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The Cooper University Health Care community deeply mourns the passing of Edward D. Viner, MD, MACP, a renowned physician, educator, and tireless advocate for compassionate care, who passed away on December 1 at the age of 89. Over the course of his extraordinary career, Dr. Viner made enduring contributions to medical education, healthcare innovation and philanthropic leadership. His dedication to humanistic medicine leaves a profound and lasting impact on countless lives.

Dr. Viner’s vision and dedication not only shaped the future of Cooper’s Intensive Care Unit, named in his honor, but also inspired a culture of giving that extends well beyond the walls of the institution.

In Dr. Viner’s words: “Hospitals can be self-sufficient and can be good based on their revenue stream, but they can’t be great without the added support private philanthropy can provide.”

A Lasting Legacy: Honoring Dr. Viner Through Transformative Philanthropy

In 2023, The Cooper Foundation received a historic $5 million pledge from The Bernard and Shirlee Brown Charitable Foundation and The Brown Foundation in honor of Dr. Viner. This transformative gift established The Edward D. Viner, MD, Chief of Medicine Endowment at Cooper and marked a milestone in Cooper’s philanthropic achievements.

“One of the most poignant moments in my life came when Dr. Viner did an evaluation of my father and we all kind of concluded that dementia had set in pretty good,” recalls Sid Brown, chief executive officer of National Freight Industries (NFI) and member of the Cooper Board of Trustees. “I was with my mother in Dr. Viner’s office when he came in and had to explain it [to us]. She started crying. I started crying. I’m crying now. It was a tough moment but, man, Ed Viner handled it so well.”

“We were thinking about what we could do to continue to espouse what my parents might have wanted to do in their lifetime,” says Sid.

“We asked ourselves: what was important to our parents? And that was Cooper Hospital and the Cooper Medical School,” added his brother, Jeffery Brown, president and vice chairman of NFI, who also serves on The Cooper Foundation board. “We thought, why not endow a chair in Dr. Viner’s name and really help Cooper continue to recruit great doctors into the organization and ensure the legacy of Ed Viner continues to live on.”

Through this extraordinary gift, Dr. Viner’s legacy will continue to provide life-saving resources, inspire future contributions, and ensure that Cooper remains at the forefront of innovation and patient-centered care for generations to come.

A Legacy of Leadership, Advocacy and Compassion in Medicine

Born on October 24, 1935, Dr. Edward D. Viner graduated cum laude from Harvard College before earning his medical degree with honors from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He went on to complete his Internal Medicine residency and a two-year fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Viner dedicated 22 years to leadership roles, including Acting Chief of Medicine, Head of Hematology and Oncology, and Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program and Fellowship Training. His personal journey as a critically ill patient profoundly shaped his medical philosophy, driving him to advocate for better end-of-life care and to establish the first Hospice Program in the Philadelphia region. In 1985, he testified before the U.S. House Select Committee on Aging, championing compassionate care for terminally ill patients.

Transformative Leader: A Champion of Compassionate Care at Cooper

In 1987, Dr. Edward D. Viner was appointed Chief of Medicine at Cooper University Hospital, a position he held for two decades. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in developing an academic Department of Medicine and establishing Cooper’s suburban practice network. Under his leadership, Cooper became the first regional health system in the Philadelphia area to adopt the hospitalist model for inpatient care, setting a standard for improved patient outcomes and efficiency.

Dr. Viner was also instrumental in the creation of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU), proudly witnessing its designation as the nation’s 135th allopathic medical school. In 2009, he was honored as Honorary First Dean in recognition of his critical contributions to the school’s establishment. Later, in 2015, he founded CMSRU’s Center for Humanism, which was renamed in his honor in July 2024 to celebrate his unwavering dedication to patient-centered care.

A Lifetime of Accomplishments

Dr. Viner served on numerous boards at Cooper, including chair of the Cooper Foundation, and participated in local chapters of the American Cancer Society, among other medical societies. In 2023, he was honored by U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross in the House of Representatives as a “trailblazer and leader”.

His numerous accolades include the Philadelphia Caring Award, the American College of Physicians Laureateship, and the Strittmatter Award from the Philadelphia County Medical Society. In August 2024, he was presented with Rowan University’s prestigious Medal of Excellence during CMSRU’s White Coat Ceremony.

Dr. Viner was deeply admired for his unwavering empathy and kindness, providing solace to patients through his gentle demeanor, steadfast dedication, and profound compassion. His rare ability to blend exceptional medical expertise with genuine human connection earned him not only the trust and gratitude of his patients but also the enduring respect and admiration of colleagues, students, and the countless lives he touched.