Paul (Palvannanathan) Ganesan, MD

Paul (Palvannanathan) Ganesan, MD, considers it a privilege to care for others, regardless of their background.

"I'm kind of a common man," Dr. Ganesan said. "That's something that I would want my patients to feel. I'm one of them. I have patients who are Fortune 500 company executives, and I have patients who are farmers and patients who are homeless. They're all exactly the same person for me."

Dr. Ganesan is board certified in sleep medicine, pulmonary medicine, internal medicine and critical care medicine. He sees pulmonology patients at Methodist Physicians Clinic while caring for critical care patients and offering sleep medicine services at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital.

He likes the variety his roles offer. One day he may be helping patients with sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia, idiopathic hypersomnia and circadian rhythm disorders. Another, he may be caring for patients with asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension and lung cancers.

Caring for hospitalized critical care patients can be taxing physically and emotionally, he said, but it's rewarding.

"When people are really sick and you get them better, and a few months after that you see them at the clinic and they're looking like you and me, it's just amazing," he said.

With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Ganesan has seen just about everything and is comfortable and relaxed in hospital and clinic settings. That attitude helps set the tone for the staff while easing stress and instilling confidence in patients.

"All these years, seeing patients every day in different settings, different countries, different corners of the world, in different types of practice, it's just natural," he said. "I just try to be myself. I'm just a regular guy who happens to be a doctor."