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study , but it ’ s a tool that can help me look at 10,000 feet with a lower resolution image to help me guide the process . I like to challenge myself throughout my career and it ’ s another challenge I ’ ve added .”
Dr . Bird and Leigh have a passion for serving the community . While Leigh ’ s background is in architecture , she most recently held the roles of stay-at-home-mom and volunteer with many organizations locally , especially in Louisville ’ s vibrant Jewish community . Most notably , she was president of her synagogue , Keneseth Israel , where she excelled as a leader dealing with both the COVID-19 lockdown and a new rabbi search . When they first moved here , Dr . Bird volunteered at The Healing Place clinic and for the last six years , he has volunteered with Seven Counties Services . He is now the Chair of the Board of Directors .
“ It ’ s a privilege to be on that Board to help govern that organization through a CEO search , funding challenges and community involvement . In my practice , I see how my patients ’ lives have been moved in a very positive direction by Seven Counties .”
Their older child , Justin , works for an aerospace firm in St . Louis doing database coding and web development . He ’ s also an athlete , racing road bikes , and is the reason Dr . Bird has called himself a “ bike dad ” for many years . The Birds also adopted their younger daughter , Miriam , from South Korea when she was just six months old . After going through infertility treatments to have their son , Leigh knew that she wanted an alternative birth experience as they continued to grow their family .
“ We always say , instead of being pregnant for nine months , we did paperwork for nine months ,” he said laughing . “ We arrived at the airport in Louisville as a family of three and left as a family of four .”
Miriam is now a psychology major at the University of Cincinnati after taking a gap year to serve as a first responder in Tel Aviv for Magen David Adom , Israel ’ s national emergency service . Now with both kids out of the house , Dr . Bird has more time to invest in his many hobbies .
“ I like to say that as in my career , I ’ m a jack of all trades , and a master of some .”
Like Justin , he enjoys road biking as well as exercising and making 3D graphics on the computer . They love to travel and have recently been into renting camper vans and going off the grid at national parks . He also has a woodshop in his garage where he has made several large pieces .
“ We bought a Stickley dining room set and wanted a Stickley bedroom set too . After we looked at the price , I said I ’ d always wanted to try woodworking , so why don ’ t I try making one ? I cleaned out my garage , bought woodworking equipment , watched some YouTube videos , did some reading , watched some things on PBS and made a little footstool . And then I bought more equipment , and I ordered 230 board feet of cherry from a lumber mill in Pennsylvania . This pallet of wood was dropped on our front lawn . I thought to myself , I ’ m in it now .”
With future interests in public health and teaching , Dr . Bird feels a strong responsibility to his current patients , many of whom he ’ s known for years now .
“ I ’ m so grateful to be able to be involved in people ’ s lives and help them in their times of greatest need . It ’ s incredible the trust a patient puts in you . It ’ s the essence of what makes being a physician different than any other job ,” he said . “ From the first day I started in medicine , I realized that patients are the ends , not the means . It all begins and ends with high-quality patient care .”
Kathryn Vance is the Communications and Event Coordinator at the Greater Louisville Medical Society .
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