World-Class Cardiology With a Conscience

What does it take to build world-class medicine without losing your humanity?

In this episode of Rooted in Resilience, Zarina sits down with Dr. Shaun Smithson — triple board-certified interventional and structural heart cardiologist, founder of One Miami Medical, and one of the most sought-after heart specialists in South Florida and the Caribbean. From Howard University to the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, and more than 20,000 procedures later, Dr. Smithson has built a career on excellence, access, and conscience.

This is a conversation about resilience at the highest stakes — the mental weight of holding a life in your hands, the discipline behind mastery, and what it means to be a Black, bilingual cardiologist building something of your own in one of the most diverse cities in America.

In this episode:

– The moment he knew medicine was his path

– What it takes to perform high-complexity heart procedures like TAVR, MitraClip and Watchman

– Being the first physician in Jamaica to perform several structural heart procedures

– Building One Miami Medical, "Concierge Cardiology with a Conscience"

– Health equity: closing the outcomes gap for Black and Latino patients

– Legacy, representation, and advice for the next generation