. Katie who is thirty
getting married in November, Ryan twenty seven, lives in La
clothing designer, and my baby Charlotte turns twenty one next month.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Ooh fun ages and of course your beautiful wife.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Yes, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Well, I know you are a busy man, and I
think to a lot of people out there, you know,
you have a very unique profession being able to help
families bring life into this world. Now do you still
get butterflies to this day? Because you and I off
the mic, you told me what fourteen thousand yep?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Babies yep.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So what is that feeling like for you when you're
at fourteen thousand, five hundred? I mean, what is that
feeling for you every time?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
So the feeling that fourteen thousand was probably very similar
to the feeling at number one. Really yeah, and I
really have never lost sight of the fact that I
get to be a part of what is likely the
most special day in a couple's life. Sure, the opposite
(03:47):
side of that, you know, it's not all good news
in what I do. I do high risk pregnancy, and
that's kind of a tight rope walk without in that
and sometimes it doesn't go well, but it is. It's
an absolute privilege to be able to lean into those
situations as well and play a part in that sad
(04:09):
chapter of a family's life. Because we're taught in medical school,
I think, unfortunately to kind of develop a distance, build
a barrier, don't get emotionally involved with what's going on
with your patients. You know, we're supposed to be objective.
I've never been good at that. I mean, this is
(04:30):
a miracle happening before my eyes, and so I've made
myself a promise that if I ever deliver a baby
and am not awes struck, it's time to read higher.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
That's your point, and I think like you made a
good point that sometimes the outcome isn't, of course, what
families hope for. But I think maybe the potential downfall
of what they teach you in medical school is that
you have empathy for people, and you've been there for
someone like myself, who I've discussed with my listeners many times,
many you know, failed pregnancies and attempts along the way.
But the world needs people like you, needs that you know,
(05:06):
needs that empathetic soul that is going to make them
feel better. And I feel like that's a gift and
maybe a little bit of a curse for you too,
because it has to wear on your emotions.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
It's tough. I mean, fortunately, I come home to a
very lovely and very understand, very compassionate wife yep, who
can kind of tell two steps in the door, like, hey,
what's on your mind, what's on your heart? So I
have that ability and that gift to be a received
(05:37):
like that when I get home and kind of be
vulnerable and open up and you know, let her know
what's going on. But it is a very physically demanding job.
But the physical demands pale in comparison to the emotional demands.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Absolutely, And you're right. I love the point that you hit.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
You have to have that strong partner waiting for you
at home to get you through some of those tough days. Yeah,
important stuff there. We'll talk more about that a little bit.
But I know you've been helping mamas deliver babies here
in the valley for, like you said, more than twenty years.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Now.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
I want to talk a little bit about Southern Hills
Hospital where you delivered my son Brock in twenty twenty two.
You'll be delivering my daughter Isabella here this summer. You
know what do you love about working with the Southern
Hills Hospital.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Well, the short answer is everything. The detailed answer is
that I have found like minded souls at Southern Hills Hospital.
And it's not just on labor and delivery, which is
where I spent the vast majority of my time. Sure,
(06:40):
I have spent time in the neud logic I see you.
When my mom had a stroke, I took her to
Southern Hills. I've spent time in the emergency room with
patients who text me and tell me this is going on.
