‘He will be deeply missed’: Veteran cardiologist, dead at 76, remembered for his kindness and devotion
Asher Kimchi, MD, a veteran cardiologist with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, died on Oct. 7. He was 76 years old.
Kimchi had a long history with Cedars-Sinai. He founded the Smidt Heart Institute’s Preventive and Consultative Heart Center of Excellence and served in a number of roles that were crucial for the development of the Smidt Heart Institute’s cardiology department.
In addition, he edited or co-edited 12 different books on cardiology, founded the World Congress on Heart Disease and held leadership positions with both the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA). Kimchi was also a veteran of the Israeli Air Force, achieving the rank of major.
Kimchi’s friends and colleagues at Cedars-Sinai detailed the massive impact he had on their lives in a tribute to his legacy.
“For 40 years, he was a highly accomplished and devoted cardiology faculty leader, teacher, clinician, role model and investigator,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of academic affairs, dean of the medical faculty and a distinguished professor of medicine at Cedars-Sinai. “He was dedicated to his family, patients, colleagues, trainees and staff, coupled with his utmost devotion and loyalty to Cedars-Sinai. We will sorely miss his wise counsel, professional expertise and wonderful friendship. The empty void will be enduring.”
Daniel S. Berman, MD, co-director of the Preventive and Consultative Heart Center of Excellence, shared his own thoughts, emphasizing that Kimchi always worked to “do the right thing.”
“A wise man, he knew the complexity of human beings, but saw the good in everyone and without fail judged to the side of merit,” Berman said. “He was warm, kind and caring. A loving husband, father, grandfather, friend and physician, Dr. Kimchi was a mensch, a model human being. His passing is a devastating loss to all of us who knew him.”
“Dr. Kimchi’s passing is a devastating loss to his family, his patients and our physician community,” added Marc A. Edelstein, MD, chief of staff at Cedars-Sinai. “To say that he was both a leader and a legend here is a vast understatement. He will be deeply missed.”
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.