Michael Lauer, MD, PhD

Cardiac Rhythm Management Formulary Dr. Lauer has been compared to TPMG founder, Dr. Sidney Garfield, as “an individual who labors first alone with a vision, but whose ideas become the instrument for big changes.” That instrument is the Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) Formulary.

The CRM Formulary is a resource to help TPMG physicians choose and implant the best pacemaker for a patient; minimize complications; and ensure maximum longevity for the device. Traditionally, physicians implanted pacemakers they were familiar with, using techniques they learned in training. In 2010, a committee was formed to develop an evidence-based approach to cardiac rhythm management for KPNC patients. At the first meeting, Dr. Lauer asked if he could “take a stab” at a proposal. At the next meeting, he presented his work.

A colleague relates, “Everyone was silent for a minute, until one of them said that Dr. Lauer’s presentation was the single best lecture on cardiac rhythm he had heard in his entire career, and it could set a new standard across the country for improving care.”

Next, Dr. Lauer and committee members organized the CRM Summit in 2011. Dr. Lauer was the keynote speaker, and introduced more than 100 colleagues to the benefits of the CRM Formulary.

Dr. Lauer passed away unexpectedly in June 2012. However, his legacy lives on, and the CRM Formulary he created will continue to benefit the more than 6,000 KPNC patients each year who get pacemakers.