Heather Kagan, MD
Departments
Cooper University Health Care Titles
- Hospitalist
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Titles
- Assistant Professor of Medicine
Board Certifications
- American Board of Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine - General)
Professional Type
Cooper University Physician
NPI
1720576580
About Me
I am an internal medicine physician (an "internist") who takes care of patients who are hospitalized. This is also known as a "hospitalist." I work at both Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ, and Inspira Health in Vineland, NJ. I pride myself in taking a comprehensive and holistic approach to diagnose and treat the underlying cause of my patients' symptoms. I serve as the "quarterback" of a patient's hospital team and closely collaborate with specialists and surgeons in caring for my patients. I care deeply about my patients and providing excellent care. I strive every day to provide care that I would want provided to myself or a family member. I also teach and supervise student physicians and resident physicians in training.
Outside of my inpatient work, I am interested in the intersection of the arts/humanities and medicine and their ability to transform and improve health care. In addition to being a physician, I am a writer, medical journalist, and artist. I have special training in using visual art and art museum-based activities to facilitate meaningful discussions and reflection, build community, promote wellness and self-care, develop health care learners' professional identities, and enhance interprofessional collaboration, patient experience, and patient care. I have directed multiple courses for medical learners that incorporate the arts and believe in its untapped power to alleviate burnout, strengthen communication, and deepen the patient-physician connection.
Office Locations
Education & Training
| Medical School | Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA |
|---|---|
| Residency | Internal Medicine - Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD |
Awards and Honors
- Excellence in Inpatient Care Award – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 2022
- MVP Award – Annual ABC News award for outstanding journalism. Awarded to the Medical Unit for reporting during coronavirus pandemic, 2020
- Barker Kern Award, Honorable Mention - Johns Hopkins Hospital Division of General Internal Medicine, 2020
- Jerry Zaslow Memorial Award - Temple Medical School, 2020
- Thomas M. Durant Prize in Internal Medicine - Temple Medical School award for who best exemplifies the ideal physician, 2018
- Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
- Gold Humanism Honor Society
Publications
Aluri J, Ker J, Marr B, Kagan H, Stouffer K, Yenawine P, Kelly-Hedrick M, Chisolm MS. The role of arts-based curricula in professional identity formation: results of a qualitative analysis of learner's written reflections. Med Educ Online. 2023 Dec;28(1):2145105. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2022.2145105. PMID: 36373894; PMCID: PMC9668275.
Kagan HJ, Kelly-Hedrick M, Benskin E, Wolffe S, Suchanek M, Chisolm MS. Understanding the role of the art museum in teaching clinical-level medical students. Med Educ Online. 2022 Dec;27(1):2010513. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2021.2010513. PMID: 34866552; PMCID: PMC8648011.
Stouffer K, Kagan HJ, Kelly-Hedrick M, See J, Benskin E, Wolffe S, Yenawine P, Chisolm MS. The Role of Online Arts and Humanities in Medical Student Education: Mixed Methods Study of Feasibility and Perceived Impact of a 1-Week Online Course. JMIR Med Educ. 2021 Sep 22;7(3):e27923. doi: 10.2196/27923. PMID: 34550086; PMCID: PMC8495565.
Kelly-Hedrick M, Stouffer K, Kagan HJ, Yenawine P, Benskin E, Wolffe S, Chisolm M. The Online Art Museum. MedEdPublish (2016). 2021 Sep 3;9:179. doi: 10.15694/mep.2020.000179.2. PMID: 38073785; PMCID: PMC10702638.
Kagan HJ, Belekdanian VD, Chen J, Backeris P, Hammoudi N, Turnbull IC, Costa KD, Hajjar RJ. Coronary capillary blood flow in a rat model of congestive heart failure. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2018 Mar 1;124(3):632-640. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00741.2017. Epub 2017 Oct 19. PMID: 29051335; PMCID: PMC5899272.