Faculty and staff at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute and WVU School of Medicine are mourning the loss of Dr. Abnash C. Jain, longtime cardiologist and professor, who died Monday. He was 88.
“Dr. Abnash Jain was a giant for West Virginia medicine and cardiology. I feel privileged to have known and worked beside Dr. Jain and witness firsthand how his legacy of education came through the passion and dedication of his countless trainees over the years, many of whom are leading cardiologists around our state and country,” Dr. Vinay Badhwar, executive chair of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, said.
“The WVU Heart and Vascular Institute was built upon the founding principles of Dr. Jain, and we all celebrate his legacy with unity and purpose as we dedicate ourselves to his same mission — to always provide the highest level of care to the citizens of West Virginia.”
Dr. Jain joined the faculty of the WVU School of Medicine in 1973 and served as professor of Medicine and chief of Cardiology from 1979 to 2006. He received his medical degree from Panjab University in India and completed an internal medicine residency and cardiovascular disease fellowship at Albany Medical Center in New York. He then joined the faculty at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Jain was board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He was also a fellow of the College of Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the Society of Cardiac Interventions and Coronary Angioplasty. He was a member of the West Virginia Medical Association and the American Federation of Clinical Research and served as governor of the American College of Cardiology for West Virginia and president of the West Virginia Heart Association.
A dedicated teacher of medical students, residents, and fellows, Jain was honored as the Best Attending Physician in Medicine, Clinician of the Year, and Distinguished Teacher at the WVU School of Medicine and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. He also received the Laureate Award from the West Virginia chapter of the American College of Physicians and a Certificate of Excellence from the Coal Energy Coalition.
Prior to his retirement, Jain established two funds at the WVU School of Medicine: the Prem and Abnash Jain Fund for Educational Excellence and the Abnash Jain Chair in Cardiology.
“Dr. Jain’s impact extends far beyond the classroom and clinic,”
Dr. Clay B. Marsh, chancellor and executive dean of WVU Health Sciences, said. “The compassion and kindness in which he lived his life and served his students and patients set the tone for care and a sense of community across so many generations of Mountaineers.”
Jain is survived by his wife, Prem, two sons, and five grandchildren. The family requests donations in his memory be made to the Hindu Religious and Cultural Center of Morgantown.
