Dr. Riaz Haider

Haider

DR. Riaz Haider July 2, 1934 ~ June 8, 2023

Dr. Haider was an American physician, author, and medical educator. He is best known for his work and research in diagnostic cardiac ultrasound, pacemakers, exercise stress testing, and heart catheterization. He is the former President of the American Heart Association, Nation's Capital Affiliate, and served as a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences (1984 - 2011). He was an elected Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, and Royal College of Physicians.

Dr. Haider was born in Sheikhpura, British India (now Pakistan) into modest means as the eldest of five brothers. His father was a civil servant and his mother was full of kindness. His family moved to Lahore to allow him to attend a prestigious high school, the Government Central Model School. He then attended the Government College University, Lahore and King Edward Medical University, qualifying as a doctor in 1956 at the age of 22. He left Pakistan for the U.K. in 1957, and moved to the United States in 1966. Dr. Haider spent much of his career in the Washington, DC area. He was Chief of Cardiology at Providence Hospital (1974 - 1993) and President of Washington Cardiology Associates (1974 - 2008). He evidenced his commitment to intellectual advancement through five decades of university appointments, including at the London Chest Hospital, Fatima Jinnah Medical University, University of Maryland, University of Birmingham, and Hammersmith Hospital, where he directed the catheterization laboratories. At GWU Hospital, with a colleague, Haider introduced Swan Ganz cardiac catheterization in evaluation of cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction. At Providence Hospital he initiated new cardiovascular laboratories, which led to improved patient care.

Dr. Haider was also the Director Emeritus and former board member of the International Student House of Washington, DC. He published articles in many academic journals and released his first book, A Triumphant Voyage, Great Achievements in Cardiology, in April 2020. Among the many awards he received were the Smith, Kline & French Fellowship in Internal Medicine, the American College of Cardiology Member of the Order of William Harvey, Heart House Founder, Providence Hospital Gold Headed Cane, and American Heart Association's Heart of Gold Award.

Brilliant, principled, and driven, Dr. Haider achieved a great deal. However, he would be the first person to tell you that a life is measured in love, integrity, and compassion. His own life brimmed with these qualities. Dr. Haider never turned a patient away, whether or not they could pay for care. All of his children remember that when they made their biggest missteps, he was at his most understanding and when they achieved things, he was always in the front row. Ever curious, he moved among cultures with elegance and a kind wit. He was passionate in his advocacy for those who were without representation, means, or voice. He leaves behind his wife of 55 years, Dr. Yasmeen Haider, three children, six grandchildren, two brothers, innumerable friends, and a medical community that reveres him. Services were private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Haider Foundation in Potomac, MD.