Dollars & Sense: Sioux Falls Doctors Value Trusted Partnership with Their Banking Expert

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Sioux Falls physicians Muhammad Khan, MD, and his wife Maryam Sheikh, MD, specialize in managing the complex medical needs of hospitalized patients. So when it came to managing the complexities of their finances, they didn't hesitate to hire a specialist.

"Liz's role for us is similar to the role we play for our patients," says Dr. Khan of Elizabeth Carlson, vice president of Private Banking at American Bank & Trust in Sioux Falls. "We never feel like she is working for a bank. She works for us and she is there to help us figure out what is best for us. We can gain literacy, but we will never have her knowledge and credentials."

Carson's credentials are impressive. She helped launch AB&T's private banking department and specializes in managing even the most intricate financial situations for high-net worth clients. It's an approach that Sheikh and Khan say is essential for busy healthcare professionals. 

"I think sometimes physicians don't even realize that this kind of service is available to them," says Dr. Sheikh. "But with both of us working full time, Liz's flexibility and ease of communication have been invaluable to us. She has actually come to the hospital to bring us documents or come to our home to get things notarized."

Khan and Sheikh, who own property internationally, even recalled a time when Liz met them at the airport to facilitate an international wire transfer prior to a flight. 

"Maybe 50 years ago, you would hear of people doing that kind of thing, but it's rare these days," says Dr. Khan. "Doctors don't do home calls anymore and a lot of people don't go out of their way to help with things the way Liz does." 

As much as they appreciate her service, Khan and Sheikh say it is their trusting relationship with Carlson that they value most. 

"We tell her our goals and she figures out how to get it handled," says Dr. Khan. "That is the best."