Our Story

E. Joseph LeBauer, MD, founder of LeBauer HeartCare

LeBauer HealthCare might well not be here but for the popularity of silk hosiery. What is now one of the fastest growing medical practices in the Southeast had a modest beginning. In the 1920s, businessman Joe LeBauer moved his silk hosiery operation from New Jersey to Greensboro, N.C.

In time, nylons would replace silk hosiery, and the family’s interest would shift from textiles to medicine.  Joe’s sons, Sidney LeBauer, MD, an internist and cardiologist, and Maurice LeBauer, MD, a general surgeon, started practicing medicine on the third floor of the old Jefferson Pilot building in downtown Greensboro in 1931.

Sidney LeBauer had three sons who joined the practice: Joe LeBauer, MD, a cardiologist; Sam LeBauer, MD, a gastroenterologist; and Eugene LeBauer, MD, a pulmonary and allergy medicine specialist. A fourth son, Sidney Jr., died of heart disease two days before he was to graduate from Duke University School of Medicine.

By the time the three joined their father and uncle in the 1960s and 1970s, things were getting busy, and 80- to 100-hour weeks were commonplace.  “Our father instilled in us a love of medicine, and we recognized the satisfaction he got from his practice,” Sam LeBauer says. “There has never been a day I didn’t enjoy practicing medicine.”

Over time, LeBauer HealthCare has grown into a large multi-specialty organization. The goal, the LeBauers say, has always been to offer the best possible medical care to the community, and as the patient base has grown, the practice has added new physicians to help carry out its mission.  This growth has led to the development of seven divisions – behavioral medicine, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, pulmonary, and primary care.

In 1988, the practice moved to the Sidney F. LeBauer Medical Center on N. Elam Avenue. Today, there are seventeen branch offices throughout Guilford and Rockingham counties. The cardiology division is on N. Church Street. LeBauer HealthCare also has been a leader in clinical research in cardiology, gastroenterology and pulmonology, with many members of the cardiology research team, led by Bruce Brodie, MD, developing national and even international reputations.

“We have been very fortunate to attract a diverse group of highly trained and motivated physicians over the years,” Joe LeBauer says. “We are proud to have played a significant role in the development of medicine throughout Guilford County. Our physicians are also proud that they have been able to work closely with many other fine physicians in the area.”

LeBauer Cardiovascular Research

When Joe LeBauer, MD, first came to Greensboro in 1967 to join his father in the practice of cardiology, he laid the groundwork for what would become the region’s premier cardiology group. Over the years, Dr. LeBauer and this practice have been instrumental in shaping cardiology care in this region by helping develop coronary care units across the state, and bringing Emergency Ambulance Service (EMS) to our county.

Providing innovative treatment has always been a hallmark of our practice. In 1983, cardiologist Bruce Brodie, MD, from our group was one of the first in the country to use balloon angioplasty to treat acute heart attacks. Our practice also introduced coronary angioplasty, 2D echocardiography, nuclear cardiology and electrophysiology to our community. Through participation in research trials and numerous presentations, our physicians helped establish coronary stenting as the preferred treatment for heart attacks and have played a part in evaluating numerous medications and procedures.

We are proud to have had an enduring impact on cardiac care in this region, but our mission is as vital today as ever. LeBauer HeartCare continues to offer the most advanced diagnostic and treatment options, and participate in groundbreaking clinical research. With each day and every patient, LeBauer HeartCare continues to write history.