For more than 40 years at the University of Utah, Dr. Roger A. Freedman has been a cornerstone of the division. He has mentored more than 70 trainees, cared for thousands of patients, and played a pivotal role in reshaping treatment paradigms in cardiovascular medicine. Notably, Dr. Freedman was instrumental in establishing the University of Utah’s Cardiac Electrophysiology (EP) program laying the foundation for a nationally respected center of excellence.
A recognized leader in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, Dr. Freedman specializes in pacemaker and defibrillator implantation and complex lead extraction procedures. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, completed his internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, and pursued cardiology fellowship training at Stanford University.
As part of a cohort of Stanford-trained faculty who joined the University of Utah, Dr. Freedman helped perform the first implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) procedures in the Intermountain West, placing the institution among an elite group of early adopters alongside centers such as Sinai Hospital, where the ICD was first conceived.
Dr. Freedman established the training program in Cardiac Electrophysiology at the University of Utah shortly after Cardiac Electrophysiology was nationally recognized as a specialty in Cardiology in the late 1980’s.
Throughout his career, Dr. Freedman has provided exceptional care at the University of Utah Hospital’s Cardiovascular Center; in Idaho Falls, Idaho; in Ely, Nevada; and at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County in Rock Springs, Wyoming—extending his impact far beyond the university. Establishing an endowed chair in his name ensures that Dr. Freedman’s legacy of clinical excellence, mentorship, and innovation will continue to advance cardiovascular care for generations to come.
If sufficient funds are not secured to establish a chair, all donated funds will be directed as closely as possible to the original intended purpose of the fund.
