Practicing What They Preach
Photos by Natasha Isom Photography
VEGASMD
Mention the words “power couple” in Las Vegas and notables such as casino moguls Steve and Elaine Wynn are likely to come to mind (though they divorced in 2010); or the sporting duo, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf; or former Mayor Oscar Goodman (1999-2011) and incumbent Mayor Carolyn Goodman (since 2011). There are more, and they dominate in a variety of Las Vegas industries.
But now come Dr. Yevgeniy Khavkin and Dr. Jeannie Khavkin – recent additions to the medical power ranks. He is talkative and always on the move. She is reserved and reflective. Each is a highly credentialed and accomplished surgical specialist. They are devoted to each other, their work, their family and to their values.
They met in Chicago – introduced through Yevgeniy’s parents, who knew someone who knew someone. Yevgeniy, a neurosurgeon, calls it, “Jewish matchmaking at its finest!”
In 2010 they moved to Las Vegas. Jeannie is an ENT specialist and a facial and plastic surgeon. They combined their medical practices in 2013 at the Khavkin Clinic on Town Center Drive in the Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin.
For Yevgeniy and Jeannie (even their names lend to the power moniker) the Khavkin Clinic is an ambition realized after years of medical training, holding prestigious positions at prominent medical institutions and receiving medical awards and philanthropic recognitions.
“I didn’t like the weather in Chicago, and I wasn’t pleased with the academic practice there,” Yevgeniy says. “And I no longer wanted to work for a big university. I wanted to create something … build something from the ground up that reflected our own vision … a medical institution with renowned physicians and an excellent patient experience.”
The Khavkin Clinic offers neuro/spine surgery, facial plastic surgery, ENT, cardiology and anesthesiology. And, says Yevgeniy, “We’re considering the addition of two other surgical specialties.”
The practice has eight physicians, including Yevgeniy’s brother Albert, an anesthesiologist. Formerly a cardiac surgeon in Russia, Albert defected to the United States in the late 1980s, was granted political asylum and retrained in anesthesiology.
“The clinic,” says Yevgeniy, “functions more like a team of colleagues, partners … friends, who are also top-notch medical professionals who share the same philosophy: providing patients with the best ethical and medical care possible. “
Anything short of best is not an option, says Yevgeniy. And each patient must have an amazing experience, beginning with his or her first phone call to the center (where they will reach a live person) to the success of the procedure and beyond.
Dr. Yevgeniy Khavkin is a director of of Spine and Neurosurgery Service at Spring Valley Hospital; and director of Spine and Neurosurgery Service at Centennial Hills Hospital. He is also a former chairman of the Department of Surgery at Southern Hills Hospital.
The Khavkins have two sons, and a recently born daughter. The parents are both accomplished musicians. Yevgeniy sings and plays the guitar. Jeannie is a classically trained pianist. Mostly they enjoy music as a family pastime. But they have also volunteered their musical talents by participating in Doctors in Concert, a fundraising event to benefit the Nathan Adelson Hospice.
As with most power couples, finding a balance between work, family and community responsibilities requires considerable effort.
“As a woman,” says Jeannie, “I’ve had to especially engage in soul searching to better define my priorities. When we moved here I had my own practice. I was pregnant with our first child. I was acclimating to a new community. And I wanted to devote time for our relationship. It was crazy.”
Jeannie figured out that the perfectionist within was good for her profession. Beyond that she learned the value of delegation, time management and a supportive husband. And she counts her blessings for the many opportunities she has to improve the lives of others.
Both doctors grew up with and were influenced by mothers who were physicians. His mother was a pediatric surgeon; hers a neonatal critical care specialist.
Yevgeniy was accepted into medical school in Russia at the implausible age of 16, making him akin to the TV character Doogie Howser – the teenage physician in ABC’s 1989 hit series.
When Yevgeniy’s family immigrated to America in 1994, he transferred to the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. He completed his neurosurgical residency at the University of Chicago and a fellowship in complex and minimally invasive spine surgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
“I was the first foreign student to transfer to an American medical school,” Yevgeniy Says.
For several years, he was a director of neurosurgical spine service at Northwestern University, where he gained recognition for performing numerous complex oncological surgeries, and for training neurosurgery residents and fellows.
Jeannie, then 15, moved to Chicago with her family in 1990 from Belarus. They joined her brother, who was already living in Chicago.
After graduating from Northwestern, and Rush Medical College, Jeannie completed her residency in otolaryngology head and neck surgery at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary.
“I was fortunate to train under leading experts in the field of facial plastic surgery, which motivated me to pursue fellowship training in rhinoplasty, facial rejuvenation and complex facial reconstructive surgery at the University of Toronto,” she says.
The Khavkins are involved in numerous charitable endeavors. Yevgeniy works to improve medical care in Eastern Europe. In Russia, he performed gratis neurological surgeries at orphanages. He also contributes to Jewish Healthcare International and Eagle Condor International.
Jeannie is a founding board member of Smiles for Survivors. The local nonprofit provides care for breast cancer survivors who have suffered oral complications due to chemotherapy.
“I do reconstructions on patients who have been assaulted ... and my husband and I are part of Helping Hands Surgical Care where we perform free surgeries for uninsured patients,” Jeannie says.
Through his travels, Yevgeniy often hears people criticizing America. “But America still offers the best of the best in the world,” he says.
And he remains bothered by the joke he heard when they moved to Las Vegas: When you live in Vegas and need medical care, where do you go? McCarran International Airport. “That’s not a joke you want to hear as a physician in the community,” Yevgeniy says.
“The perception is changing, though. I’ve gotten to know a lot of great physicians over the years, and some of the best I’ve ever worked with are right here in town,” he adds. “That’s exciting.”
The Khavkins are now looking toward medical tourism. They believe it’s an emerging area of the Las Vegas economy, and they are at the forefront. Medical tourism makes up about 10 percent of their practice, and it’s growing. Patients are coming to them from Russia, Canada, Mexico, South America, China and Eastern Europe.
“International patients can afford to travel for medical care. They consider going to the Mayo and Cleveland Clinics and Johns Hopkins. But those facilities, while wonderful, are not in the most attractive parts of the country. They want to travel with the family, and Las Vegas offers great hospitality, entertainment and shopping in addition to excellent medical care that they regard as the best in the world,” Yevgeniy says.
The Khavkins recently acquired land in the southwest near the newly opened IKEA where they plan to build their new medical center.
The Khavkins find it curious to be labeled a “power couple.” They see their work as simply an outgrowth of their values
“I think it comes down to the impact you have on people’s lives,” Yevgeniy says. “In that sense, we may be a ‘power couple,’ but we’re also a power practice. We’re fortunate to be in a position to greatly and positively impact lives on a daily basis.”
One of the Khavkins’ favorite inspirational quotes is from French businessman Francois Constantin, one of the founders of the famous watch company Vacheron Constantin, who, in 1819, wrote: “Do better if possible … and it is always possible.”