Thad F. Waites, MD, MACC, Presented with ACC Distinguished Fellow Award
Hattiesburg Clinic would like to congratulate Thad F. Waites, MD, MACC, for receiving the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) 2023 Distinguished Fellow Award.
Dr. Waites is a cardiologist with Hattiesburg Clinic Heart & Vascular, where he has worked since 1987. During his tenure with the clinic, he served on the Board of Trustees for over a decade, which included several years as vice president. His current role at Heart & Vascular focuses on imaging studies and diagnosis.
In addition to his role at Hattiesburg Clinic, Waites also serves as Chairman of the Mississippi State Board of Health. As Chairman, he was instrumental in the decision to allow Cardiac Ambulatory Surgery facilities in the state. Once these were approved in the State Health Plan, Hattiesburg Clinic and Forrest General Hospital entered into a joint venture to establish the first in the state. It is also the first in any of the 35 states that require a Certificate of Need to open these outpatient facilities.
His additional affiliations include being Chair of the MS STEMI System of Care Performance Improvement Committee and a Board Member for the Mississippi Healthcare Alliance. In the ACC, he was on the Board of Trustees for 2 terms – he was Chair, ACC Health Affairs Committee – Chair of the ACC Board of Governors – and President for two terms of the Southeastern Affiliate of the American Heart Association. Waites is affiliated with the Society of Cardiac Angiography, the Mississippi State Medical Association and the American Medical Association. He is also a proud veteran, having served as a flight surgeon for the US Navy Reserve.
Born and raised in Waynesboro, Miss., Waites attended the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, Miss. He completed his internship at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., and his residency at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver, Colo. He completed his fellowship at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., where he also served as Chief Resident.
Before coming to Hattiesburg Clinic, Waites worked in New Orleans as a faculty member of the Ochsner Hospital and Clinic. It was in New Orleans that he met his wife, Gerry. Several children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren round out their family.
“I always thank Gerry for her support and inspiration and especially the inspiration and advice to move to my home state and Hattiesburg Clinic,” Waites said.
Waites also recognized his late brother, Dr. James Waites, an accomplished family physician in Laurel, Miss. He was President of the Mississippi State Medical Association and served in many other societies and groups, including Alumni President at the University of Southern Mississippi. He was a highly influential figure in his “little” brother’s and many others’ lives.
Waites was nominated for the Distinguished Fellow Award by his friend and former ACC President, John Gordon Harold, MD, MACC. Once nominated, the recipient is chosen by letters of support from leaders of the College and by a vote from the ACC Awards Committee. The ACC will formally recognize Waites at their annual convention in New Orleans in March.
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About Hattiesburg Clinic Heart & Vascular:
The providers and staff of Heart & Vascular at Hattiesburg Clinic are committed to bringing the latest technologies of cardiovascular disease management to residents of South Mississippi. With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women, our goal at Hattiesburg Clinic Heart & Vascular is to offer compassionate and personalized cardiac and vascular care to our patients.
About Hattiesburg Clinic:
Hattiesburg Clinic is Mississippi’s largest privately-owned, multispecialty clinic. More than 55 years after its beginning, the clinic has grown to over 450 physicians and providers, caring for patients in more than 17 counties in South Mississippi. Along with over 2,000 professional staff employees, these physicians and providers come together for a common purpose, to serve the over 500,000 community members who live and work in South Mississippi every day.
