SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

By 2030, nearly 23.6 million people around the world will die from heart disease. In the next 3 minutes, 3 people in the United States alone will suffer from a heart attack. And a startling 56% of those victims will be women. But what if all of those people had known that heart disease was 100% preventable? This is the inspiring mission of Dr. William A. Cooper aka ―Coop -The Heart Doctor – Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Professor, and decorated Army Veteran – to ensure that every day people have access to critical information that can save their lives today!

As the Medical Director of Cardiovascular Surgery at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital (Marietta, GA), where he has performed over 6,000 surgeries including the hospital’s very first open-heart surgery, Dr. Cooper is leading the charge of perhaps one of the greatest battles in the history of our nation – the war on heart disease. Health + Education = Power! This simple philosophy is bringing hope to thousands of people that encounter Dr. Cooper’s one-man mission to lift the veil on cardiovascular or―heart disease.

As former Associate Professor of Surgery at the Emory University School of Medicine, William Cooper knows that education is vital to prevention and early detection. The overwhelming perception is that this disease only affects people that are older, overweight, smokers, drinkers, etc., but statistics prove that the face of this condition has changed. To date, Dr. Cooper has had the unenviable task of performing life-saving operations on patients as young as 27 years of age. And the number of fatalities continue to climb, ―because people simply aren’t educated about cardiovascular disease, he shares.

Heart disease has no boundaries. My patients represent every age, gender, race and socio-economic status. They are seemingly normal, healthy people living the American dream. But within minutes, their lives and the lives of their families are turned upside down. It doesn’t have to end this way. Dr. Cooper has become a leading authority in the field of heart disease. As a medical expert, he has been featured on several prime-time television shows including Good Morning Atlanta, AM Arizona, The Morning Show and Everyday with Marcus and Lisa. And was recently featured in the award-winning documentary, ―America the Beautiful.

Dr. Cooper’s clinical research has been published in over 100 national journals including Circulation, Journal of Pediatric Surgery and Annals of Thoracic Surgery. And later this fall, Dr. Cooper will add the title of Published Author to his long list of accolades with the launch of his new book, “Heart Attack: Triumph. Truth. Tragedy.” – an original health and wellness reference that will take readers inside the lives of heart attack survivors.

Dr. Cooper is quick to share that ―the book isn’t about death, but hope. “I lost my own mother to pancreatic cancer at the age of 14. She passed away within months of her diagnosis. If I knew then what I know today, perhaps she would still be here. If this book can save one more person from the fate of a curable illness, then my job is done.”

When Dr. Cooper isn’t in the operating room, he leads a team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals on a course to change the way healthcare is delivered. While these achievements are certainly impressive, William Cooper’s greatest passion is empowering people to take greater ownership of their healthcare. “When I come in contact with most patients, it’s often too late”, he shares. While advanced technology has extended the survival rate of most heart patients, ―there are a number of simple measures that everyone can take today to prevent ending up on my operating table tomorrow.” It is this powerful message that is inspiring to so many of the lives he touches.