Donald S. Baim, MD, died on 6 November 2009 at 60 years of age from complications of treatment for an adrenal cancer.
Dr. Baim received his undergraduate training from the University of Chicago in physics and his medical degree from the Yale University School of Medicine. His training in internal medicine and cardiology was at the Stanford School of Medicine. In 1981, he was appointed Director of Interventional Cardiology at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. In subsequent years, the program under his guidance grew to be an international leader in the interventional treatment of coronary heart disease with balloon catheters and with constantly improved stents. Many cardiology fellows—trained under his direction in these same methods—went on to independent careers as leaders in interventional cardiology. He and Dr. William Grossman worked together on the premier interventional cardiovascular textbook, Cardiac Catheterization, Angiography, and Intervention, now in its 7th edition.
Dr. Baim was promoted to Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School at 45 years of age. In 2000, he moved to the Brigham & Women's Hospital to represent the Brigham in a Boston consortium to develop new medical devices (CIMIT: Center for Integration of Medicine & Innovative Technology), and 5 years later he joined Boston Scientific as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer.
Dr. Baim was an outstanding interventional cardiologist, educator, and clinical investigator who helped thousands of patients with coronary heart disease both through his own medical and interventional treatments, and through his discoveries. I believe it would be entirely appropriate to remember Dr. Baim as the “Ben Franklin of Interventional Cardiology.” He had a very wry sense of humor and a quick smile that made his friends enjoy being with him at any time or in any place.
He is missed not only in Boston, but throughout our country and the world for his scientific and medical contributions and his creativity.
James T. Willerson, MD
President and Medical Director, Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston