ATLANTA – (May 1, 2009) – John (Jack) B. O’Connell, MD, a leading authority on heart failure, ventricular assist devices and cardiac transplantation has joined Saint Joseph’s Hospital as executive director, Heart Failure program. Dr. O’Connell will focus on broadening Saint Joseph’s heart failure clinical program which began in 2004, increasing heart transplantation procedures and creating a ventricular assist device (VAD) center of excellence. Dr. O’Connell will also focus on recruiting heart failure and transplant physicians to complement the existing experience among Saint Joseph’s medical staff.
“Heart failure affects approximately 550,000 people each year and includes a wide range of treatments from drug therapy, bridge devices such as VADs and LVADs to transplants and the entire spectrum in between,” says Kirk Wilson, president and CEO at Saint Joseph’s Hospital. “Dr. O’Connell is a leading authority on heart failure and has spent his career teaching and developing comprehensive heart failure and transplant programs around the country. As one of only two adult cardiac transplant centers in Atlanta, Saint Joseph’s is very excited to have him join us to oversee the development of a comprehensive program to treat heart failure patients throughout the Southeast.”
Prior to joining Saint Joseph’s, Dr. O’Connell was most recently affiliated with Northwestern University/Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute where he implemented a best-practice heart failure program. He has also been associated with Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical, Salt Lake City and Utah Cardiac Transplant Program, Loyola University Medical Center and the Hines Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Dr. O’Connell earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle Campus and his medical degree from Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University, IL. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a cardiology fellowship at Loyola University Medical Center. He is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease. Dr. O’Connell is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Fellow of the American Heart Association and past president of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. He serves on the editorial board, Heart Failure Reviews, is a manuscript consultant for 23 medical journals, is the author of numerous articles and peer presentations, as well as Principal Investigator or co-investigator on numerous cardiac related clinical trials.
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