Dartmouth-Hitchcock health system (D-H) has appointed DrMark ACreager, Professor of Medicine at Harvard and a nationally known expert in the field of cardiovascular diseases, as Center Director of the D-H Heart and Vascular Center. Creager comes to Dartmouth-Hitchcock and the Geisel School of Medicine after a distinguished career at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. Currently, he is president-elect of the American Heart Association and will serve as president from 2015-16.
“We’re delighted that Mark is joining us in this important new role, and we look forward to his arrival,” said D-H CEO and President DrJames N. Weinstein, in announcing Creager’s appointment. “Mark’s leadership will build on Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s already outstanding research and clinical care in heart and vascular medicine, and is a key component of our goal of building a sustainable health system, to improve the lives of the patients and communities we serve, for generations to come.”
DrCreager served as Director of the Vascular Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital from 1995 – 2012. He also has served as Director of the Multidisciplinary Vascular Lab, and Senior Physician and Head of the Vascular Medicine Section of the Cardiovascular Division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Creager was appointed Professor of Medicine at Harvard University in 2003.
“Cardiovascular disease” describes diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Such diseases affect the heart's ability to function normally, and are the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Some cardiovascular conditions are present at birth, while others develop over time. The D-H Heart and Vascular Center offers highly integrated multidisciplinary care for cardiovascular conditions, advancing the cardiovascular health of the population through research, education, clinical practice, and community partnerships.
Creager’s research covers two principal areas: translational studies of vascular regulatory mechanisms that contribute to atherosclerosis, and pathophysiologic mechanisms and the effects of therapy in patients with peripheral artery disease. His laboratory has contributed significantly to the body of knowledge regarding the effects of atherosclerosis and its risk factors on endothelial function in humans. He is an editor of the textbook, Vascular Medicine, and he has authored more than 350 contributions to the medical literature, including research papers on vascular function, book chapters, and monographs on vascular disease.
Creager is a recipient of the American Heart Association Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease Distinguished Achievement Award. He is Past President and Master of the Society for Vascular Medicine, a Fellow of the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, and a member of the Society of Clinical Investigation.
After earning his medical degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, he served his internship and residency in medicine at University Hospital in Boston, MA, followed by a clinical and research fellowship in Peripheral Vascular Disease at University Hospital and the Evans Foundation, as well as a clinical fellowship in Cardiology at University Hospital and Boston City Hospital.
DrCreager arrives at D-Hon July 6to begin this newly created role.