Dr Summerer Named Co-Chairman Of Annual American Heart Walk

WALLINGFORD –– Dr Mike Summerer, senior vice president and chief medical officer at St Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, and Brian Grissler, president and chief executive officer of Stamford Health Systems in Stamford, have been named co-chairmen of the 2003 American Heart Association Fairfield County’s American Heart Walk.

Dr Summerer, a Newtown resident, and Mr Grissler will oversee all recruitment and organizational activities for the Sunday, November 2, walk and will lead Fairfield County residents on the road in the fight against Connecticut’s number one cause of death: heart disease and stroke.

Featuring the theme, “Step Out, Save Lives, Exercise Your Heart,” the American Heart Walk will again take place at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport.

“Cardiovascular disease accounts for nearly 42 percent of all Connecticut deaths each year,” Dr Summerer said. “The Step Out, Save Lives theme promotes the importance of being physically active to help reduce or eliminate risk factors for heart disease and stroke.”

Dr Summerer was named corporate senior vice president and chief medical officer of St Vincent’s Medical Center in November of 2000. Prior to joining St Vincent’s, he had a seven-year tenure at the Bronson Healthcare Group in Kalamazoo, Mich., serving in a number of positions including vice president for medical affairs, senior vice president of health services delivery, senior vice president, and chief medical officer.

Before joining Bronson Healthcare Group in 1993, Dr Summerer practiced cardiology for 11 years at Cardiology Associates of West Michigan in Kalamazoo. He was very involved with the American Heart Association in Michigan serving as president of the board of directors of the Kalamazoo Chapter from 1990 to 1991 and serving as a member of the board of directors of that same chapter from 1997 to 2000.

A native of Michigan, Dr Summerer received his bachelor’s degree with honors in physics from the University of Connecticut and his MD from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He performed his residency at the Akron General Medical Center in Akron, Ohio, received a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at the Indiana University Medical Center in Bloomington, Ind., and received a master’s degree in administrative medicine from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis. He has memberships in the American College of Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Physician Executives.

Dr Summerer and his wife Pat have four children.

Brian Grissler was named president and chief executive officer of Stamford Health Systems in July of 2001. Prior to joining Stamford Health Systems, he had a nine-year tenure as the president and chief executive officer of Suburban Hospital Healthcare System in Bethesda, Md. Before joining Suburban Hospital Healthcare System in 1992, Mr Grissler spent 12 years with Morristown Memorial Hospital of New Jersey in Morristown, N.J. There, he rapidly moved through a number of management positions before he was appointed the executive vice president and chief operating officer in 1985. Long active in his community and his field, Mr Grissler brings his past experience as a member of the American Heart Association’s Regional Board of Directors in the greater Washington, D.C., area and as an active participant as a board member in the Greater Washington, D.C., American Heart Walk to this year’s Fairfield County event.

A native of New Jersey, Mr Grissler received his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Rutgers University and his MBA from Wagner College in Staten Island. He completed his administrative residency at Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J.

He lives with his wife Patty and their three children in New Canaan.

For more information about the Fairfield County American Heart Walk or to register a team, call the American Heart Association at 203-294-3575.