It is with deep and profound sadness that the department informs you of the passing of James G. Caridi, MD, FSIR, former UF Professor of Radiology, in the early evening of November 23, 2021.
Dr. Caridi, Jim to all of us, was born on September 4, 1953 in Hollywood, Florida. He graduated from Florida State University in 1976 and attended University of Florida College of Medicine 1976 to 1979. He did an internship in Pediatrics at UF followed by Radiology Residency in New York from 1980 to 1983. He then returned to the University of Florida as a Fellow in Vascular and Interventional Radiology in 1983 where he met his lifelong friend, educator and mentor Irwin (Dick) Hawkins, MD, who was, at the time, establishing himself as one of the founders of modern Vascular and Interventional Radiology. Jim became part of, and continued the traditions of, that founding legacy.
In 1996, Dr. Caridi became the Chief of the Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at UF. He enthusiastically and admirably performed the duties of that key leadership position from 1996 until 2012. During this 16 year tenure as VIR chief Jim continued the legacy of innovation and creativity established by Dr. Hawkins. His publication record, service on editorial boards and in SCVIR as well as funding history by way of creative relationships with innovative medical device companies, reflect his extraordinary devotion to advancing the VIR subspecialty. His joint appointments in the Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics reflect his devotion to the ideals of interdisciplinary cooperation for the benefit of our patients requiring often technically challenging vascular and interventional imaging guided procedures.
In 2015 Dr. Caridi became Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiology at Tulane University Medical Center, a position that he has held to the present.
His publication record included 67 peer-reviewed publications and 6 book chapters. He was the recipient of 12 distinguished teaching awards while on the faculty at UF. Jim was voted as a top physician in New Orleans and Louisiana consistently from 2016 to 2019 being recognized as an extraordinarily skilled physician serving those communities. This recognition only touches the surface of his intense dedication to his patients.
First and foremost Jim was recognized, by all of those who worked with him and knew him by his inner character and integrity, as an extraordinarily dedicated physician who was always intimately involved with the care of his patients and amongst the most responsive physicians to their needs while at UF. Jim was almost single-handedly responsible for holding together the VIR section through a very difficult time of transition, his compassionate leadership allowing it to become the very well organized and highly skilled section currently available to serve our UF Health patients. He was an extraordinarily caring and loving individual completely devoted to the well-being of his family and his patients.
Jim is survived by his wife Rhonda and 5 children. We join them in their sorrow at this loss and together in fond thoughts and memories of Jim.