Rick Nishimura

Rick A. Nishimura, M.D., is a consultant in the Division of Structural Heart Disease, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with a joint appointment in the Division of Interventional Cardiology. He joined the staff of Mayo Clinic in 1983 and holds the academic rank of professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Dr. Nishimura is recognized with the distinction of the Judd and Mary Morris Leighton Professorship in Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension. 

Dr. Nishimura went to Knox College for his undergraduate degree, subsequently receiving his medical degree from Rush Medical College. He then attended the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine (now Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences) for his internship, residency and cardiovascular fellowship. Dr. Nishimura's practice in the field of cardiovascular diseases includes subspecialty interests in valvular heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and pericardial disease. He receives referrals from cardiologists all over the country to consult in difficult diagnostic cases. Aside from patient care, he also works in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, specializing in hemodynamics and structural heart disease. Dr. Nishimura has written over 500 manuscripts and 50 book chapters in the field of cardiovascular diseases. He has served on editorial boards for prominent medical journals and has been a distinguished visiting professor at multiple academic centers. He is a recipient of the Plummer Distinguished Clinician Award and the Mayo Clinic Distinguished Clinician Award, as well as the Presidential Citation from the American College of Cardiology. Dr. Nishimura also serves as the Terrance D. and Judith A. Paul Director of MayoExpert. In this role, he is leading an institutional effort to provide the optimal Mayo Clinic-vetted knowledge to Mayo physicians through electronic systems to be used at the point of care. He is currently the Medical Director for Care Guidance at the Center for Digital Health and is actively engaged in the development of programs to enhance patient care through digital solutions. Dr. Nishimura has a passion for education and is involved in educating medical students, fellows, and practicing cardiologists, both at Mayo Clinic and through numerous medical meetings. He has been honored multiple times as Outstanding Cardiovascular Diseases Teacher and Teacher of the Year, with induction into the Hall of Fame. He has also been recognized with the Mayo Clinic Distinguished Educator Award; the Gifted Teacher Award, conferred by the American College of Cardiology; and the Laennec Award for Clinician Educator, conferred by the American Heart Association. Dr. Nishimura has been active in the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, having served on the Board of Trustees, and he has been on several national guideline writing committees.