Mattapoisett resident Mike Mazer was recently granted the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for his long career in medicine.

The award is intended for those who have shown, "leadership, excellence and longevity" in their field.

Mazer, a medical doctor, was a practicing and teaching internist, nephrologist, and cardiologist from 1962-1997, a job that was interrupted by volunteering for the Vietnam War. Mazer was an active duty physician from 1965-1967 and subsequently spnt the next ten years in the Ready Reserves.

During his 35-year tenure as a physician, Mazer became Chief of Cardiology and Chief of Nephrology at two greater Boston teaching hospitals, the Goddard Memorial in Stoughton and the Cardinal Cushing (now the Good Samaritan Medical Center) in Brockton, as well as a consultant at the Brockton Hospital. At those hospitals, he became the director of the coronary unit, and medical director of the intensive and special care units.

As a non-invasive cardiologist, he specialized in coronary heart disease with their complications of heart attacks, congestive heart failure as well as valvular heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, pacemaker surveillance, hyper-cholesterolemia, hypertension, etc. As a nephrologist, he specialized in treating diseases of the kidney including in-hospital acute hemodialysis (including poisonous ingestions) for acute medical and surgical disasters culminating in acute kidney failure requiring urgent treatment, and dealt with metabolic, acid-base and electrolyte problems. He also covered other physicians for outpatient chronic dialysis units.

When asked of his achievements in his career, Dr. Mazer stated "to have had the honor and privilege...to be there for others who are in need of medical care and help. There can be no greater achievement in life."

Before establishing himself professionally, Mazer earned a B.S. with honors from Boston University in 1958, followed by an M.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 1962.

Outside of his work as a physician, Mazer is renowned for his artwork which began at age four. He holds elected or signature memberships in 37 national art societies as well as many regional organizations. In 2017, Mazer was unanimously approved by the National Board of Directors of the American Artists Professional League (AAPL) in New York City, as the first Signature Member elected in many decades, and the eighth signature member in the AAPL's 89-year history; there are presently over 600 members in the organization and a total of only 13 signature members in its 89-year existence.

He is a designated Coast Guard artist, and seven of his paintings are in the permanent collection of the U.S. Coast Guard in Washington, D.C. He has exhibited over 700 of his watercolor and oil paintings in juried shows across the country and internationally.