10/21/2026
SAMS Member Spotlight: Dr. Kais J. Yehyawi
Interventional Cardiologist | Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory | SAMS Medical Mission Volunteer
A career in medicine can take a physician far from home. For Dr. Kais Yehyawi, it has also created a path back. Born in Damascus and trained in the United States, he now brings his expertise in interventional cardiology to patients in Syria, returning through SAMS medical missions to provide care and share knowledge with local healthcare professionals.
Dr. Yehyawi earned his medical degree from Damascus University School of Medicine. He continued his training in the United States, completing an internal medicine residency and cardiology training at UWM Sinai Samaritan Medical Center, followed by an advanced fellowship in interventional cardiology at the Minneapolis Heart Institute.
Today, he practices at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, Indiana, where he serves as an interventional cardiologist and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Alongside his clinical work, he shares his expertise through medical education and humanitarian service.
As a SAMS volunteer, Dr. Yehyawi joins medical missions approximately twice a year. His service has taken him to Greece, Lebanon, Jordan, and, more recently, back to Syria. During missions in Damascus, he has performed cardiac catheterization procedures and delivered lectures for medical students and local healthcare professionals. He has also participated in missions to Tadmor, Deir ez-Zor, and Daraa, bringing specialized cardiovascular care to patients who may otherwise have limited access to it.
Over the years, his connection to SAMS has grown alongside that commitment to service.
“SAMS began as a way to connect with my peers on both social and intellectual levels. Over the years, it has evolved into a way of life, a gateway to serve those less fortunate in a way never thought possible. I’m fortunate to have been given the opportunity to give back to the people and country that made me who I am.
Syrians everywhere deserve access to the same quality of care that we are fortunate to provide here in the United States. It is an honor to return and provide services that many patients otherwise may not have been able to access.”
Outside medicine, Dr. Yehyawi enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Lena, have been married for 32 years and have four children: two daughters and two sons.
Through his clinical leadership and volunteer service, Dr. Yehyawi embodies SAMS’ commitment to sharing medical expertise, supporting healthcare professionals, and helping more patients access the care they need.
