New Doc on the Block

Montgomery is fortunate to have a new doctor dedicated to women’s breast health. Dr. Katelin Holmes, Breast Surgeon Oncologist, is now practicing and accepting new patients in the capital city, and the Joy to Life Foundation and JOY magazine are thrilled to welcome her here.

Dr. Holmes received her medical degree with honors from the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed her general surgery internship at The University of North Texas Health Science Center through the Medical City Fort Worth Residency & Fellowship Program and did her general surgery residency at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School. She also completed a Society of Surgical Oncology Accredited fellowship through the Ohio Health Grant Medical Center/Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Holmes is a proud member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncology and the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons.

Outside her office and the operating room, Dr. Holmes enjoys spending time with her family (her husband and daughter) as well as rescuing pugs, cooking, reading historical fiction and traveling.

JOY magazine asked her to share a little more about her desire to become a doctor and explain the positive impact she hopes she has on her patients.

JOY: What first got you interested in pursuing a career in medicine?

Dr. Holmes: I was inspired by my grandmother who was an ICU RN, and my aunt, who was an OBGYN. They were both incredibly altruistic people who served their communities with humility and compassion. I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps in the healthcare field. Both of my parents were teachers, and I also loved that so many aspects of medicine incorporate a lifetime of learning and teaching as well.

JOY: What drew you to breast cancer and breast surgery?

Dr. Holmes: I immensely loved surgery for many reasons: the gift of using your hands to help make immediate differences in others' lives, seeing the anatomy that God creates in us all before my eyes every day in surgery, and appreciating the complexities of the human body when I operate. However, when I rotated through breast surgery as a medical student, I knew that the deep, personal connection I felt to my patients was so unique to this surgical field. I pursued special training in a breast fellowship after my residency so I could be a breast expert because I knew that was my passion! Breast surgery is a special niche — it is a personal disease for so many reasons and requires the doctors who treat it to be open minded, sensitive to the needs of patients and thoughtful in surgical approaches. I knew without a doubt that it was my calling the first time I scrubbed a breast surgery. My patients are the best part of my job. They teach me lessons in courage, hope and humility every single day, and I am a better person each day because of them.

JOY: What do you try to and hope to offer all your patients, but particularly those fighting breast cancer?

Dr. Holmes: I strive to offer care that is thoughtful in its approach — both surgically and emotionally to all my patients. I understand that a breast cancer diagnosis is one of the scariest moments in a patient's life. I never want a patient to feel rushed or unheard during the appointment. I also want patients to walk out of my office confident in a surgical treatment plan and full of hope! We have come so far in our surgical and medical treatments for breast cancer thanks to many brave survivors who have brought so much awareness to the public and funding to the field of breast cancer.

JOY: Is there anything else you’d like current and potential patients to know about you?

Dr. Holmes: I wear a few hats besides a scrub cap. I'm also a proud mom to a daughter, Georgia Kate, and married to my college sweetheart, Chad Holmes. We are originally from Tennessee but are so thrilled to be Alabamians now. It is my utmost privilege and calling to serve the amazing people of Central Alabama as a breast surgeon, and I am so thankful to be a part of this community.