Congratulations to OhioHealth Heart and Vascular physician Dr. Howard Kander for receiving the Distinguished Achievement Award by the American Heart Association.

OhioHealth Heart and Vascular physician Dr. Howard Kander for recently received the Distinguished Achievement Award by the American Heart Association for his leadership and contributions to Mission: Lifeline.

Dr. Howard Kander has been an instrumental physician leader for the Central Ohio Regional STEMI System (CORSS) and the Mission: Lifeline Accelerator Project for nearly two years.  He initially helped create standardized STEMI Alert Pathways (protocols) which includes pathways for referral facilities, EMS, as well as, PCI receiving facilities.  These protocols have been widely accepted/adopted and have even been duplicated in other regions across the country.

One of the largest contributions that Dr. Kander has made was introducing the idea of our CORSS Physician STEMI Case Reviews.  His idea was to bring interventional cardiologists together on a regular basis to discuss STEMI cases.  These case reviews have been widely appreciated across our region.  They’ve not only brought together three very large hospital systems, but also incorporate physicians from smaller, more rural PCI facilities.  At a recent case review, nearly 30 physicians were in attendance. Emergency Physicians will also be joining us in future case reviews.

These case reviews allow for best practice sharing. Fellows are invited as well, which provides them with a unique educational opportunity to learn from some the best cardiologists in the state.  The meetings are casual, laid back and have enhanced the camaraderie amongst colleagues. Case reviews are held on a quarterly basis. This widely accepted model is now being duplicated in other markets.

To the benefit of millions of residents in central Ohio and beyond, Dr. Kander has made a significant contribution to improving their outcomes from acute cardiac events.