L+M Physician Friday -- Dr. Robert Keltner

For three decades he’s been helping people breathe.

In fact, this July, Dr. Robert J. Keltner will mark the 30th anniversary of his practice as a pulmonologist with Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.

“I’ve been here so long I have patients whose children are coming to see me for asthma, too,” he says. “When I first went through medical school, I thought I’d end up at a big-city hospital and be teaching residents, but I’ve been very happy here in this community. I had no concept of what it would be like at a community hospital until I moved up here in July 1982.”

Keltner always figured he’d be in a big city because he grew up in New York. He went to medical school at New York Medical College, did his residency at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in New York City and then his fellowship at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

After his fellowship, Keltner started his career in Bridgeport because it happened to be close to his wife-to-be, Suzanne, who he met during his residency.

He spent two years working at Bridgeport Hospital, but he was looking for a better opportunity to practice as a pulmonologist.

Then, he got a call from a friend of his, Dr. John Urbanetti, who had recently opened a practice in New London and was looking for a partner.

The rest, as they say, is history. “It worked out very well,” Keltner says. “I didn’t know what it was going to be like in a small town, but I found out that I really loved it.”

Keltner and his wife settled in. They bought a home in Waterford and began building a life here. He calls southeastern Connecticut a “spectacular place to live.”

In fact, Keltner has embraced the area and the hospital in many meaningful ways.

His involvement with L+M, for example, is multifaceted, including serving as president of the medical staff in 1998-99, serving on the Board of Directors as an officer of the medical staff, and today, serving on the Board of Directors as a member of the community. He is also the hospital’s chief of pulmonary services.

“Everyone I work with at the hospital is very committed,” Keltner says. “On the board, it’s a lot of work, but I really enjoy it very much. There’s a great mixture of people – finance, professionals, medical people. It works out very well.”

Kelter’s community involvement doesn’t end with the hospital, either. This pulmonologist has been putting his own lungs to good use as a member of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus since the 1980s. Each year, the chorus performs with the symphony at the last performance of the season, and one year the chorus traveled to China to perform in Beijing.

“I love classical music,” Keltner says. “In fact, when I was younger, I was even thinking of going into music as a career, until I realized I had minimal talent. I played in bands and orchestras in school. I was a clarinetist. It was a nice diversion.”

Keltner found his real talent in medicine. And he continues to enjoy work, even though at times during his career he thought he might “burn out” from the stress of seeing so many patients with life-threatening conditions, such as asbestosis and lung cancer. But, while his work at times is very difficult and sad, he says helping people with chronic diseases live better lives has enabled him to keep a smile on his face.

“To be able to get to know my patients, to follow them and to help them over a long period of time – it’s very rewarding,” he said.

To learn more about Dr. Keltner, click here.