Jack O’Connor presents Dr. Alan Blaker with the McLeod Merit Award during the McLeod Medical Staff meeting on October 1.

Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Alan Blaker was presented with a McLeod Merit Award during the McLeod Medical Staff Meeting on October 1, 2018. Jack O’Connor, Vice President of Patient Services, presented the award to Dr. Blaker for his outstanding service to McLeod Health and his leadership as the Executive Director of the McLeod Heart and Vascular Institute.

“Dr. Blaker has always been dedicated to not only his individual patients, but to all of the patients of McLeod Health,” said Donna Isgett, Senior Vice President of McLeod Physician Associates. “He was the voluntary physician leader of our Clinical Effectiveness program at inception, and was the key driver of its success during that time. In addition, he has continued to champion the Clinical Effectiveness work as we have acquired new facilities. He is very deserving of the recognition of McLeod Merit Award recipient.”

O’Connor explained that Dr. Blaker leads the only system-wide service line at McLeod Health. “He is the standard bearer for other physician leaders when modeling leadership characteristics. When presented with best practices, he helps ensure that these practices are our standard of care.”

The McLeod Merit Award is given by McLeod employees who nominate their fellow co-workers for exemplifying the McLeod Values and reflect the organization’s mission to improve the health and well-being of the communities it serves. These recipients are recognized for their compassion, enthusiasm, and dedication to their profession, as well as their willingness to help others.

Dr. Blaker was nominated for a Merit Award by Kathy Sims, Director of the Heart and Vascular Day Hospital. In her nomination for this distinction, she said: “Dr. Blaker lives the McLeod Core Values and demonstrates them on a daily basis. His patients absolutely love him, and recognize that he cares about them as a person and wants them to achieve the best life they can. His investment in the cardiac patients in the region has made a huge impact, as he helps to drive the improvement of the Heart and Vascular Institute’s growth and quality across the board.

“Dr. Blaker is also a mentor to staff and colleagues alike. He is extremely approachable and willing to go above and beyond in the care of patients. Additionally, he respects the work of the nurse and treats them with respect. Dr. Blaker is the gold standard for physician leadership at McLeod,” added Sims.

In addition to serving as Executive Director of the McLeod Heart and Vascular Institute, Dr. Blaker is a managing partner with McLeod Cardiology Associates. He is Board Certified in Cardiology and Internal Medicine. He graduated medical school from the University of Maryland in Baltimore and continued at Mercy Medical Center where he completed a residency in Internal Medicine. Dr. Blaker went on to complete a three-year fellowship in Cardiology at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami. Having practiced cardiology in Florence since 1990, Dr. Blaker is one of 20 physicians with McLeod Cardiology Associates that care for heart patients in Florence, Cheraw, Clarendon, Sumter, Loris, Little River and Myrtle Beach. A resident of Florence, Dr. Blaker and his wife Jill have three children and one grandson.