Edward D. Viner, celebrated chief physician and medical pioneer, has died at 89
He spent 22 years at Pennsylvania Hospital and 20 at Cooper University Hospital, and made groundbreaking advancements in cancer treatment and hospice care.
Edward D. Viner, 89, of Haverford, retired and celebrated acting chief of medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital, chief of medicine emeritus at Cooper University Hospital, hospice and inpatient care pioneer, expert in hematology and oncology, longtime physician to the Philadelphia Orchestra and Philadelphia Flyers, mentor, and veteran, died Sunday, Dec. 1, of acute myeloid leukemia at his home.
Dr. Viner spent 22 years, from 1965 to 1987, at Pennsylvania Hospital and served as acting chief of medicine, head of the hematology and oncology section, and director of the internal medicine residency program and fellowship training. As codirector of the hospital’s research oncology laboratory, he and colleagues performed early research on mice that led to groundbreaking treatments for human cancer patients.
He established the nascent hospice program at Pennsylvania Hospital in 1975 after facing his own catastrophic medical situation in 1972 and became its chief advocate and fundraiser. During his own illness, he spent six weeks on a respirator and four months in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
As chief of medicine at Cooper University Hospital from 1987 to 2007, Dr. Viner created an academic department of medicine, developed Cooper’s suburban practice network, and served as senior vice president of institutional advancement. In 2008, the hospital named its new intensive-care unit in his honor.
“He always did what he thought was right and best, even if challenged,” said his wife, Judith. “He became a friend to his patients. Helping other people drove him his whole life.”
He also laid the groundwork for the 2012 opening of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and was named its honorary first dean in 2009. He continued to practice until last year and never stopped teaching.
“He was not only a mentor to many but also a dear friend and inspiration to all,” Annette C. Reboli, dean of the medical school, said in a tribute. “His visionary leadership, dedication to humanistic care, and unwavering commitment to our students and patients will continue to shape the future of medicine for years to come.”
In 2015, Dr. Viner established and directed the Center for Humanism at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan to “foster the development of humanistic and professional health care practitioners.” In July 2024, center officials renamed it the Edward D. Viner Center for Humanism.
He was also house physician to the orchestra for 42 years and team doctor for the Flyers from 1974 to 1987. In 1985, he told The Inquirer: “There is a great similarity between the Flyers and the orchestra. They’re both made up of people vitally concerned with their bodies. Their bodies are their livelihood.”
Riccardo Muti, former music director of the orchestra, said: “We have lost a great physician who did so much for the community of Philadelphia and the musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He was an extraordinary man.”
Dr. Viner served on boards at Cooper, the local chapters of the American Cancer Society, and other groups. He was chair of the Cooper Foundation, president of the Penn Medical Alumni Association, and a member of the executive committee of the Philadelphia County Medical Society in the 1980s.
He was also involved with organ transplantation, substance abuse prevention, and elder care. He spoke to the House Select Committee on Aging in 1985 regarding end-of-life care, and U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross honored him in the House of Representatives in 2023 as a “trailblazer and leader” and “a practitioner dedicated to his community and who has thoroughly served his patients to the best of his ability.”
Dr. Viner earned recognition and awards from Cooper, Rowan, the American College of Physicians, and other organizations, and a teaching award was established in his honor at Pennsylvania Hospital. He wrote medical papers and book chapters that were published, and lectured on all kinds of topics around the country.
His family noted his “gentle demeanor” and “boundless empathy and kindness” in a tribute. “His expertise extended far beyond the confines of his practice, encompassing research, education, and advocacy,” they said.
Edward David Viner was born Oct. 24, 1935, in Middletown, N.J. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Harvard College in 1956 and a medical degree from what is now the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960.
He married Helen Chalmers, and they had daughters Carol and Beth, and a son, James. After a divorce, he married Judith Benson in 1969, and they had daughters Jennifer, Julia, and Kathryn, and lived for years in Villanova.
Dr. Viner served nine years in the Army Reserve. He had a remarkable memory and enjoyed music, ballet, and the theater.
He followed the sports teams in Philadelphia and New York, and played tennis, golf, and bridge. He loved sailing, travel, and his German shepherds.
Often, he rearranged his work schedule to attend games and events that featured his children. He especially liked to surprise his wife with gifts and poems.
His family said: “He leaves behind a legacy that will forever resonate within the hearts of those whose lives he touched.”
In addition to his wife and children, Dr. Viner is survived by 10 grandchildren, a sister, and other relatives. His former wife died earlier.
Services were held on Dec. 6, and a celebration of his life is to be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, 401 S. Broadway, Camden, N.J. 08103.
Donations in his name may be made to the Edward D. Viner Center for Humanism at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, 401 S. Broadway, Camden, N.J. 08103.