AF Stat™ Leadership
AF Stat Medical Chair
Eric N. Prystowsky, MD
Dr. Prystowsky is a practicing cardiologist with The Care Group, LLC., and director
of the Clinical Electrophysiology Laboratory at St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital.
He is Consulting Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center.
Dr. Prystowsky is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and the Mt. Sinai
School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine training at Mt. Sinai Hospital,
New York City, and his training in cardiology and clinical electrophysiology at
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
From 1979 to 1986, Dr. Prystowsky was a full-time faculty member at the Indiana
University School of Medicine, where he was Director of the Electrophysiology Laboratory.
In 1986, he returned to Duke University as Professor of Medicine and Director of
Cardiac Arrhythmia Center. He joined The Care Group in 1988. In addition to coauthoring
two textbooks, Cardiac Arrhythmias: An Integrated Approach for the Clinician and
Clinical Electrophysiology Review, Dr. Prystowsky also authored over 640 scientific
manuscripts and abstracts concerning cardiac arrhythmias.
He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology
and is also on the editorial boards of 16 journals, including Circulation.
Additionally, he is past chairman of the American Heart Association’s Committee
on Electrocardiography and Electrophysiology, past president of the Heart Rhythm
Society, and past chairman of the Test Writing Committee for Clinical Electrophysiology
for the American Board of Internal Medicine. He was given the Distinguished Alumni
Award from The Pennsylvania State University in 2007.
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AF Stat Cardiology Co-Chair
Keith C. Ferdinand, MD
Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, is a Clinical Professor in the cardiology division at
Emory University, an Adjunct Clinical Professor at the Morehouse School of Medicine,
and Chief Science Officer of the Association of Black Cardiologists. He previously
was the Medical Director of Heartbeats Life Center, and Professor of Clinical Pharmacology
at Xavier University College of Pharmacy in New Orleans. In the community, Dr. Ferdinand
was the principal investigator of the Healthy Heart Community Projects, a cardiovascular
risk program targeting African American and other high-risk populations. Healthy
Heart is a nationally recognized model for community-based health screening and
intervention. He was host and producer of "Health Issues 2000," a community cable
talk show, and previously produced "You and Your Health," a local radio talk show
in New Orleans.
Dr. Ferdinand was a member of the ALLHAT Data Safety and Monitoring Board and chair
of Section Four of the Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee. He was a member
of the Ad Hoc Committee on Minority Populations for the National Heart Lung and
Blood Institute (NHLBI), and a member of the National High Blood Pressure Education
Program Coordinating Committee. He was director of the NHLBI Physician’s Health
Network, a program that educated physicians and the lay population on cardiovascular
risk reduction.
He is past president and former member of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners,
past president of the Orleans Division of the American Heart Association, and past
chair of the Board of Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc.
Dr. Ferdinand received his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine.
He is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease, a diplomat
certified in the subspecialty of nuclear cardiology, an American Society of Hypertension
certified specialist in clinical hypertension, and a Fellow of the American College
of Cardiology, American Heart Association, the National Lipid Association and the
American Society of Hypertension. Dr. Ferdinand has written for Cardiology Clinics,
Annual of Drug Therapy, and Cardiovascular Diseases in Blacks. Dr. Ferdinand is
Editor-in-Chief of the 2009 Educational Review Manual in Cardiovascular Disease
(Castle Connolly). He is co-author of Overcoming Katrina African American Voices
from the Crescent City and Beyond (Palgrave McMillan 2009), a collection of 27 oral
histories. He also is co-editor of Cardiovascular Disease in Racial & Ethnic
Minorities (Humana Press 2009).
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AF Stat Policy Advisor
The Honorable William H. Frist, MD
Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is the University Distinguished
Professor at Vanderbilt University Medical School. He is a heart and lung transplant
surgeon.
Dr. Frist majored in health policy at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School
of Public and International Affairs before graduating with honors from Harvard Medical
School and completing a surgical residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and
a heart transplantation chief residency at Stanford. As the founder and Director
of the Vanderbilt Multi-Organ Transplant Center, he has performed over 150 heart
and lung transplants and authored over 100 peer-reviewed medical articles, over
400 newspaper articles and six books on topics such as bioterrorism and transplantation.
