Drazner Begins Term as President of Heart Failure Society of America

Mark Drazner, M.D., M.Sc., Clinical Chief of Cardiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and a Professor of Internal Medicine, was inaugurated as President of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) on Sept. 13. He will serve as President for the 2021-22 term.

According to Dr. Drazner, now is an exciting time to be taking over the reins of HFSA.

“In the past two decades we have made tremendous advances in medical therapies for heart failure,” he notes. “We now have four well-established therapies that we know improve outcomes and prolong life. But we need to improve implementation. We need to educate clinicians and increase adoption of these therapies, and the HFSA will play a key role in that.”

Additionally, he notes other goals for the organization during his tenure as President:

• Broadening membership to include more pharmacists, nurses, and physician assistants
• Optimizing HFSA’s role as a research network for clinical trials
• Enhancing opportunities for member engagement with HFSA initiatives and programs

Dr. Drazner is no stranger to the issues facing cardiac health or in seeking ways to reduce the impact of heart disease. In addition to his duties as Clinical Chief of Cardiology, he led UT Southwestern’s Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant Section, during which time he emerged as a leader on the national stage.

In 2018, the American Heart Association’s Council on Clinical Cardiology awarded Dr. Drazner the prestigious Laennec Master Clinician Award, which recognizes lifetime achievement in patient care and teaching in cardiology. He is also the recipient of the Patricia and William L. Watson Jr., M.D. Award for Excellence in Clinical Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center’s highest honor in clinical care.

"Mark Drazner is one of the most ethical, intelligent, compassionate, professional, and hardworking people I know,” says Jennifer Thibodeau, M.D., Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern and Medical Director of the Heart Failure and ECMO programs. “He has dedicated his professional life not only to the exceptional care of patients who have heart failure, but also to advancing the field and educating and sponsoring future leaders in medicine. He exemplifies all of the qualities necessary to excel as HFSA President, and I could not be more proud of him."

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