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In This Issue:
Andrew T. McAfee, MD, MS, Department of Emergency Medicine and the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics
BWH mourns the loss of Andrew T. McAfee, MD, MS, of the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, whom colleagues remember as a compassionate clinician and insightful researcher who brought humor and warmth into his daily routine. Dr. McAfee died Aug. 27 in a motor scooter accident.
“Andy was an exceptionally warm person, with an uncanny ability to comfort and inspire people around him,” said Ron M. Walls, MD, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine. “He had a gift for seeing the humor in almost any situation, and he used that humor to help patients, families, and caregivers cope with very challenging circumstances.”
Dr. McAfee joined BWH’s Department of Emergency Medicine in 1994 after completing his residency in emergency medicine at Boston Medical Center. In 2004, he reduced his clinical hours at BWH to serve as an executive director of epidemiology for i3 Drug Safety in Waltham. He was also an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. McAfee was a gifted drug epidemiologist and held a master’s degree in epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. His research focused on large scale evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of widely-prescribed pharmaceutical agents in adults and children. In March 2010, he realized a life dream when he rejoined BWH full-time as a member of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics in the BWH Department of Medicine.
“Andy was a rare combination of an experienced and compassionate clinician, who also had excellent expertise in epidemiology and health services research,” said Jerry Avorn, MD, chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics. “In just six months, he had already become a central member of our division’s activities, taking on numerous projects. His death will create a gaping hole—professionally and personally—for all of us.”
Eric Nadel, MD, residency director of the Harvard-Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency, has known Dr. McAfee for more than 15 years, first as a co-resident at Boston Medical Center, and then as a colleague and friend.
“Andy was a magnetic person,” said Nadel. “He made people feel good, and he made them laugh.”
Just minutes after sending an e-mail notification of Dr. McAfee’s accident, Walls said his inbox was flooded with notes from former and current colleagues from across the country.
“One of the words most commonly used to describe him was ‘humble,’” said Walls, who recalled that Dr. McAfee was so bright that he sometimes left even fellow scientists baffled.
“Several years ago, Andy did a sophisticated proof of the mathematical theory behind what we call a ‘power calculation,’ which determines the number of subjects required in a study to make it scientifically valid,” said Walls. “The formula was so complicated that it took the reviewing organization to which he submitted it several weeks to find reviewers who were qualified to evaluate it. And of course, he was correct.”
While Dr. McAfee received many awards, his most cherished recognition was Outstanding Research Mentor, awarded by the residents in the Harvard-Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency, which he won an unprecedented four times.
Born in Italy, Dr. McAfee moved to the U.S. when he was in his teens. He lived in Oak Ridge, Tenn., where he met his wife, Jill Hahn. They resided in Newton with their three children, Emma, 19, Jordan, 16, and Elie, 14.
“More than anything, Andy loved his family,” said Nadel. “Despite all of his other accomplishments, they were the driving force of his life.”
Walls echoed, “It was inspiring, really. Here was this incredibly gifted, accomplished man, yet if you met him on an airplane, all he would talk about was Jill and their wonderful children.”
A memorial service was held Aug. 31 at Temple Israel in Boston.