Rate My Professor James Blankenship

James Blankenship, MD, serves as Professor of Medicine and Interim Division Chief of the Division of Cardiology within the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. He directs the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories and specializes in interventional cardiology. As a clinician educator, Blankenship contributes to patient care, research, and training in cardiovascular disease management, particularly in invasive and interventional procedures.

Blankenship has substantially influenced clinical guidelines and practices through authorship on pivotal publications. He co-authored the 2009 ACC/AHA focused updates on guidelines for ST-elevation myocardial infarction management, cited over 3,200 times. Other key works include the 2012 ACCF/AHA/ACP/AATS/PCNA/SCAI/STS guideline for stable ischemic heart disease (nearly 3,000 citations), the 2015 ACC/AHA/SCAI focused update on primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (over 1,700 citations), and the 2014 focused update on stable ischemic heart disease (over 1,200 citations). Earlier contributions encompass the 1994 EPIC Investigators trial on monoclonal antibody against platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa in high-risk coronary angioplasty (over 3,000 citations), a 2007 trial on pexelizumab in acute myocardial infarction, and a 2011 paper on radiation safety in cardiac catheterization laboratories. His scholarship underscores advancements in percutaneous interventions, antithrombotic therapies, and procedural safety.

Blankenship held the presidency of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) from 2015 to 2016 and received the SCAI Helping Hearts Lifetime Service Award. He maintains active roles in university governance, including membership on the UNM Faculty Senate and Health Sciences Center Council. His leadership and publications have shaped standards in interventional cardiology, enhancing outcomes in acute coronary syndromes and complex catheter-based treatments at the University of New Mexico.