Biographical SketchCurtis Mark Rimmerman, MD, MBA, is the initial holder of the Gus P. Karos Endowed Chair in Clinical Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. He is a staff cardiologist in the Section of Clinical Cardiology, the Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Additionally, he serves as Director of Cardiovascular Medicine Affiliate Programs. Prior to this he was Medical Director for the Cleveland Clinic Westlake, Lakewood, and Avon Pointe Family Health Centers. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine and the subspecialty of Cardiovascular Diseases. He is also certified by the National Board of Echocardiography and the American College of Physician Executives. His specialty interests include clinical cardiology, echocardiography, valvular heart disease and electrocardiography.Dr. Rimmerman is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, completing his undergraduate studies at Case Western Reserve University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a degree in chemistry (Phi Beta Kappa). His junior year of undergraduate education was completed through a scholarship at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Rimmerman completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., followed by a cardiology fellowship at the Krannert Institute of Cardiology at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. He continued his education while on the Professional Staff at Cleveland Clinic at the Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management, earning a Master's Degree in Business Administration.Dr. Rimmerman was appointed to the Professional Staff at Cleveland Clinic in 1993.Nationally and internationally, Dr. Rimmerman has organized and chaired conferences and symposia on his specialty interests, with an emphasis on topics related to electrocardiography and echocardiography. He has published articles and abstracts in leading medical journals on his specialty interests and authored or co-authored chapters in medical textbooks related to interactive electrocardiography, acute coronary syndromes and myocardial infarction. His Interactive Electrocardiography CD-ROM and Workbook serves as an industry standard for electrocardiography education.Dr. Rimmerman is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), a member of the American Society of Echocardiography and of the American College of Physician Executives.Dr. Rimmerman has published two books with Cleveland Clinic Press. His first book, Heart Attack, was released in 2006. A second book entitled, You and Your Cardiologist was released in 2008. In collaboration with Kaplan Publishing, Dr. Rimmerman authored the Cleveland Clinic Guide to Heart Attacks and the Cleveland Clinic Guide to Speaking With Your Cardiologist. Most recently, Dr. Rimmerman has completed Electrocardiography: A Case-Based Approach, comprised of 150 carefully selected electrocardiogram case studies, purposefully chosen for their educational value.In addition to his professional pursuits, Dr. Rimmerman recognizes the importance of physician patient communication and education. His interests have focused on patient education and the importance of the physician patient interaction, especially as it pertains to in-person and electronic communication leveraging the electronic health record. Dr. Rimmerman can be reached at his office at 216-445-5323 (1-800-CCF-CARE, Ext. 55323) or via e-mail at rimmerc@ccf.org.