Tara Kay, MMS, PA-C

“To me the most important things are being a good listener; making my patients feel heard; and taking extra time to ensure that they understand their treatment plan so we can work together as a team.”

Tara Kay, PA-C, works with board-certified cardiologists at Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists to prevent, diagnose and treat acute and chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system. She sees patients in both the Beaufort and Okatie practice locations and assists with procedures at Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab as well.

Areas of Expertise

• Lifestyle medicine and preventive medicine – Adjusting habits and behaviors, generally related to nutrition or physical activity levels, as a means of improving overall health and longevity and preventing cardiovascular disease.
• Coronary artery disease – Narrowing or blockage of the major blood vessels that supply the heart.
• Pre- and post-operative interventional cardiac care – Care before and after interventional cardiac procedures such as cardiac catheterization, TEE (Transesophageal Echocardiogram) and pacemaker and ICD device implantation.
• Congestive heart failure – A chronic condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood or fill as well as it should.
• Arrhythmia management – Abnormal electrical conduction (beating) of the heart resulting in irregular, too fast (tachycardic) or too slow (bradycardic) heart rhythms.

Video Visits

Tara offers virtual visits in certain circumstances for patient follow-up. If interested, ask about the option when scheduling.

Background

The Delaware native brings experience in both cardiology and family medicine, most recently as a Physician Assistant at Delaware Cardiovascular Associates in Dover and earlier in the same capacity at a family medicine practice in Virginia Beach, Va.

She uses her lifelong passion for, academic knowledge of and clinical experience in nutrition and exercise science to teach her patients how to prevent cardiovascular disease and improve their overall health through lifestyle modifications.

Tara enjoys staying fit, teaching exercise classes and outdoor activities of all kinds—among them hiking, boating and hanging out with her three rescue dogs. An enthusiastic chef, she loves trying new recipes and cooking with fresh vegetables and herbs that she grows herself.