Excelsior Springs, Mo. — Excelsior Springs Hospital (ESH) Outpatient Specialty Clinics continue to provide area residents with the care they need. Now, they offer pulmonary services through the expertise of Dr. Samiran Patel. Known for his individualized patient care approach, Dr. Patel brings years of experience and compassion to the local community.
As a board-certified pulmonologist, Dr. Patel treats a range of lung and respiratory conditions, including sleep apnea, pneumonia, pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary heart disease, pleural effusion, and pulmonary fibrosis.
Dr. Patel’s journey into pulmonology began in his home country of India, where he completed medical school before immigrating to the United States in the late 1990s. He completed his pulmonary and critical care fellowship in Arizona. After gaining experience in the field, he settled in Kansas City over 15 years ago, working within the St. Luke’s Health System.
“Currently, I work with people who have chronic respiratory illnesses and require long-term ventilator support,” he said.
Now sharing his passion for helping patients in a rural setting, Dr. Patel visits Excelsior Springs Hospital three days a month to see outpatient pulmonary patients, while also providing inpatient telemedicine services.
He said telemedicine availability depends on patient needs. “If a patient is hospitalized and needs my help, I’m available Monday through Friday. Whenever a patient needs me, I am here and ready to provide my services.”
Dr. Patel emphasized the importance of outpatient pulmonary clinics, particularly for patients with COPD, pulmonary nodules, asthma, lung cancer, and interstitial lung disease. “Outpatient care is essential because it allows us to catch problems early and provide treatment before they worsen and require hospitalization,” he explained.
When Dr. Patel sees patients at ESH, all ordered evaluations and tests—including lung function tests, breathing assessments, oxygen level checks, six-minute walk tests, arterial blood tests, CT scans, and echocardiograms—are performed locally.
For more advanced procedures such as bronchoscopies or lung biopsies, patients are referred to care centers like St. Luke’s. Patients diagnosed with lung cancer may receive PET scans through ESH’s mobile PET unit, although some cases are referred to larger facilities for expedited care.
In terms of patient care philosophy, Dr. Patel said, “I think the most important thing is prevention and individualized care.” Although he focuses on pulmonary disease, he encourages patients to consider their overall well-being. “There are five things that are proven to improve health outcomes: avoiding alcohol, not smoking, getting adequate sleep, regular exercise, and healthy eating.”
Dr. Patel also highlighted the unique challenges and rewards of rural healthcare. “Resources are limited in smaller, remote areas,” he said. “But working at ESH and getting to know this community has been moving. The simplicity of the people—it’s just amazing. There are so many hardworking individuals here who deserve great healthcare.”
He also expressed admiration for the team at ESH. “Just like my patients, the staff here are simple, respectful, and supportive. The clinical staff are amazing. When you compare Excelsior Springs to larger hospitals, what we accomplish here with our resources is truly fantastic.”
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