I say, I'll meet you at the emergency room and
go to Southern Hills. And really from Christian, who is
(07:02):
one of the guys who keeps the place going. He's
the guy that's rolling a card around full of tools
repairing things. I see Christian, He's always got a big
smile on his face. Hey, doc, how you doing. All
the way up to administration, you know, like the CEO
over there, I mean everyone, everyone is all in for
(07:24):
patient care. And there are some instances in healthcare where
I feel like it's being run too much like a
business and not enough like a center for healing, okay,
And I really get that sense at Southern Hills. It
really is. It's it's a place to go where families
(07:47):
are embraced, where the emotional side of what a patient
might be going through is taking it into account. And
I don't get the feeling that at least the staff
with whom I've been privileged to work, sure, they're punching
a clock like I'm going to punch in, this is
how I feed my family in eight hours, I'm gonna
(08:08):
punch out. I've had nurses some labor delivery clock out
come back to the room and stay for delivery because
they've been with that patient during their labor. And that
I think speaks volumes about the caliber of the healers
that work at Southern Hills.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Right, It's not just about the clocking in clocking out,
it's about actually showing compassion for patients with Obviously we
can tell already within less than ten minutes into our
conversation that you have that about you too, right, the
connections that you make with the people that you're able
to work with.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yes, it's something it really is a privilege to work
over there. I mean we we being doctor Adishek and
myself we started Desert Piry Natal Associates, and we were
in line for credentially at Southern Hills when they had
just poured the foundation and our third office in town
(09:03):
took up almost the entire second floor of the office
building that's connected to Southern Hills. Okay, And that was
just I sat on the original credentialing committee, which is
the committee where you view doctors folders for people who
would like to work there, and you go over and
you kind of decide is someone who is in line
(09:24):
with our mission? And from very early on I could
tell even the administration was not looking to rubber stamp
doctors to get them in there, to generate building, to
generate revenue. That we had some very difficult discussions about
is this individual or the values of this individual in
line with the values of our mission. Wow, And that
(09:46):
was really refreshing to see, Oh.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I'm sure right, just not stamping it for seal of approval,
You're actually looking for people who are compassionate and care
Now I want to dive in a little bit more
to your career. Obviously very incredible and you so many
people here in the valley. I feel like, you've got
a super fan base of women who would probably follow
you to the end of the earth because that's how
much they trust you, and that's how special you've made
(10:10):
these people feel. Now, besides your super fans out there,
you know what keeps you waking up every single day
and doing what you do and having this passion because
it definitely comes through very easily when you talk about this.
So you know, besides the super fans, what is it
for you that keeps you going?
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Well, I think it's kind of a focus on spirituality. Sure,
I think that you know, my life has not been
a straight line. My life has not always been easy,
and some of the most difficult times in my life
internally looked the shiniest on the outside. Yeah, and I
(10:49):
struggled mightily. You know, I didn't really know if I
was fulfilling my purpose. Okay, And that might sound ridiculous
to you know, patience I've taken care of for people
who say, you deliver babies for a living. How could
you struggle with your purpose? The important thing for me
(11:10):
was to kind of figure out my why. I knew
what my plan for my life was, and I don't
know that it had always been in alignment with God's
plan for my life. Okay, And so when I stopped
talking and started listening, Yeah, started to really listen to God.
(11:34):
Where do you want me? I'll go anywhere you want
me to go. And what do you want me to do?
I'll do anything you want me to do. I just
want peace in my life, definitely. And when I started
to listen to that, it life got great. It got great.
And so when I'm hungry, or when I'm tired, or
(11:56):
when I'm feeling alone, I know I'm exactly where I'm
supposed to be.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
And when challenges come into my life, I no longer
look at them as something bad. I look at them
as something that has been placed into my life to
either course correct or teach me a lesson. Right, So
I no longer have good days or bad days.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
I have days, days and which we're all lucky to get, right.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
I have days. You know I woke up this morning. Yeah,
a lot of people didn't. Yep in a bed next
to a woman I love unconditionally and loves me unconditionally,
in a home like with the roof over my head.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Come on, I know it's sometimes a lesson in life.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
People discover later, but I always say that at least
you got there at some point to discover that. Some
people go through their whole lives and don't realize that
type of lesson, right, So you must, you know, despite
everything you've gone through and the ups and the downs,
you know you have such gratefulness in at least learning
that lesson and being able to say it out loud
(13:03):
and look back and see how far that you've you've come, truly,
and then the impact you've made along the way.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
I had to get to a point where I had
everything in my life that I wanted to realize that
I nothing I needed ooh yeah, And that day was transformative, sure,
in that I realized I can focus on the outside,
I can focus on the shiny things, I can be materialistic,
(13:30):
I can worry about how others are perceiving me sure,
or I can look for a path to become okay. Yeah,
And it took me a long time to be okay
with everything being okay. Sure, I'm kind of in adrenaline junkie.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
I love a challenge. I love when there's a problem
to solve or a crisis to kind of dive into.
