In Memoriam: Lynn Allan Smaha (1942–2006).

It is a sad occasion when one is informed of the death of a former fellow. Dr. Lynn Allan Smaha died unexpectedly, at the age of 63, on 14 April 2006. Lynn entered the St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital – Texas Heart Institute cardiology fellowship program in 1976, after his internal medicine training at the Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania. He had received his MS, PhD, and MD degrees from the University of Iowa. After an internship at Robert Packer, he served in the United States Air Force, and from 1972 to 1974 he was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska. There, he was named “Flight Surgeon of the Year” in 1973. After military service, Lynn continued to be drawn to the sky: he piloted his own plane, became a certified flight instructor, and was designated a senior aviation medical examiner by the Federal Aviation Administration. Lynn's enthusiasm for flying was clearly evident during his cardiology fellowship. Dr. Ali Massumi, who was in the same class as Lynn, recounts an occasion when he flew with Lynn and experienced a number of stunts. Ali would not say whether this influenced his choice of a career in electrophysiology, but he does admit to experiencing heavy palpitations on that occasion. As a THI/SLEH cardiology fellow, Lynn was quiet and a hard worker. His performance in patient care and in the catheterization laboratory was respected by faculty and fellow trainees. His choice of a cardiology program had been influenced, he said, by our large patient population and the wide variety of diseases that he would encounter here. After his fellowship, he returned to the Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, in the practice of cardiology and interventional cardiology. He served in a number of administrative capacities at Guthrie, ultimately rising to president and chief executive officer, positions he held until 1998. His most recent duties at the Clinic included those of executive vice-president of corporate affairs and senior vice-president of academic affairs. Dr. Smaha was widely known for his efforts to educate the public about heart disease and prevention, and he was very active in the American Heart Association, at both local and national levels. He served as president of the American Heart Association's Pennsylvania affiliate, served on a number of national committees, and, beginning in 1990, was named a member of the AHA's board of directors. As a member of the 21st Century Strategic Steering Team, he played a strong role in developing the AHA's 10-Year Strategic Impact Goal, which is directed at reducing the incidence of death and disability from cardiovascular disease and stroke. In 1996, Lynn received the AHA's Award of Meritorious Achievement, in recognition of his many services to the American Heart Association. He was elected to serve as president of the AHA in 1999–2000. The THI/SLEH cardiology service was justifiably proud of Lynn's accomplishments and had the occasion to demonstrate this when Lynn returned to Houston to give cardiology grand rounds shortly after his election to the presidency of the American Heart Association. In 2004, Lynn was the recipient of the AHA Gold Heart Award, the highest award granted to a volunteer, in recognition of his work as chairman of the “Get With The Guidelines” steering committee. Some of Dr. Smaha's writings are included in the references below.1–7 “Dr. Smaha dedicated his life to making a difference through service, education, and volunteerism,” said Joseph Scopelliti, Guthrie Clinic president and CEO and Guthrie Health co-CEO. “He had a profound impact not only on Guthrie, but also on the community and the world at large.”8 “He exemplified service in his approach to everything he did—as a practicing physician, an educator, and a spokesperson for causes about which he was passionate,” said Mark Stensager, Guthrie Healthcare System president and CEO and Guthrie Health co-CEO, Administrative Affairs.8 “For all who had the good fortune to know him, Dr. Smaha personified the values of the medical profession to which he dedicated his life,” said Dr. Kevin V. Carey, past Guthrie Clinic president and CEO and Guthrie Health co-CEO, Medical Affairs. Dr. Smaha's commitment to patients as individuals in his early career continued to influence his approach to medicine, according to Dr. Carey. “He preserved and enhanced the unique capabilities and collegiality of our organization for the patients of the region. His work with the American Heart Association has extended the benefits of modern medicine to patients throughout the nation and the world.” Lynn traveled to a great many countries, including the People's Republic of China, where he assisted in modernizing cardiovascular facilities and equipment.9 It is a sad irony that the very disease that Lynn so vigorously campaigned against for nearly 3 decades suddenly and unexpectedly snatched him from his loved ones, his patients, and his colleagues. He has left a legacy of service. The staff of the Texas Heart Institute and the cardiology fellows of the class of 1978 express their deepest sympathy to Lynn's wife, Angie, and to the children, Nicole, Tonya, Heather, Scott, and Bryan. Lynn will be fondly remembered by the many whose lives he touched. Robert J. Hall, MD Retired Cardiology Training Program Director, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and Texas Heart Institute; Retired Editor-in-Chief, Texas Heart Journal; Houston Wayne Dear, MD Retired Fellowship Teaching Section Chief and Former Director, Catheterization Laboratory, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and Texas Heart Institute; Houston

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