Newswise — Untold thousands of patients whose lives were touched by the work of an innovative cardiologist never knew his name. Many young physicians did know his name and were inspired to live up to the high standards it represented. He has been described as the "perfect blend of scientific cardiologist and compassionate physician."
The faculty and staff of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center mourn the passing on Feb. 7, 2005 of Jeremy (H.J.C.) Swan, M.D., chairman emeritus of the Division of Cardiology. Dr. Swan steered the cardiology program through years of growth, organization and achievement, establishing its world-class reputation and drawing scores of future cardiologists to Cedars-Sinai for training.
Dr. Swan gained international recognition in the 1970s when he and colleague William Ganz, M.D., introduced the Swan-Ganz catheter that enabled physicians to accurately measure the performance of the heart at the bedside, triggering dramatic changes in the medical management of critically ill patients. The idea, Dr. Swan later noted, came from watching the sail of a boat on Santa Monica Bay.
The two physicians received the American Heart Association's Heart Innovation Award in 2003, the same year that Dr. Swan was presented the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology. He was a past president of the ACC. Dr. Swan received many international awards, including the James B. Herrick Award of the American Heart Association in 1985, and he delivered the Stokes Lecture to the Irish Cardiac Society in 1990.
Dr. Swan came to the United States from his native Ireland in 1951, joining the cardiology staff at the Mayo Clinic. He was named director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at age 37 and quickly began to build an international reputation for innovation. He was named director of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai in 1965, serving as chairman of the division from that year until 1987.
"Dr. Swan was a mentor to generations of cardiology trainees," said John G. Harold, M.D., chief of Cedars-Sinai's medical staff, himself a cardiologist who came to Cedars-Sinai in 1982 for a three-year Cardiology fellowship. "My decision was based on the reputation of the medical center and particularly Drs. Swan and Ganz. "I owe my career to Dr. Jeremy Swan, a mentor, friend and fellow Irishman."
"He leaves behind a legacy of tremendous accomplishment and inspiration to cardiologists and cardiology trainees all over the world," said Dr. Harold. "He will be remembered for his grand vision, leadership, wisdom and brilliance."
Cardiologist P.K. Shah, M.D., is another of those charged with carrying forward the tradition of excellence established by Dr. Swan. Dr. Shah, who joined the medical center as a staff cardiologist in 1977, has served as chairman of the Division of Cardiology since 1995.
"The passing of Jeremy Swan has brought an end to an illustrious career. The world has lost a most influential medical leader, and I have lost a great mentor," said Dr. Shah. "Jeremy Swan's contributions to cardiology are nothing short of monumental. He touched the lives of several generations of cardiologists from all over the world and put the Cedars-Sinai Division of Cardiology on the international map. His passing represents the end of an era. We will all miss his keen intellect and his great leadership, friendship and warmth. He is clearly in a better place, and our hearts go out to Roma and other members of Jeremy's family."
Dr. Swan is predeceased by his daughter Katherine and is survived by his wife, Roma, six children and their spouses, 11 grandchildren and one great granddaughter.
James S. Forrester, M.D., former chief of the Division of Cardiology, was asked by the family to prepare a eulogy, recounting a few of the many highlights of Dr. Swan's life. He was, for example, an excellent scholar-athlete in his early years " even an amateur middleweight boxer. After receiving his medical degree from the University of London, St. Thomas' School of Medicine, Dr. Swan joined the Royal Air Force, serving as medical director of a hospital in central Iraq.
He received a Ph.D from the University of London and was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London. By 1965, he had published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in the fields of basic and clinical cardiac physiology and had earned an international reputation in vascular physiology and congenital heart disease. With this level of expertise, and being courted by major universities, he chose to come to Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, later to become Cedars-Sinai. At that time, the hospital had only a modest academic reputation, but Dr. Swan established a world-class cardiology program.
"I worked with Jeremy for more than 30 years. For many of us, he will remain the person who most influenced our own career," said Dr. Forrester, currently the George Burns and Gracie Allen Professor of Cardiovascular Research at Cedars-Sinai. "Jeremy set an example of personal and professional integrity. He was brilliantly innovative in research. He was visionary in building a division of cardiology. He had an Irish wit and Irish temper, both of which I came to know only too well. But finally, and most importantly, he cared for us like a father. I respected him and loved him most for that."
Donations in Dr. Swan's memory may be sent to:
Dr. H.J.C. Swan Memorial Heart Fundc/o Community Relations DepartmentCedars-Sinai Medical Center8700 Beverly BoulevardLos Angles, CA 90048
One of only four hospitals in California whose nurses have been honored with the prestigious Magnet designation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the Western United States. For 17 consecutive years, it has been named Los Angeles' most preferred hospital for all health needs in an independent survey of area residents. Cedars-Sinai is internationally renowned for its diagnostic and treatment capabilities and its broad spectrum of programs and services, as well as breakthroughs in biomedical research and superlative medical education. It ranks among the top 10 non-university hospitals in the nation for its research activities and was recently fully accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP). Additional information is available at www.cedars-sinai.edu.
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