Timothy J. Gardner, M.D., receives AATS Lifetime Achievement Award
Timothy J. Gardner, M.D., medical director of Christiana Care’s Center for Heart & Vascular Health and executive director of the Value Institute, received the American Association for Thoracic Surgery’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes individuals for their significant contributions to the specialty in the areas of patient care, teaching, research or community service. Previous recipients include Dr. Frank Spencer of New York University and Dr. Eugene Braunwald of Harvard University.
Dr. Gardner was honored at the association’s annual meeting in Seattle on April 26 for lifelong contributions to the cardiothoracic surgery specialty. His contributions include numerous publications on the study of cardiac disease, leadership in creating the AATS Scientific Affairs and Government Relations Committee and serving as the director and driving force of the National Institutes of Health Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinical Research Network.
Dr. Gardner served as AATS President in 2001-2002. He has participated in numerous committee, publications and leadership activities of the AATS. He also served as president of the American Heart Association and was the first International Councilor for the European Association for Cardio Thoracic Surgery.
Dr. Gardner is a professor of surgery at Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He was the William M. Measey Professor of Surgery and chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery for the University of Pennsylvania Health System from 1993 to 2003. He was a cardiac surgeon at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore from 1976 to 1993. He joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1976, was appointed professor of surgery in 1986 and mentored numerous surgery residents and research fellows at Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania between 1976 and 2004.
Dr. Gardner joined Christiana Care in 2005 to oversee final phases of construction of the state-of the-science Center for Heart & Vascular Health in the Bank of America Pavilion on the Christiana Hospital campus.
Under his leadership, Christiana Care continues to be recognized as a regional center of excellence in cardiovascular medicine, where patients receive comprehensive, high-quality care. Dr. Gardner oversees a team of expert cardiologists, cardiac and vascular surgeons and subspecialists who offer patient-centered care using the most advanced treatment options and therapies available, including a Comprehensive Stroke Center designation from the Joint Commission and AHA/ASA.
Since 2011, Dr. Gardner has served as executive director of the Value Institute at Christiana Care Health System, leading a team of clinician researchers in programs to evaluate and deliver innovative solutions influencing quality of care, patient safety, population health, system performance and health policy development.