Dr. James Kirklin

Earlier this month, James Kirklin, M.D., professor of cardiothoracic surgery and director of the UAB James and John Kirklin Institute for Research in Surgical Outcomes, started his term as the new acting president of the board of directors of the American Heart Association’s Greater Southeast Affiliate.

After more than two decades of volunteer service within the AHA, Kirklin was elected president of the Southeast chapter’s board of directors last summer and later presented at the AHA’s annual scientific sessions in November as the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia’s 2018 William W. L. Glenn Lecturer.

Throughout his one-year term as president, which started on July 1, Kirklin will supervise funding and healthcare initiatives within the AHA’s Southeast chapter. The AHA’s Greater Southeast Affiliate serves Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Puerto Rico through oversight of regional revenue generation and health impact activities.