Dr. Susan Brozena
PHILADELPHIA – Susan Brozena, MD, FACC, FAHA, an emeritus associate professor of Cardiovascular Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, received the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. This award celebrates a professional who has had a pioneering career and has made an exceptional impact on their patients, the Philadelphia community and the field of cardiology. Brozena will accept the award during the AHA Heart Science Forum on May 4, 2018 at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia.
Brozena joined the faculty at Penn in 1998 as an assistant professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, after beginning her career locally at Temple University. Early on, she started her career as a nurse in a coronary care unit, where she developed a love for cardiology. As a registered nurse and after completing her bachelor’s degree in nursing, Brozena ultimately decided to leave the field to pursue a medical degree. As a cardiologist, Brozena has spent the last 32 years caring for patients with heart failure, and those who are waiting for or recently received a heart transplant.
“This is a well-deserved honor, and one that justly recognizes Susan’s impact on the region as a whole and in the clinic every day,” said Michael S. Parmacek, MD, chair of the department of Medicine and the Frank Wister Thomas Professor of Medicine. “Having worked with Dr. Brozena for almost 20 years, I can attest that she demonstrates, by example, what patient-centered care is all about. She is always an advocate for her patients and their families, and has displayed resounding dedication, innovation, and empathy in delivering care. Susan has taught all of us that the optimal patient experience requires a team that recognizes the value of nurses, staff and social services.”
The author of more than 65 scientific publications and book chapters and having delivered more than 50 invited lectures, Brozena is a member of the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the Cardiac Transplant Research Database Group, the Heart Failure Society of America, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplant, and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. She is also currently serving as the Chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine Cardiology Board Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Certification Exam Committee.
Brozena received her nursing degree from Wilkes-Barre General Hospital School of Nursing, and her bachelor’s in nursing from Wilkes College, before receiving her medical degree from Temple University. She completed an Internal Medicine internship and residency, as well as a fellowship in Cardiology at Temple University Hospital. She served on the Temple University School of Medicine faculty for 12 years before joining the Department of Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
The American Heart Association’s 2018 Heart Science Forum will be held on Friday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. Heart Science Forum brings together the region’s leaders in the life sciences, business leaders, researchers and entrepreneurs to discuss innovative approaches to prevent and manage cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The event theme of Driving Innovation in Patient Outcomes captures the intent of the Heart Science Forum, and speakers will engage participants in meaningful discussion on this topic. The event also includes the Innovation Challenge, in which entrepreneurs, scientists and researchers will showcase their solutions to critical heart health issues.
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service. The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school.
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