That's exhaust state after a while.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
So definitely I got to.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
A point where, you know, being peaceful is enough.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Now I want to dive into a little bit more
about how you handle stress, right because I think going
into that delivery room, no matter what I can't imagine,
no matter how many times you do it, it's high
stress situations. Now you alluded to the fact that you
go home and it's your happy place. You have your
partner that you trust. You know what else gets you
through stressful situations in life, anything along with any tips
(14:29):
that maybe even just any anybody could maybe utilize in
their life.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Yeah, for me personally, it's really leaning into exercise. I
do things like the cold plunge on things that physically
reset my system. And by the way, all three things
that I just mentioned suck. It's horrible. Sure, like no
(14:55):
one is ever fired up to get in fifty degree
water for six minutes, but that it's kind of the
external thing that gets me going and keeps me going.
I would say the motivating force in my life that
keeps me completely engaged and hungry for another day is laughter.
(15:16):
Oh yes, number one on my list, and I wake
up in the morning I'm laughing before I brush my teeth.
The only thing that keeps me up at night and
keeps me from falling to sleep immediately when my head
hits a pillow. Yeah, is I'm talking with my wife
and I'm laughing. I mean, there are times when I
have to tell her, like, please stop, I have got
(15:37):
to follow to sleep. But I think laughter is such
an important part of what just gets me hungry for
another day, like what is going to be awesome tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (15:48):
You know?
Speaker 3 (15:50):
And then I don't want to sound like, you know,
a thumper, but I will tell you knowing that there's
a great or purpose for me than just me providing
for me or me providing for my family. Being able
to be a part of situations where the ability to
(16:12):
radically change the lives of others for the better is
what fills my cup. Service service to others, you know.
And I think if I wake up in the morning
and it's about what's in it for me today, I
(16:33):
have a really frustrating day. But when I wake up
in the morning and I'm looking for opportunities to be
of service, not just in the office or in the hospital,
but in life.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Yeah, man, I just I don't.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Know I've strung together some really good days by getting
away from being selfish.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Sure, I think those are both really solid points, especially
the laughter. I think that if you can't find laughter
in any situation or with your partner life, maybe are
doing it wrong.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I think that's a huge life lesson along the way.
And I noticed that every time I go.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Into your practice, of course, I see how much fun
your nurses and staff are having. I've had numerous employees
of yours say, you know, if it wasn't for doctor Wilcs,
I would have been gone.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
I'm here because of him.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
I mean, that's powerful stuff, and it's because you have
fun and you find the fun. So I want to
dive into that a little bit more too. Tell me
maybe about a funny or unique situation. We know there's
stressful stuff, we know there's hard stuff that you see,
but sometimes you probably see some funny in the delivery room,
maybe a husband fainting anything. I'm an experience that you
can share with us that really sticks out that made
(17:37):
you smile, not just bringing life into the world, but
maybe something that happened that was like, oh man, look
at this.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
So the one that immediately pops into my mind is
I was taking care of a family here in Lats
Vegas and they are a very large Italian family, Okay,
and I will give it. I will give a hint
they're entertainers. I won't give you any more hints than that,
(18:08):
but a very large family. I mean we're talking like brothers, sisters,
brother in law, sister was cousins, the whole thing, grandparents,
the whole thing. And I remember, And this delivery took
place at Southern Hill's Labor and Delivery Room four.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
The reason I remember it was room for it is
it's a larger delivery room. Sure, I came in to
do the delivery. There were it was obviously pre COVID.
