Maureen E. Mays, M.D., M.S., director of preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation and assistant professor in the department of cardiovascular medicine in the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, has been awarded diplomate status by the American Board of Clinical Lipidology (ABCL), one of only four physicians in Oregon and one of 337 in the United States and Canada to have achieved that distinction.

Certification by the ABCL, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the morbidity and mortality from dyslipidemia and related diseases, demonstrates professional commitment to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and documents expertise in lipid management. Professionals in lipid management specialize in diagnosis and treatment of cholesterol disorders known as dyslipidemia, which may cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease and are responsible for about one-third of all deaths in the United States. To obtain diplomate status a physician must complete a range of continuing medical education requirements and successfully pass a rigorous examination.

Mays earned her M.D. degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine and a master’s degree in cardiovascular and exercise physiology from the University of Utah. She completed her internship and residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, where she was chief resident for the department of family medicine. Dr. Mays now practices exclusively in preventive cardiology where she sees both adults and children over age two. Preventive cardiovascular medicine helps reduce the risk of future heart disease for both those with a history of heart disease and those without.

For more information on cardiovascular medicine visit: http://heart.ohsu.edu/