Washington, D.C., June 28, 2021 – MedStar Health is pleased to announce the establishment of the J.D. Murphy Jr. Cardio-Oncology Fellowship program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. The post-graduate training program is one of only a handful nationwide designed to train the next generation of cardio-oncology leaders. Cardio-oncology is a relatively new cardiology sub-specialty, which focuses on protecting the hearts of patients undergoing cancer treatment and improve overall cancer survivorship.
The J.D. Murphy Jr. Cardio-Oncology Fellowship program will be funded with a generous $500,000 gift from philanthropist Genevieve Murphy. “I am making this living and learning gift in honor of my late husband, J.D. Murphy Jr., who was a grateful MedStar Washington Hospital Center heart patient,” said Mrs. Murphy. “J.D. maintained strong ties to the hospital as a board member, a past chair of the philanthropy committee, and friend to many nurses and doctors. It is the latter–friendship–that was the impetus behind many of the gifts he made to the hospital in his lifetime.”
Mrs. Murphy gifted the donation over five years to reflect her late husband’s lifelong love of learning. As the founder and president of an international information technology company, “he knew that even the most sophisticated technology was only as good as the people who were trained to use it,” added Mrs. Murphy.
The cardio-oncology program, founded at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, was the first in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., region to offer specialized cardiac care for patients and survivors with cancer. Its founding director, Ana Barac, MD, PhD, has led the program since its inception.
“Today’s cancer treatments help patients live longer, healthier lives, but some have unintended cardiovascular side effects for those with heart disease or who are at risk for the condition. Our goal is to treat and protect the heart at every stage of cancer treatment and beyond, and shepherd each patient through successful treatment,” said Dr. Barac. “We are so grateful for this generous gift, as we now have a fellowship to help educate and train the leaders of tomorrow, in promoting the cardiovascular health in patients with cancer.”
MedStar Health’s post graduate cardiovascular medical education program is one of the largest in the United States, offering sub-specialty training in the fields of general cardiology, interventional cardiology, heart failure, electrophysiology, echocardiography, cardiac CT and MRI, and now cardio-oncology.
For more information about the MedStar Health Cardio-Oncology program, visit here.
About MedStar Washington Hospital Center:
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is a 912-bed, major teaching, and research hospital. It is the largest private, not-for-profit hospital in the nation’s capital, among the 100 largest hospitals in the nation and a major referral center for treating the most complex cases. Its cardiology program is highly acclaimed, and its cardiac surgery program has consistently earned the highest national rating–three stars–from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The Hospital Center operates the Washington region’s first Comprehensive Stroke Center and the District’s only Cardiac Ventricular Assist Device program, both certified by The Joint Commission. The hospital is also home to MedSTAR, a nationally verified level I trauma center with a state-of-the-art fleet of helicopters and ambulances, and operates the region’s only adult Burn Center.