There were fourteen people in the delivery room and about
half of them were holding iPads with grandparents all over
the United States and a couple in Italy who were
(18:46):
all part of the delivery. Wow. And it's those deliveries
that really like, I just remember those deliveries because it's
so family. And that was a really tough part during COVID.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Absolutely that, I mean I delivered still when there was
protocol only one person was allowed.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Yeah even yeah, in the room after.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
And in some cities, they wouldn't even allow the husband
or the wife for the partner trying to beat woke care.
So the significant other, they wouldn't even allow him in
the room, right, So it would be like the doctor,
a nurse, and a pregnant woman in labor. Thank goodness,
we didn't get to that point in Las Vegas. You know,
(19:32):
I love it now. It's like the life is back
on labor and delivery, families in the rooms, you know,
people like all part of.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
The experience and everything.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
Yeah, I think that's cool.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
I think that is pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
So I want to talk about a little bit more
about the care at Southern Hills Hospital. I know a
lot of people don't know, but Southern Hills Hospital is
a part of Sunrise Health System and they have a
system of care in place. Now, can you talk to
us a little bit more about how important it is
to have a hospital that has direct ties with Sunrise
Children's Hospital, because I toured there recently and they're pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Over there too.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Yeah. I think where I think where Sunrise has really
excelled is in the care of sick children who need
sub specialists. Sure, and I think that Las Vegas has
done a good job across the board of developing subspecialty
(20:28):
platforms in different areas of medicine. But for as long
as I can remember, Sunrise has been focused on children's
health as kind of a carbouty. I so I mentioned
my dad was working at Sunrise Hospital. I was at
(20:50):
two hundred bed hospital, and I remember going in sometimes
on the weekend if he had to go to the hospital,
he'd be like, Hey, you want to come with me?
And I would go in and fiddle around and play
with the laboratory equipment, look through the microscope, and I
just even have fond memories as a kid running around
there that it seemed like the doctors knew each other,
(21:13):
the doctors knew the nurses. It was more of a
horizontal plan of care that a vertical plan of care
with like administration at the top and then the doctors,
then the nurses, then the orderlies. It was like we're
all part of a team. I've had patients who I
(21:33):
specifically delivered at Sunrise Hospital and anticipation of complex issues
after birth, and there was a little boy I delivered
over there, a family with whom I'm still very close,
but he had a heart deep fact that doctor Ackerman
(21:55):
and Children's Heart Center helped us detect and he'd never
seen anything like it before. It was this very kind
of delicate, abnormal blood vessel in this unborn baby's heart.
And there was no question that we were going to
deliver this baby at Sunrise. And this baby went from
(22:16):
cesarean section on labor and delivery to doctor Scolo's operating
room in main O r and went immediately into open
heart surgery. And that baby boy now is a goalie
for his soccer team. We see him and his family
(22:38):
at events, we run into them all the time. And
that's just one micro example of the kind of miracles
that have been possible because of collaboration between you know,
my practice, Sunrise Hospital. I've had babies that were delivered
(22:58):
at other hospitals that have been transported there, yep. And
they receive care there that wasn't available at other places. Sure,
and those babies are doing well today. Oh.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
I mean, it's just reassuring for so many families out
there now.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I feel like there's no way I could.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
End a Paul Wilkes interview without asking for some additional
words of wisdom and advice. So the first one I
want to talk to you about is in terms of,
you know, the parents that you meet and you're dealing
with on the day of delivery.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
You know, they have so many.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Nerves, so many fears, possibly just sitting in their brain
playing over and over again.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
You know.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Is there anything that you say, Maybe it's unique to everybody,
but is there anything in particular that you really like
to get across to parents before they head into the
delivery room with you to bring this miracle into the world.
Any words of just advice for those parents before they
welcome a new child into the world.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Yeah, I ask them to go on TikTok and develop
a seven page birth plan and tell me how to
do my job.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
Oh man, right, TikTok good for something, is terrible for
other things. And yeah, I can't imagine the stuff people
see and bring to you.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Yeah, yeah, it's interesting. You know what, I really encourage
patients and this. I have more of a chance to
do this when we're getting ready to do a sarian
section than a vaginal delivery, because the vaginal delivery is
you know, a little less predictable. Sure, but what I
(24:28):
tell parents before they're going in versus Harran section is
I want you to focus on each other, and I
want you to think about the fact that you're about
to meet your child, because if you worry about the
you know, the beeping monitors or your cold toes because
the operating room's cold, or the bright lights, or sure,
(24:48):
you're gonna miss out on what is going to be
the best of your life. So let me worry about
everything on my side of the surgical treape. You guys,
be pressent for each other and get ready to meet
your baby. And that's the most important thing. Sure is
focus on the big picture, which is where about to
(25:09):
meet our child? Right let me worry about all the details.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
That's incredible advice, especially for somebody who had a C
section the first time having one again, incredible advice. Now
you work, like you said, with high risk patients. One
being myself right here now, going down that road of
conceiving can be tough for so many women out there.
I do just want to end it with one more
piece of advice for anybody out there who dream is
(25:35):
to have a family and who feels that it's just
so far off in the distance they can't even fathom
it ever happening for them one day. Now, I've had
this conversation with you personally numerous times in your office
because I've shared my fertility struggles for many years. But
I want them to hear it from you. You know,
what's that piece of advice that you can give a
(25:56):
family out there who so longs for a child, but
maybe it just doesn't seem like it's ever gonna happen
for them.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Yeah, I've dealt with that professionally and deal with that
professionally on a regular basis. Yeah, And fortunately I never
had to deal with that as a father. We got
pregnant three times and we had three kids, and that
is a unicorn obstetrical history. Sure, but I have walked
(26:26):
families through fertilities struggles, and I've walked the path with
my patients with pregnancy laws. I think the most important
thing is to remember that there is a baby out
there for you, and just because it wasn't this baby,
(26:48):
or just because it's not happening on your preferred timeline,
lean in and truly believe in your heart and in
your head that there's a baby becoming your way, because
I firmly believe that's what's going on between your ears
and your brain affects everything from the eyeballs down and
(27:11):
manifesting and believing this is going to happen. I'll tell
you a quick story. Do I have a patient with
whom I am just dear friends with her and her
entire family. Yeah. She had fourteen miscarriages before she met me.
Fourteen Wow. And she came to me she was about
(27:34):
five or six weeks pregnant and had complete defeat, like,
I know how this ends. And I remember going into
her room after reading her history, and the first thing
I said to her was have you thought of a name?
And she said for what I said for your baby?
(27:54):
And she said, no, we don't think that far ahead.
I said, I want you to think that far ahead.
You're taking this baby right now. I didn't know maybe
some people would criticize me and say, that's a foolish
thing to say, you're giving false hope. I don't think
there's such thing as false hope. I think there's hope
and there's hopelessness. And I will bet on hope seven
(28:15):
days a week.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Right.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
And they delivered their son Kai, and subsequent to that
had two beautiful daughters.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
And that had very little to do with me other
than I was there to monitor the pregnancies and deliver
their children when it was time. I believe that was
her finally buying in This's gonna.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Happen, right, willing your hopes and dreams into the universe.
And you personally, you've you've dealt without yourself. There's things
that you've spoken out loud and you've and you've seen
come true.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Yeah. Absolutely absolutely, I'm an all in guy.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Speak it into existence.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
I love that, Doctor Paul Wilkes, what does Paranidal Associates?
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing incredible
words of wisdom and support and of course reiterating the
incredible care over at Southern Hills Hospital and with.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
The Sunrise Health System. Thank you for being on today.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
My pleasure.
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