To Philip Araoz, M.D. (RD ’00), it was obvious that Jacobo Kirsch, M.D. (RCAR ’07), was destined for leadership.

Dr. Araoz, Division of Cardiovascular Radiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, met Dr. Kirsch back in 2006, when Dr. Kirsch was a cardiovascular radiology fellow at Mayo Clinic. The fellowship focused on cardiac and vascular uses of CT and MRI, technologies which were in their infancy at the time, says Dr. Araoz.

In just one year, Dr. Kirsch was the first author on six publications, one of which won the 2007 Radiological Society of North America Roentgen Resident/Fellow Research Award.

“Dr. Kirsch was then, as now, very forward-thinking and enthusiastic, which put him on a course to become a pioneer in the field of cardio- vascular radiology,” says Dr. Araoz. “I saw at the time that Dr. Kirsch was on a trajectory to become a leader in our field.”

Since then, Dr. Kirsch has accumulated a long list of leadership roles not only in the clinical, educational and editorial worlds of cardiovascular radiology, but in hospital administration. In addition to his medical degree from the Universidad de Monterrey School of Medicine, in Monterrey, Mexico, he has a master’s in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He holds multiple leadership positions within Cleveland Clinic Florida, including chair of the Florida Region Imaging Institute, chair of the Lang Family Department of Imaging and section head of Cardiac Imaging.

“Dr. Kirsch’s roles at Cleveland Clinic Florida have grown to match our expanding Florida enterprise, which is a testament to his synergistic success as both a clinical expert and insightful leader,” says Peter Liu, M.D., chair of Enterprise Imaging at Cleveland Clinic. “His management style embodies the concept of ‘a team of teams,’ driving successful achievement by promoting leadership development in others and helping them develop their own successful teams.”

“Dr. Kirsch’s roles at Cleveland Clinic Florida have grown to match our expanding Florida enterprise, which is a testament to his synergistic success as both a clinical expert and insightful leader.”

– Peter liu, M.D.

Dr. Kirsch’s former leadership roles include president of the North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging (NASCI), president of the American Society of Clinical Radiologists, and chief medical officer and associate chief of staff at Cleveland Clinic Florida. He has served on boards and committees for influential organizations such as the American Board of Radiology and the American Heart Association.

Along with his collaborative leadership, Dr. Kirsch is respected as an international lecturer and enthusiastic educator at several universities. Dr. Kirsch received the 2013 Radiological Society of North America Honored Educator Award, and his teaching evaluations consistently receive “rave reviews,” colleagues say. As the cardiac MRI course co-director at the American College of Radiology Education Center, he’s at the forefront of MRI education in North America.

But none of these accomplishments should overshadow his clinical and research acumen, with over 80 peer-reviewed publications to his name.

“Dr. Kirsch is a highly skilled radiologist with a fantastic perceptive ability and a strong multidisciplinary, integrative mindset,” says Dr. Liu. “His interpretations demonstrate a keen understanding of both key imaging findings and relevant non-imaging clinical data, ultimately resulting in a more precise diagnosis or refined differential diagnosis.”

Dr. Kirsch’s advice to those early in their careers is to “stay curious and always be hungry for the next thing coming their way” — practices he continues.

“One of my next major goals is to be a part of expanding the Cleveland Clinic radiology residency program to Florida and increasing the academic output of our institute. I also have an interest in implementing augmented reality in the world of cardiac radiology,” he says.

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The Early and Mid-Career Alumni Awards recognize Mayo Clinic alumni who have made robust contributions to their areas of expertise in the realms of education, clinical practice, clinical and scientific research, and administration. Beyond their professional output, they demonstrate selfless community service and have consistently acted in a manner that is aligned with Mayo Clinic values. Read about the other 2024 recipients here.