Rick Westerman

Personal Information: 

 •  Name when in high school yearbook:  Rick

 •  High school nickname:   Rick

 •  Legal name today (if different):   Same

 •  What do people call you now? :   Rick

 •  Address:   223 Equestrian Ave. Santa Barbara, CA 93101

 •  Email contact:    grwesterman@cvsurg.com

Current life situation:  Retired 2012

Family history: Wife, Jane, of 31 years.  Two sons, 29 & 30 (geriatric parents).

Current hobbies and interests:  Trying to visit every country in the world.  Maintain two secure computer networks for physicians.

Claims to fame:  Had my first real job at age 37.  Operated on almost 8,000 hearts. (Couldn’t bear practicing long enough to make it to 8,000)

Anything else you want to share:  Good wishes

Education, Military Service or Training  After ELHS:

 •  Attended several burlesque shows at the Roxy in Cleveland on Ninth & Short Vincent streets, summer 1963

 •  Bachelor of music, Cleveland Institute of Music, Studied piano with Arthur Loesser. 1963-1967

 •  Peabody Conservatory of Music, studied with Leon Fleisher1968

 •  Master of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, studied with Victor Babin 1970

 •  Epiphany 1971

 •  MD, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine 1975

 •  General surgical internship & residency, Peter Bent Brigham, Boston (PBBH) (Now Brigham & Women’s) 1979

 •  Thoracic & cardiovascular surgery (CVS) residency @ PBBH & congenital cardiac surgery @ Boston Children’s 1982

Work History:

 •  Started congenital cardiovascular surgery program with colleague @ Arkansas Children’s Hospital,

 •  Simultaneously did adult CVS at The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences & the McClellan VA Medical Center

 •  CVS @ Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, CA

 •  CVS at Cottage Hospital Health Systems, Santa Barbara since 1991 

photos from a recent trip to the Baltics: Jane & me with Lech Walesa; the two sons also with Lech (he’s the Teddy bear in the middle and a thoroughly delightful man...)