Dr. Max Harry Weil, CPR pioneer, dies at 84

KESQ

Expert Analysis Rest in Peace, Dr. Weil. You done well By Art Hsieh The growth of a healthcare profession happens because of the countless contributions of its professionals. The vast majority of these are small, everyday events — a new scientific discovery here, a better mousetrap there. We hardly even notice these changes as we perform our jobs daily, not recognizing that something we do was, at one point, not ever done. At the same time, there are giants in the profession that causes dramatic changes in the way we think and practice our craft. Some are especially famous, and rightly so. Then there are folks who affect our profession without initially realizing it. And we would never really who they were, except for a small mention buried in a newspaper. Today, though, I want to make sure you knew about Dr. Max Harry Weil. Dr. Weil made huge contributions to critical care medicine, long before there was a concept of critical care medicine. In his drive to optimize the care of sick patients, he helped to develop ideas that transferred to the world of emergency medicine and prehospital care. Continue reading Rest in Peace, Dr. Weil. You done well

Image The Weil Institute

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Dr. Max Henry Weil, a man credited with saving "thousands and thousands of lives," died at his Rancho Mirage, Calif., home on Friday at the age of 84.
He died of an undisclosed illness with his family around him.

Just last week, Weil's accomplishments were hailed in Washington, where Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., paid tribute to the man who 50 years ago established a nonprofit public foundation at the University of Southern California School of Medicine.

The philosophy of his medical foundation was basic: life-threatened patients have a substantially better chance of survival if minute-to-minute care is provided by highly trained physicians and nurses in emergency rooms and in special intensive care, coronary care, and postoperative care units.

During his tenure, Weil developed the concept of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR.

It revolutionized medicine, his colleagues said.
Nelson and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., honored that innovation "in recognizing an extraordinary Californian who has done so much, not just to save lives in his community but to advance the practice of medicine in order to save lives around the world."

During his career, Weil co-founded the Weil Institute of Critical Care Medicine, an international center for clinical education and research in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

The institute is renowned for conducting groundbreaking research into finding new ways of monitoring and dealing with life-threatening circulatory shock, heart failure, acute lung failure and infections.

Weil's memorial service will be held Oct. 29.

Reprinted with permission from KESQ.