“Dr. Silverman’s legacy will forever be remembered at Piedmont Hospital with the establishment of the Mark Silverman Endowed Chair in Cardiology and Education,” said Bruce Cassidy, M.D., Chair, Piedmont Healthcare Board of Directors. “It is our desire to achieve Dr. Silverman’s vision by realizing a $5 million endowment that will elevate this position to the first distinguished chair at Piedmont. Progress toward the achievement of this goal is reflected in the immediate outpouring of memorial gifts from family, friends, patients, colleagues, and former students.”
The physician who holds the Silverman Chair will offer the knowledge, skill, and care to patients that are characteristic of Dr. Silverman and Piedmont. That physician also will be a teacher who conducts and organizes educational experiences for doctors, nurses, patients, and the community that will enhance knowledge about cardiology and medicine in general.
Dr. Mark E. Silverman was an Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Emory University and the Chief of Cardiology at the Fuqua Heart Center at Piedmont Hospital. His major interests lay in the practice of consultative cardiology and in teaching the art of bedside cardiology and the history of medicine. He is the past President of the Georgia Heart Association and the American Osler Society, Governor for the Georgia Chapter of the American College of Physicians, and coeditor of British Cardiology in the 20th Century, J. Willis Hurst: His Life and Teachings and The Quotable Osler.
In 1993, Dr. Silverman’s desire for philanthropy led him to establish the Medical Scholars Fund. Over the next 15 years, he and his wife made gifts to that fund. In addition, Dr. Silverman employed his excellent fundraising skills to secure support for this fund through conversations and communications with patients and friends. Together, the Silvermans and others have contributed more than $2 million to the Medical Scholars Fund.
In 2007, as Dr. Silverman looked toward his retirement, he engaged in active dialogue with the leadership of the Piedmont Heart Institute, the Fuqua Heart Center and Piedmont Hospital to make this fund relevant to current and future priorities of Piedmont.
“Over the course of these conversations with Dr. Silverman, we determined that an endowed chair would provide a more beneficial use of the assets in the fund and would better serve the objectives of Piedmont Hospital,” Dr. Cassidy said. “When we shared with Dr. Silverman our intent to name this Chair in his honor at his retirement, he was both pleased and grateful.”
“Support of the Mark Silverman Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cardiology and Education celebrates Dr. Silverman’s legacy and shares his pride in this achievement,” Dr. Cassidy said.
Dr. Silverman passed away on November 12, 2008 at the age of 69.
