Print
Alan T. Hirsch, MD, FACC, FAHA, FSVM
Alan T. Hirsch, MD, FACC, FAHA, FSVM
Request Appointment
University of Minnesota Physicians Heart - Minneapolis
Phillips-Wangensteen Building
516 Delaware St. SE, Clinic 4B
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-3600
 
Location MapDirections

Philosophy of Care:

All patients deserve the opportunity to prevent illness and thus preserve their health; to truly know and understand their diagnosis; to be familiar with their treatment options, so that they can fully participate in health decisions; and to be empowered to establish a team of clinicians that are unified in protecting their long-term health. These promises should be fulfilled between patient and physician in a relationship characterized by empathy and trust. 

And, finally, we all know that our parents bequeathed a better health care system to us than they enjoyed 30 years ago.  Each generation must actively invest in making the world better.  Thus, every patient should be provided the opportunity to participate in “best of class” clinical research.  In this way, life has maximal meaning both for themselves, their family, and for the community in which we live.

Medical Title:

Cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist; Director, Vascular Medicine Program

Academic Appointments:

Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, University of Minnesota; Director, Vascular Medicine Program; Lillehei Heart Institute; Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health

Specialties:

Cardiology

Clinical Interests:

  • Peripheral artery disease including claudication and critical limb ischemia
  • Acute and chronic venous thromboembolism
  • Carotid artery disease
  • Aortic and branch artery aneurysmal disease
  • Secondary prevention of cardiovascular risk
  • Arteritis

Languages Spoken:

English, Spanish

Education:

Medical School
University of California

Site of Residency
University of Chicago Hospitals;
University of California (Internal Medicine)

Site of Fellowship
Beth Israel Hospital;
Harvard Medical School (Cardiovascular Medicine);
Brigham and Women's Hospital (Vascular Medicine)

Additional Education
Cardiovascular Research Institute and Clinical Pharmacology Section, University of California;
Medicine, Department of Physiology and Molecular Biology

Board Certifications:

Cardiovascular diseases

Hospital Privileges:

Fairview Lakes Medical Center
Fairview Northland Medical Center
Fairview Ridges Hospital
Fairview Southdale Hospital
University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview
John Harvard Scholar, 1974
 
Magna Cum Laude academic honors, Harvard College, 1976
 
Summa with Highest Honors, Senior Thesis, Harvard College, 1976
 
American College of Chest Physicians Fellowship Award, 1987-1988
 
Charles River Foundation Animal Research Award, 1989
 
University of Minnesota Family Practice Teaching Recognition Award, 1996
 
Educational Achievement Award, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 1998
 
Clinical Excellence Award, CSU Board of Governors, University of Minnesota, 2000
 
Community Partners Recognition Award, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 2004
 
“Master of the Society for Vascular Medicine”, 2007
 
“President’s Award” of the Vascular Disease Foundation, 2008
 

“President’s Award for Vision” of the Vascular Disease Foundation, 2009

Mpls. St. Paul Magazine 2012 Top Doctor
 

Public Book: “100 Questions and Answers About Peripheral Artery Disease” (see: http://www.jblearning.com/catalog/9780763758660/)
 
Academic Manuscripts:
1.       Hirsch AT, Criqui MH, Treat-Jacobson D, Regensteiner JG, Creager MA, Olin JW, Krook SH, Hunninghake DB, Comerota AJ, Walsh ME, McDermott MM, Hiatt WR. Peripheral arterial disease detection, awareness, and treatment in primary care. J Am Med Assoc 2001;286:1317-1324.
 
2.       Stewart KJ, Hiatt WR, Regensteiner JG, Hirsch AT. Medical progress: exercise training for claudication. New Engl J Med 2002; 347(24):1941-1951.
 
3.       Creager MA, Hirsch AT, Cooke JP, Olin JW, Jaff MR, Rooke T, Halperin JL. On behalf of the Working Group on Fellowship Training in Vascular Medicine. Postgraduate training in vascular medicine: proposed requirements and standards. Vascular Medicine  2003;8:47-52.
 
4.       Hirsch AT, Gloviczki P, Drooz A, Lovell M, and Creager MA on behalf of the Trustees of the Vascular Disease Foundation. The mandate for creation of a national PAD public awareness program: an opportunity to improve cardiovascular health. J Vasc Surg 2004;39:474-481 (co-published in: J Vasc Endovasc Surg; J Vasc Nursing; J Vasc Interventional Radiol; Vascular Medicine ; International Angiology; Angiology; Endovascular Today)
 
5.       Hirsch AT, Haskal ZJ, Hertzer NR, et al. ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of patients with peripheral arterial disease (lower extremity, renal, mesenteric, and abdominal aortic): a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Develop Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease [Lower Extremity, renal, Mesenteric, and Abdominal Aortic]). Circulation 2006;113:1474-1547; and J Am Coll Cardiol, 2006;47:1239-1312. And American College of Cardiology website available at: http://www.acc.org/clinical/guidelines/pad/index.pdf
 
6.       Hirsch AT. The treatment of peripheral arterial disease - extending “Intervention” to “Therapeutic Choice”. New England J Med 2006;354(18):1944-1947.
 
7.       Hirsch AT. Critical limb ischemia and stem cell research. Anchoring hope with informed adverse event reporting. Circulation. 2006;114:2581-2583.
 
8.       Hirsch AT, Murphy TP, Lovell MB, Twillman G, Treat-Jacobson D, Harwood E, Mohler ER, Creager MA, Hobson RW, Robertson RM, Howard WJ, Criqui MH. Gaps in public knowledge of peripheral arterial disease: the First National PAD Public Awareness Survey. Circulation 2007;116(18):2086-2094.
 
9.       Murphy TP, Hirsch AT, Ricotta JJ, Cutlip DE, Mohler E, Regensteiner JG, Comerota AJ, Cohen DJ, on behalf of the CLEVER Steering Committee. The National Institutes of Health CLEVER Study (Claudication: Exercise Vs. Endoluminal Revascularization): Rationale and Methods. J Vasc Surg 2008;47(6):1356-1363.PMCID: PMC2519609
 
10.   Hirsch AT, Hartman L, Town RJ, Virnig BA. National healthcare costs of peripheral arterial disease in the Medicare population. Vasc Med 2008;;13(3):209-215.
 
11.   Mahoney EM. Wang K, Keo HH, Duval S, Smolderan K, Cohen D, Steg PG, Bhatt DL, and Hirsch AT, on behalf of the REACH Registry Investigators. Annual vascular hospitalization rates and costs in patients with peripheral arterial disease in the United States. Circulation: Quality and Outcomes 2010, In press.
 

Hennrikus D, Joseph A, Lando HA, Duval S, Kodl M, Ukestad L, Hirsch AT. Effectiveness of a smoking cessation program for peripheral artery disease patients: A randomized controlled trial.  J Amer Coll Cardiol 2010;56;2105-2112.