 |
|
|
|
|
| [an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself," wrote author Joseph Campbell.
NHW applauds the life and work of Dr. Henry D. McIntosh, whose efforts have touched the lives of many thousands around the world, bringing both health and peace to distant shores.
During World War II, the college graduate and member of the Office of Secret Services parachuted into France to work behind enemy lines--courage that earned the young leader the Silver Star and eventually the rank of Captain. But Henry McIntosh's golden career lay ahead of him. After leaving the service, he attended medical school, graduating in 1950. From there, he trained at Duke University, where he rose to the rank of professor in four years, followed by an appointment as chief of cardiology. During his tenure, he was one of the earliest and most vocal spokesmen on the hazards of smoking and physical inactivity, a campaign that he still carries on today.
In 1970, he accepted the post of chairman of medicine at Baylor in Houston, opposite his surgical counterpart, noted cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey. Four years later, he was elected president of the American College of Cardiology. In 1977, he joined the Watson Clinic in Lakeland, Florida, and maintained a large private practice.
But amid all the honors and achievements came the need to help others. The opportunity arose when a former student recycled used pacemakers for patients in Guatemala.
"I thought, That's the most remarkable thing I've ever heard," said Dr. McIntosh later in an interview. So in 1984, he founded Heartbeat International, a philanthropic organization with a mission to provide new pacemakers to the poor in developing countries.
"We look on these pacemakers as peacemakers," said Dr. McIntosh. "You see doctors from China, India, Pakistan, Ecuador all together, talking among themselves. That, we think, is the way peace is made."
Each year more than 500 pacemakers--at a cost of about $4,500 each--are placed into the hands of doctors whose patients would never be able to afford the lifesaving devices. The organization dispenses excess inventory donated by pacemaker manufacturers. Since 1984, the organization has implanted more than 5,000 pacemakers in needy patients in more than 20 countries, while also educating physicians on implant techniques and follow-up treatment. In 1986, President Reagan recognized the work of Dr. McIntosh with a Presidential Citation.
In 2002, the American College of Cardiology presented its first International Service Award to Dr. McIntosh for his pioneering work in establishing Heartbeat International.
"Dr. McIntosh is an inspiration to all of us," said Dr. Douglas Zipes, then president of the ACC. "Dr. McIntosh embodies the qualities that this award entails: a commitment to medically developing or underdeveloped countries, demonstrated through benevolent actions to provide a specific service to enhance cardiovascular care and education of these countries."
|
