Arshag Mooradian, M.D.
UF Professor and Chair of Medicine
UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville
A passion for healing, educating and leading
Deciding to become a physician was easy for Arshag Mooradian, M.D., professor and department chair in the Department of Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville.
Early in life he lost a dear childhood friend to diabetes. That loss taught him a valuable lesson - that human health is both precious and fragile. And it set him on a life-changing mission in which he committed himself to study medicine, hone his clinical skills and engage in lifelong learning - all with the goal of helping patients improve and preserve their health.
Deciding to become a medical educator also was easy for Mooradian.
He discovered that he learns best through teaching others. He cherishes interactions with bright medical residents and fellows, whom he credits with motivating him to study even more just to keep up with their challenging questions.
But perhaps one of the easiest decisions Mooradian made in his professional career was joining the faculty of the UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville at Shands Jacksonville in 2006.
"I was flattered by the prospect of joining the ranks of this prestigious group of clinicians and scholars on the Jacksonville campus," he said. "At a time when many academic centers are facing serious threats to their mission, the UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville is clearly on the upswing phase with unprecedented growth and expansion of patient services."
The Department of Medicine has contributed much to that growth and expansion because it serves as the hub of patient care. Its physicians treat the "whole person" and link patients to the resources they need to improve and preserve their health.
These "personal" physicians provide comprehensive, long-term care in the office and in the hospital and manage both complex and common illnesses in adolescents, adults and the elderly. They diagnose and treat cancer, infections and diseases affecting the heart, kidneys, blood, joints and the respiratory, vascular and digestive systems.
They also employ the essentials of primary-care internal medicine which encompasses wellness, disease prevention, mental health, substance abuse and effective treatment of common problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system, and reproductive organs.
The Department of Medicine boasts 75 faculty members, 46 residents, 30 subspecialty fellows, 90 support staff members and 10 divisions - Cardiology; Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism; Gastroenterology; General Internal Medicine; Hospital Medicine; Infectious and Communicable Diseases; Hematology and Medical Oncology; Nephrology and Hypertension; Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine; and Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology. The department is responsible for close to 45 percent of admissions to Shands Jacksonville.
The department's researchers are exceptionally productive and during the 2006-2007 academic year alone published in 77 peer-reviewed journals, wrote 15 book chapters, made 52 national and regional presentations and garnered 37 new research awards.
But the Department of Medicine's intrinsic value goes well beyond statistics, according to Robert C. Nuss, M.D., dean of the regional campus, UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville, and associate vice president for health affairs, UF Health Science Center-Jacksonville.
"At the core of a successful and respected academic medical center is its Department of Medicine," he said. "Dr. Mooradian has brought his considerable talents, energy and commitment to our campus and, in a very short time, has recruited exceptional new faculty physicians. His leadership has enriched the campus-his dedication to patient care, teaching and research is a standard for all."
Medical care available through the Department of Medicine ranges from standard therapy to that available only in sophisticated academic centers - transmyocardial injection of genes to promote angiogenesis in patients with coronary artery disease, advanced MRI imaging of myocardium, endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration of chest lymph nodes, and proton beam therapy for patients with various cancers.
And the number of innovative interventions will continue to grow, according to Mooradian. "These are truly exciting times for this department and for this campus, and I am delighted to be part of it," he said. "It is an honor and a privilege to help our patients improve and preserve one of the most precious and fragile gifts we have - our health."
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