He is board certified in both general and heart surgery.
Dr. Frist represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate for 12 years and was elected
Majority Leader to the Senate. Under his leadership, affordable access to prescription
drugs for seniors in Medicare was ensured.
Dr. Frist annually leads medical mission trips to Africa. Frist is chair of Save
the Children’s “Survive to Five Campaign.” His current board service includes the
Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, Millennium Challenge
Corporation, Africare, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the Center for
Strategic and International Studies, and Hope Through Healing Hands.
Frist was the 2007-2008 Frederick H. Schultz Professor of International Economic
Policy at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International
Affairs. He is married and has three sons.
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The National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is made up of more than
80 individual organizations that collaborate to provide national leadership for
those committed to building a heart healthy and stroke free society. The vision
of the National Forum is working together for a heart-healthy and stroke-free world.
The mission is to provide leadership and encourage collaboration among organizations
committed to heart disease and stroke prevention.
Keith Mason
Keith Mason is the Executive Director of the National Forum for Heart Disease and
Stroke Prevention. He brings more than 10 years of experience in the health care
field to his new post as the National Forum’s first Executive Director. Prior to
joining the National Forum in 2009, Mason was with Eli Lilly and Company where he
worked to encourage collaboration between professional organizations and consumer
groups to improve outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease.
In addition to his work with the National Forum, Keith also currently serves on
the board of HealthNet, an Indianapolis-based community health organization providing
health care regardless of ability to pay. He received a BA in political science
from Wabash College and a MS in secondary education from Indiana University, Bloomington.
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Julie A. Harvill, MPA, MPH
Julie A. Harvill is the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD)
lead consultant for the National Forum. In this capacity, she serves as the lead
liaison between the CDC/Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Management
and the NACDD. She provides strategic, logistical and administrative support to
the Forum’s Coordinating Board, Executive Committee, and Membership and Resource
Committees.
Formerly the administrator of the Illinois Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program,
Harvill was President of the Chronic Disease Directors in 2004-2005. She was the
Founding Co-chair of the Cardiovascular Health Council in 1998, President of the
Illinois Society for Public Health Education in 1995 and Executive Council Member
of the Illinois Public Health Association from 1992–1995. Harvill received a bachelor’s
in psychology and social service from Bradley University, a master’s in public administration
from Sangamon State University and a master’s in public health from the University
of Illinois at Springfield.
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AFib Patient Perspective
Jerry West, AFib Patient
During his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Jerry West became
synonymous with brilliant basketball and one of the greatest guards in NBA history.
He was the third player in league history to reach 25,000 points (after Wilt Chamberlain
and Oscar Robertson). He was an All-Star every year of his career and led Los Angeles
to the NBA Finals nine times. He left the game holding records for career postseason
scoring and the highest average in a playoff series.
In 1974, the 36-year-old West left the game as the NBA's third-leading career scorer,
behind Chamberlain and Robertson, with 25,192 points in 932 games. After two years
away from basketball, West became the Lakers' head coach for the 1976-77 season.
In three campaigns with West at the helm, the Lakers went 145-101 and returned to
the playoffs after missing the postseason during West's absence from the team. He
stayed on as a scout for three years and became general manager in 1982, helping
to build the Lakers' dynasty of the 1980s. West was elected to the Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979 and named the NBA Executive of the Year for 1995
after the Lakers posted their best record in four seasons.
After being employed by the Lakers for over 40 years, West became the President,
Basketball Operations of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002-2007. He was again named
NBA Executive of the Year in 2004 after the Grizzlies reached the NBA play-offs
for the first time in their history.
West is currently retired. He is married to his wife, Karen, and they reside in
Bel Air, California. West has five boys – David, Michael, Mark, Ryan and Jonnie.
He also has two grandchildren – Andrew and Keely. West is an alumnus of WVU and
his son, Jonnie, currently attends and plays basketball at the University.
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