Apr 20 2007
Patients know cardiologist John G. Harold, M.D., as an excellent, caring physician.
Colleagues remark on his integrity and skillful leadership at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. And charitable organizations – especially those devoted to heart-related issues – appreciate his energetic commitment to raising funds for their causes.
On April 14, 2007, Harold was recognized for all of these contributions when he was presented with the “Passion of the Heart” award at the annual Heart Awards Gala hosted by the American Heart Association's Western States Affiliate. The “Passion of the Heart” award is the highest recognition of a physician by the organization.
Harold, who joined Cedars-Sinai's medical staff in 1985, recently served as chief of staff, one of several leadership positions he has held at the medical center.
He currently serves as president of the California Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and as ACC governor for Southern California; as well as being a board member of organizations such as the American Heart Association, the American Board of Internal Medicine, Save A Heart Foundation, the Heart Fund at Cedars-Sinai, and UCLA's Clinical Faculty Association.
“Dr. Harold is a passionate and gifted leader for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and a committed member of the American College of Cardiology and other vital professional organizations,” said John C. Law, chairman of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Directors. “The Los Angeles community is enriched by his many contributions as a physician, a teacher, a board member, an advocate and a fundraiser.”
Among his many philanthropic activities, Harold chaired the 2003 and 2006 American Heart Association Heart Awards Gala and he co-chaired the Save A Heart Foundation galas from 1999 to 2002. “Helping to raise money to increase heart disease research, expand preventive education and improve treatments gives me great satisfaction,” Harold said.
“The ‘Passion of the Heart Award' fits Dr. Harold like a glove. His life revolves around his commitment to caring for his patients and advancing cardiac research and education,” said Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai. “Everyone who knows him was thrilled to see him receive this honor from the American Heart Association.”
The first-generation son of Irish immigrants, Harold was born in California but grew up in the Bronx, New York, receiving his medical degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. After completing his internal medicine training at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, he came to Cedars-Sinai in 1982 to complete a three-year cardiology fellowship under the direction of his mentor, Jeremy Swan, M.D., chairman of the Division of Cardiology from 1965 to 1987.
Swan, a native Irishman, was an innovator who played a major role in establishing the world-class reputation of Cedars-Sinai's cardiology program. He and William Ganz, M.D., invented the Swan-Ganz catheter, a device that allows doctors to accurately measure the heart's performance at the bedside.
Harold received the award from Prediman K. Shah, M.D., director of the Division of Cardiology and the Atherosclerosis Research Center at Cedars-Sinai, and Asher Kimchi, M.D., a Cedars-Sinai cardiologist who was the recipient of last year's “Passion” award. Both presenters are honorary medical chairs of the event and Shah currently serves as president of the Western States Affiliate.
The long-standing relationship between Cedars-Sinai and the American Heart Association has resulted in funding for more than 66 researchers on the medical center's staff since 1980 and more than $3.4 million in competitive research awards since 1994.
In addition to recognizing outstanding service, the gala raises funds to help end heart disease and stroke, contributing to the research, education and advocacy responsible for saving thousands of lives across the country.
The first hospital in Southern California and one of only 10 in the state whose nurses have been honored with the prestigious Magnet designation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the Western United States. For 19 consecutive years, it has been named Los Angeles' most preferred hospital for all health needs in an independent survey of area residents. Cedars-Sinai is internationally renowned for its diagnostic and treatment capabilities and its broad spectrum of programs and services, as well as breakthroughs in biomedical research and superlative medical education. It ranks among the top 10 non-university hospitals in the nation for its research activities and is fully accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP). Additional information is available at
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