Letter from the Editor

Succession

Bradley P. Knight, MD, FACC, FHRS

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EP LAB DIGEST. 2026;26(9).

Bradley P Knight, MD, FACC, FHRS

Dear Readers,

Since 2009, these Letters from the Editor in EP Lab Digest have been devoted to the latest developments in cardiac electrophysiology. They have included some personal opinion, perspective, and commentary, but have rarely been written in the first person. This month is different.

A few weeks ago, after serving as Chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Northwestern for the past 17 years (and at the University of Chicago for 7 years), I decided to step aside to make room for the next generation—not leaving, not retiring, just passing the administrative baton. I believe it is healthy for medical centers to undergo periodic leadership restructuring. At some institutions, there are term limits.

I am writing not to focus on myself, but to express my gratitude, recognize those who have helped along the journey, and share our accomplishments. It is interesting to me that my mentor, Fred Morady at the University of Michigan, also passed the EP Director torch to one of his junior colleagues, Hakan Oral, after 24 years. That alone has given me some reassurance that this was the right decision.

Like spontaneous conversion from atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm, I am looking forward to a break from the chaos, a slower pace, better rhythm control, and improved quality of life (Figure).

Picture1 knight_0.png — Figure: Stepping aside from a medical directorship role is much like converting from atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm—a break from the chaos, a slower pace, better rhythm control, and improved quality of life.

Last month, my Cardiology Division Chiefs were kind enough to allow me to read the following during our faculty meeting:

Two weeks ago, during my annual review with Clyde Yancy, I informed him that, after 17 years, it was time for me to step down as the Director of the EP Program at Northwestern to make way for the next generation of leaders.

I want to start by thanking Bob Bonow, Alan Kadish, Doug Vaughn, Pat McCarthy, and Dennis Murphy for giving me the opportunity in 2009 to come to Northwestern as Chief of the EP Section.
I want to thank Clyde for his leadership over the past 15 years, during which the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute has become a national top 10 cardiovascular program, and for his support during this transition.
I want to thank my colleagues for making our EP program one of the top EP programs in the country. The strength of our group lies in our unwavering commitment to one another—anyone in our group would do anything to support a colleague. The culture of our Section should be considered aspirational.
I want to thank Al Lin and Susan Kim for coming with me from the University of Chicago in 2009 and for all the support they have provided since then. They have become pillars of our EP program.
I want to thank Rod Passman, who was here when I arrived. We have worked together in ways that have resulted in incredible clinical and academic accomplishments.
I want to thank Alex Chicos, who had just finished his fellowship when I arrived. He is very hardworking and has been fully supportive throughout this journey.
I want to thank Nishant Verma, who joined us after his fellowship. He has not only become an outstanding interventional electrophysiologist, but also a great colleague who has successfully built the EP program at Lake Forest and directed our EP fellowship program for the past 5 years.
I want to thank Kaustubha Patil, who joined our team from Hopkins and was deservedly appointed Director of EP at Lake Forest this past year.
I want to thank Anna Pfenniger, who stayed with us after her training and continues to brilliantly lead the basic science efforts for our group.
I want to thank Graham Peigh, who as expected, has done a fantastic job over the past year as our newest faculty member. Under the leadership of Al Lin, Graham and Al have built the busiest extraction program in Chicago.
I want to thank the rest of our EP team. Our group would have never reached this stage without the seamless collaboration and friendship from our EP nurses, nurse practitioners, technicians, ablation specialists, administrative assistants, and industry partners.
I want to thank all of our EP fellows and cardiology trainees who chose us over the past 17 years, have contributed significantly to the care of our patients, and made our faculty better.
I want to thank the 9 regional electrophysiologists who have provided excellent Northwestern-level EP care throughout the Chicago area.
I want to thank all of the Cardiology faculty for allowing us to take care of their patients with arrhythmias and for helping us take care of our patients.

Over the past 17 years, the Northwestern EP program has become an internationally recognized, stable, and cohesive EP program. We have focused on exceptional patient care, the adoption of new technology in the EP lab, and discovery. Our EP program has experienced a remarkable increase in interventional EP procedural volume. In just the past 5 years, we have achieved a compound annual growth rate of >10% with the same 3 EP labs, and with very few major complications. Northwestern has become a destination for the treatment of complex arrhythmias. Outside cardiologist, EPs, and their families come to Northwestern for their EP care.

Since 2009, our Northwestern EP group has published over 350 peer-reviewed manuscripts, participated in numerous clinical trials, and is represented on the faculty of nearly every major national and international EP meeting and EP fellows’ education event.

The core of what cardiac electrophysiologists do are EP procedures. My colleagues and I are obsessed with the delivery of expert care to our patients, adopting the best and latest technology and techniques, ensuring proper patient selection, achieving successful outcomes, and maintaining excellent patient safety in our EP labs. We established and have learned from a quarterly, physician-led Quality Assurance meeting, where all major EP lab complications are reviewed by the faculty and fellows. I will take exception to any suggestion that our patients do not receive exceptional care in our EP lab.

During this transition, I am committed to making sure that our patients continue to receive the best possible care. I will also do my best to ensure that the next EP Section Chief is an outstanding interventional electrophysiologist, has a passion for EP, and is a leader who is regularly on the ground willing to do anything that he or she asks of the other EP physicians. I will continue to insist that the hospital administration provides the resources that are needed to support our continuously growing EP procedural volume.

Again, I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to lead the EP Section at Northwestern for the past 17 years.