April 25, 2003

Brian McGovern, MD: Remembering a physician, colleague and friend

Every seat in the O'Keeffe Auditorium was taken April 19. Two overflow rooms were filled beyond capacity. The aisles of the auditorium were crowded with people craning to see the podium and hear the words of remembrance for a beloved and world-renowned cardiologist, Brian McGovern, MD (right), who was killed April 8 in a senseless tragedy that stunned and saddened the hospital community. The memorial service, which was designed for McGovern's patients, also included colleagues, family, friends and MGH employees who came to hear eloquent words and heartfelt messages about the man who touched so many lives in his extraordinary 23-year career at the MGH.

"We can't put a good face on this terrible tragedy, but every time I think of Brian – which will be often — I will aspire in that moment to be a little more patient, a little nicer, a little more like the ideal that he personified,"said David Torchiana, MD, chairman and CEO of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization. "If that can happen a thousand times to all of us, maybe a million times over the years, I believe this world might be a better place."

With McGovern's widow, Anne Jennings, MD, and one of their daughters, Caitriona, in the audience, Torchiana introduced the service, which also included tributes from physicians, colleagues, patients, friends and family members of McGovern. While each shared personal anecdotes, tearful remembrances and even a few light-hearted memories, a common theme surfaced: McGovern was a brilliant physician who possessed the precious gift of genuine compassion and empathy for all he came into contact with — patients, friends and colleagues alike.

"When you met him, he made you feel like you were so important to him and that he was so happy to see you," said Guillermo Sosa-Suarez, MD, a colleague of McGovern's at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, NY. "He drew people to him. They liked him because of his skills as a physician and because of his personal warmth."

During his tenure at the MGH, McGovern grew into a master clinician and was well known as a doctor's doctor — a physician who many colleagues confided in, consulted with and looked to for advice and wisdom. He built one of the largest referral practices in New England and was widely known as an expert in cardiac arrhythmia.

He was a sought-after lecturer, a highly respected teacher and, in addition to his commitment to patient care, he devoted much time to important clinical research. For many years, he served as medical director for the Ellison 10 Cardiac Step-Down Unit. Every Wednesday, McGovern traveled to Albany, NY, to see patients at the highly successful outreach arrhythmia program that he had founded and built. But beyond the impressive credentials and the lauded achievements, McGovern was what Torchiana described as a "good man" who was highly accomplished yet humble and self-effacing.

"Despite his incredible accomplishments, Brian never took himself too seriously, which is what we loved most deeply about him," said Jeremy Ruskin, MD, a colleague of McGovern's in MGH Cardiology and a close friend. "Everyone knew him for his sense of humor, which was kind-hearted and borne of intelligence and generosity. He was always funny, but his humor was never at anyone's expense. He was able to defuse countless difficult situations with his humor."

For Ruskin, this memorial tribute was a deeply personal one. Ruskin first met McGovern in 1981 when the young medical school graduate came to the MGH from Ireland to interview for a fellowship. During McGovern's training at the MGH and his subsequent career, Ruskin grew to rely on him for his insightful medical expertise and thoughtful advice. "Brian was my student, but he became my teacher," said Ruskin. "I'll always be grateful for his friendship, his loyalty and everything that he taught me. A piece of each of us is lost with Brian, but a part of him is alive in all of us. As we try to take care of each other — as he did so often for us — we must continue the extraordinary work he did with such grace, skill and generosity."

It is that extraordinary work of providing the highest quality patient care that was honored by McGovern's patients, who also spoke of his compassion, caring and commitment to the many people who walked into his exam room.

Bud Mueller, MD, was one of those patients. Mueller credited McGovern for saving his life and saving the lives of thousands of other cardiac patients. "His expertise and kindness gave and continue to give individuals and families the ultimate gift — the gift of time," he said. "His work improved beyond measure the quality of time for patients by decreasing the anxiety that is part of the condition that patients and their families must endure. Brian delved into his life's work in a way that showed compassion, caring, respect, empathy and love. We should try to do the same. If we can try to make the world a better place, we can honor Brian, his wife, his children, his MGH team, and then Brian can live on in an important way through each of us whose lives he enriched."

While McGovern touched the lives of many of his patients and his physician colleagues, the staff of the Arrhythmia Service, Electrophysiology Laboratory, the Ellison 10 Cardiac Step-Down Unit and the entire Cardiology Division also are particularly feeling the void left by the loss of a cherished colleague and friend.
Katie Lynch, RN, a nurse from Ellison 10, spoke of the profound impact McGovern had made on the step-down unit staff, both professionally and personally. "He cared for his patients with the utmost respect and compassion," she said. "He elevated our practice to do our very best work. Personally, he made us better because his happiness and love of life were evident and contagious. His presence in our lives was a gift from God, and we will try to honor his memory by caring for patients as he had taught us."

While many spoke about McGovern's dedication to his career and his unflagging support of his colleagues and friends, many also spoke of his deep devotion to his family. Although, McGovern's time was filled with caring for patients, consultations with colleagues, preparing lectures and teaching future clinicians, he always found time for his wife and two daughters. "Brian had two passions in life," said Sosa-Suarez. "One was his passion for medicine. The other was his passion for his family. Those of us who were privileged to be close to him knew this. He loved his wife and daughters. Everyone knew how important they were to him."

As McGovern's MGH family continues to struggle to make sense of this unbelievable tragedy, many of his patients, friends and colleagues now are embarking on the daunting task of beginning the healing process.

For those who were so deeply touched by his loss, Rev. Felix Ojimba of MGH Chaplaincy offered words of consolation and prayer: "We now must come together and be free to feel our grief, release our emptiness and treasure our memories — conscious of our inability to prevent the death of one we so loved. As we gather here to comfort and support one another, nothing can separate from us Brian's legacies that now live in and among us."