ForHearts Worldwide

Bios

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  Thomas C. Crawford, MD

  Chairman

  In January of 2022, Dr. Thomas Crawford was named the new Chairman of ForHearts Worldwide. A long-standing member of our Board of Directors, he becomes just the third chairman in the history of the organization. Dr. Crawford is a Clinical Associate Professor with the University of Michigan Health, Frankel Cardiovascular Center. As a cardiac electrophysiologist, he specializes in the areas of atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and cardiac sarcoidosis. Over a decade ago, through a project he and his University of Michigan team developed called My Heart Your Heart, Dr. Crawford began focusing on the issue of access to pacemakers for patients in low-income countries. That led him to connect with then Heartbeat International Foundation Chairman, Dr. Benedict S. Maniscalco, with the goal of aligning the two programs and learning from one another. Dr. Crawford previously served as a member of our Board of Directors, as Vice Chairman, and Medical Director. As Medical Director, Dr. Crawford developed extensive policies overseeing the credentialing of our Heart Centers and ensuring compliance with reporting standards on pacemaker performance and usage to our device donors. He also fostered relationships with like-minded organizations such as the Heart Rhythm Society and the American College of Cardiology to connect physicians with Heartbeat International Foundation. As Chairman, Dr. Crawford plans to continue building relationships and, perhaps, broaden our scope of work to include non-pacemaker functions such as the provision of stents and valves for the hearts. “The excitement is that there’s a critical number of folks here who already want to make this work,” says Dr. Crawford. “I’m excited to work with them. It’s a shared passion that we have.”

  Link: Thomas C. Crawford, MD

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  Benedict S. Maniscalco, MD

  Immediate Past Chairman

  The ForHearts Worldwide we see today is due in large measure to the extraordinary 19-year stewardship of Dr. Benedict S. Maniscalco. Starting in 2003, Dr. Maniscalco took the vision laid out by Dr. Henry D. McIntosh and, through an unwavering commitment and deep belief that no person should die because they cannot afford a pacemaker, built ForHearts Worldwide into the international, life-saving force it is today. Dr. Maniscalco built his leadership around 4 key elements: marketing, compliance, relationship building and fundraising. He understood that without effective marketing, those outside of the medical community would never know that millions were dying each year because they could not afford a pacemaker. ForHearts Worldwide Immediate Past Chairman Dr. Benedict S. Maniscalco being honored by Rotarians in Mexico for two decades of giving and helping to save thousands of lives. Without a high level of medical compliance, the organization would not be able to operate in all the countries that desperately needed help. He then worked tirelessly to build strong relationships with medical suppliers like BIOTRONIK to obtain the necessary devices and organizations like the Rotarians, so they could reach out into communities to find those in need. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Dr. Maniscalco recognized the need for effective fundraising to be able to help as many people in as many countries as possible. Under his leadership, a fundraising infrastructure was created that allowed the organization to save more than 17,000 lives in more than 20 countries around the world. Before stepping down Dr. Maniscalco led one more important mission, the launch of the new organization name, ForHearts Worldwide. The short, strong, memorable domain of ForHearts.Org establishes a powerful digital foundation for increased visibility, expanded services and, continued fundraising success. Because of Dr. Maniscalco’s nearly two decades of passion and leadership, ForHearts Worldwide stands poised to continue saving thousands of lives for many years to come.

  Link: Benedict S. Maniscalco, MD