Akshay Khandelwal, MD, Named Gerald E. McGinnis Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine at AHN

• Link to event pictures: https://f.io/_cFeO9Yq
• Link to tribute video: https://app.frame.io/presentations/a23bcf8a-5363-4309-ac78-25aa77641822

PITTSBURGH (October 29, 2024) – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) has named Akshay Khandelwal, MD, as the Gerald E. McGinnis Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine.

The appointment was made possible through a generous $2 million endowment from the family of Gerald “Jerry” E. McGinnis, the late bioengineer, entrepreneur, founder of Pittsburgh-based Respironics and collaborator with the late Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) cardiovascular surgeon-pioneer, George Magovern, Sr., MD..

The purpose of the endowed Chair is to provide a nationally renowned surgeon or physician at the AHN Cardiovascular Institute with funding to advance therapeutic approaches for complex cardiovascular disease.

The appointment marks one of eight endowed chairs and professorships within the nationally-recognized AHN Cardiovascular Institute.

Dr. Khandelwal, a practicing interventional cardiologist, is Chair of AHN’s Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, part of the AHN Cardiovascular Institute. In his leadership role, he oversees a robust team of AHN physicians, fellows, residents and other clinicians to ensure the provision of advanced, high-quality cardiovascular care across AHN's hospitals, outpatient facilities and physician practices.

Since joining AHN in 2023, Dr. Khandelwal has been instrumental in championing multidisciplinary collaboration between AHN's cardiologists and surgical teams through all stages of the patient care journey. As an interventional cardiologist, he specializes in treating heart disease with catheter-based techniques; his areas of expertise include complex coronary interventions, such as angioplasty, stent procedures, and diagnostic cardiology.

“There are certainly similarities between Jerry McGinnis and Dr. Khandelwal,” said Stephen Bailey, MD, Chair of the AHN Cardiovascular Institute in a tribute video which was shown at the appointment event. “They are both problem-solvers, driven and action-oriented type people. I can’t think of a better recipient of the Gerald E. McGinnis Endowed Chair than Akshay Khandelwal.”

This landmark endowment is intended to support Dr. Khandelwal’s vision of advancing cardiovascular care at the AHN Cardiovascular Institute. With the endowment, the department will focus on advancing new, groundbreaking cardiac therapies and reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease among all patient populations.

“On behalf of the Cardiovascular Institute and Allegheny Health Network, I want to extend our sincere thanks to the entire McGinnis family for their remarkable generosity and support to help us continue advancing the frontier of cardiovascular medicine. This endowment is another fitting tribute to the incredible legacy of Jerry McGinnis and everything he accomplished in his remarkable life and career,” said Dr. Khandelwal.

The legacy of Gerald “Jerry” McGinnis
Gerald “Jerry” E. McGinnis was a biomedical engineer by trade, dedicating the majority of his career to improving human health through innovative medical devices. After earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, he spent over a decade at Westinghouse Electric’s biomedical engineering division, where he was involved in projects that included the artificial heart, heart-assist devices, and equipment used to measure blood and respiratory gas levels.

McGinnis's passion for applying engineering to human needs led him to AGH  in 1969, where he served as Director of Surgical Research alongside his close friend, colleague and legend in heart care, Dr. George Magovern, Sr. This experience ignited his entrepreneurial spirit, and in 1976, he founded Respironics, a company that revolutionized sleep apnea therapy.

As the driving force behind Respironics, McGinnis spearheaded the development and commercialization of the first mass-produced CPAP machine, a groundbreaking device that treats obstructive sleep apnea. His company expanded to encompass other essential medical equipment, including oxygen concentrators, infant apnea monitors, and hospital ventilators.

Respironics became a world leader in the medical device industry, and McGinnis' legacy endures through the numerous patents, an endowed sleep medicine chair at Harvard Medical School, the medical wing at AGH that bears his name, and now AHN’s endowed chair. He also is celebrated, alongside Dr. Magovern Sr., in a permanent display of their innovations at Pittsburgh’s Heinz History Museum.

“For me, the importance of having the endowed chair would be that Jerry’s name is always there –because as time goes past, people can forget you … and he was pretty special,” said Audrey McGinnis, wife of the late Jerry McGinnis.

Jerry McGinnis died in January 2024 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease; Audrey and other family members will attend Tuesday’s event.

For more information about the AHN Cardiovascular Institute or the endowed Chair appointment, please visit ahn.org.

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