Craig Pratt

1945 - 2021

Craig Pratt
1945-2021
Renouned Cardiologist and Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Craig Murdoch Pratt, M.D., passed away on Saturday, August 28, 2021 following a long battle with Parkinson's. His contributions to medical and cardiovascular science, his care and compassion for the treatment of his patients, and his generosity to all those who knew him will long be remembered.
Dr. Pratt was born on July 18, 1945 to John M. Pratt, Jr. and Ruth Nielsen Pratt in Monterey Park, California a suburb of Los Angeles. He grew up in Southern California and attended the University of California, Los Angeles graduating with a BA in Zoology in 1967 followed by medical school at the University of California, Irvine graduating with a Doctorate in Medicine in 1971 and completed his residency and fellowship training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the University of California, Davis between 1971 and 1978.
Prior to completion of his third year of residency, Dr. Pratt was appointed Lieutenant in the US Naval Reserve and was stationed at Camp Pendleton (1973 – 1975). During his military service he was appointed Director of the Hypertension Clinic, Director of Outpatient Medical Services, and Medical Advisor to the Base General on Marine Weight Loss and Fitness Program. His military service took place at the end of the Vietnam Conflict when many of the refugees were brought to California. He was also Director of the Medical Clinic Services for Vietnam refugees and was intent on providing compassionate care to these individuals seeking a new home and life in the US.
Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, Dr. Pratt's medical career spans more than 50 years. His academic career began at UC Davis, but he followed his then chief, Dr. Richard Miller, to Texas to join the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine and the medical staff of The Methodist Hospital in the fall of 1978. Because of his former experience both at UC Davis and in the Naval Reserve, he was appointed Director of the Coronary Intensive Care Unit and Director of the Ambulatory ECG Monitoring & Stress Testing Laboratories that same year. Both appointments continued throughout his career at Methodist. Dr. Pratt served as a member of numerous committees vital to the administration of the clinical, academic and research activities at both Baylor and Methodist. During his tenure at Methodist, he served as Vice Chairman of Education, Program Director of Cardiovascular Diseases, Director of the Coronary Intensive Care Unit and Vice Chairman of Research.
He worked tirelessly to understand and improve the treatment of cardiovascular disease through research. His primary clinical and research activities were primarily focused on cardiac arrhythimias, cardiovascular disease, cardiac ischemia, angina pectoris, hypertension, heart failure, myocardial infarction. He participated in numerous major clinical and device trials over the years and served as Principal Investigator on most of these studies. Most notable is his participation in many National Heart Lung and Blood Institute trials, including the BHAT, CAPS, CAST, TIMI (I II III), MADIT, ESVEM, SOLVD, ACIP, SCOR, MOST and AFFIRM trials. All had a major impact on the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. His research resulted in nearly 300 peer reviewed papers and book chapters as well as over 100 abstracts accepted and presented at national and international meetings.
Dr. Pratt was a member of numerous national and international societies and committees. These include Fellow in the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, Heart Rhythm Society, and International Society of Heart Failure. His many committee appointments included chairing abstract review committees (ACC, HRS, AHA, ISHF), member of ad hoc working groups and scientific advisory boards (ACC, HRS, ISHF) and Co-Chairman of the annual Program Planning Committee (ACC) 1990-1991. In 1986, he was nominated to serve as a Consultant to the US Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research by his dear friend, Dr. William Winters. The appointment was approved by Vice President Bush in 1986 and he served on the FDA from 1986 – 2020 as a consultant, as a member of the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee from 1986-1997, and as Chairman of the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee from 1987-1993. His experience as a medical researcher and his work with the FDA CDER / CRAC, led to numerous appointments on national and international scientific advisory boards and committees forcused on the development, design and conduct of new studies.
He also served on the editorial boards for the Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal and the American Heart Journal and was manuscript reviewer for the American Journal of Cardiology, Circulation, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Journal of the American Medical Association and New England Journal of Medicine.
His contributions to clinical medicine, medical science and research are significant, but his greatest professional passion was teaching and he was devoted to imparting the knowledge and lessons he had learned throughout his career to students, nurses, physicians and other academicians. He has trained countless medical students, residents and fellows. As Director of the Coronary Intensive Care Unit, he conducted daily teaching rounds to those rotating in the Unit. He also directed the weekly Cardiology Research Conferences. These conferences were focused on how to design, conduct and interpret a study including how to analyze the data and conclusions of current and past research. His algorithm (Interpretation of Clinical Trials: Non-Randomized Principles for Reading the Literature) has been adopted by his graduates and taken to other institutions across the nation to be used in their personal continuing education as well as for training programs in these institutions. He received numerous annual teaching awards including Award to Outstanding Faculty, Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Distinguished Faculty Award from the trainees of multiple programs and institutions. In 2018, the department established an annual fellow award in Dr. Pratt's name – the "Craig M. Pratt, M.D. Outstanding Fellow Award."
Dr. Pratt had other interests other than medicine. He loved and was devoted to his family and friends. He loved sports, especially track, basketball and football and could spend endless hours recounting some of his favorite memories of UCLA basketball games or Texans football highlights, or just how fast Usain Bolt can run. He also loved fly fishing and nearly every September would go to his favorite mountain stream in Colorado to cast his line and reset his brain.
He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother, John Pratt. He is survived by his beloved wife, Carmen and their three children. Son; Alberto and his wife Michelle, daughter; Amanda and her husband Corey and youngest son Nicolas, four granddaughters Catalina, Carmen, Mila and Charlotte. He is also survived by his nephew, Kenny Pratt and his wife Cindy, and his niece, Cheryl Pratt as well as many other family members.
A celebration honoring his life will be held at Peevey Funeral Home, 12440 Beamer Rd, Houston, TX 77089; Thursday, September 2, at 11:00am., with visitation one hour prior to the service.
In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Dr. Craig Pratt's memory be directed to the Parkinson's Foundation, American Heart Association or charity of choice.