Renowned cardiologist receives prestigious lifetime achievement award
Dr. Bill Roberts
William C.“ Bill” Roberts, M. D., executive director of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute( BHVI), has been awarded the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award by the American College of Cardiology( ACC) for his contributions to the cardiovascular profession.
The award, which is the highest recognition the College can bestow on a member, recognizes Dr. Roberts’ lifetime of outstanding work in cardiovascular diseases. It highlights an individual who has had a career of outstanding achievements in his field and has served as a role model through service, basic or clinical research, and / or teaching.
“ I think it was Mark Twain who said,‘ it’ s better to deserve an award and not receive it than receive an award and not deserve it,’” said Dr. Roberts.“ I am humbled and honored to receive this award from my peers and hope that I continue to be worthy of this recognition.”
A graduate of SMU and of Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Roberts served as chief of pathology of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health for more than 30 years before joining the faculty of Baylor University
Medical Center at Dallas. Michael Emmett, M. D., chief of the department of internal medicine at Baylor Dallas, said Dr. Roberts has an impact on colleagues, residents and fellows at the institution, stating,“ When he examines a heart he not only describes what he sees but tells us a story about the patient’ s life from that unique cardiac perspective – and it’ s always amazing what we learn from him.”
Not only does Dr. Roberts teach the next generation of physicians, he also hopes to impact and educate his patients about the importance of a healthy lifestyle on their overall health. A unique aspect of his practice includes the showing of heart transplant patients and their families their diseased hearts following surgery.
“ They are often surprised by how much fat is on their heart and it sparks an important conversation not just with the patients, but often with their family members on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The time to make changes is before you have problems – that’ s when you can make the biggest impact,” said Dr. Roberts.“ There are only about 2,200 heart transplants a year in the U. S. For those that have had the transplant, I hope it drives home the point that if you receive a heart, you are special and you need to change your lifestyle to take care of this gift.”
In addition to his role at Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute, Dr. Roberts serves as editor in chief of The American Journal of Cardiology and the Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, and dean of the A. Webb Roberts Center for Continuing Medical Education. He has published more than 1,600 articles, mostly in peer-reviewed journals, and has served on the editorial boards of nearly three dozen cardiology publications.
“ It is a rarity to have the opportunity to work closely with such a stellar student of heart disease who is also an exemplary clinical research investigator and who is known to be the‘ father of cardiovascular pathology,’” said Kevin Wheelan, M. D., chief of medical staff at Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital.“ To work with him on a daily basis is an honor. Dr. Roberts’ contributions to the cardiology world have been far-reaching.”
For more information on heart and vascular initiatives, contact Melissa Dalton at 214.820.2705 or Melissa. Dalton @ BSWHealth. org.
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