Special Interest Matter - Dr Brian Herman

Tuesday 14 April 2026

Today I want to speak about Dr Brian Herman, an interventional cardiologist who has spent the last 23 years at the Launceston General Hospital pioneering treatments that have saved countless lives.

Recently, Brian launched his book Becoming That Guy, which chronicles not only his time at the LGH, but also his journey from the Bronx in New York to an island on the other side of the world.

Mr President, in a recent Examiner article profiling the book, Brian recalls a defining moment early in his career as an intern in the United States. He describes watching a resident rush into a room, use a defibrillator, and save a patient’s life. Brian said that in that moment he thought, “How did he know what to do?”, and decided that he wanted to become “that guy”.

Brian describes his arrival in Tasmania as more accidental than deliberate. He arrived knowing no one, but was shown generosity and kindness by both staff and patients.

After several months, he says he “woke up from a very dark place and saw into a future… to establish a cardiology program that would persist beyond my time.”

In his book, Brian reflects on his early working life as a janitor, dishwasher, office worker and labourer, and contrasts this with his career in interventional cardiology, highlighting that no two days are ever the same. Each patient and each case is different.

Through treating people, he has learned not just about medicine, but about life – from bee keeping and potato farming to plumbing, electricity and glider planes.

Brian came to Tasmania during a difficult period in his life.  After an emotional conversation, along with the blessings of his two university age sons, he elected to move to this island and to reshape the LGH to better serve its patients, while reshaping himself.

This began with providing a much-needed clinical service and expanding his role as a teacher. As he writes: “Once the clinical program was up and running, the next step entailed developing a training program… To touch the future.” Of note, the LGH is the only regional hospital in Australia with a fully accredited 3-year training program in Cardiology.

While full of success and innovation, Brian's career has not been without serious challenges.  Stories are told of life altering complications. Routine procedures that quickly become a battle for survival. Every imaginable complication can occur when operating on a patient's beating heart… while they are awake. Yes, the patient is awake while instruments are inside the heart manipulating small devices millimetres in size, and even smaller. The successes far outnumber the complications, but it is the complications that have stayed with him. 

From infections, loss of vision, paraplegia, loss of limb, stroke, ... and yes, death on the table. Anything and everything can happen. It is these very stories of, what he refers to as failures, that has driven him to become better than he began. He often states, there are easier ways to make a living.

He also speaks powerfully about the emotional weight borne by medical professionals. He writes: “One of the peculiar and uncomfortable parts of this job is that even when terrible outcomes are occurring, you continue on.” He reflects on the stark divide between his professional and personal selves, and on the coping mechanisms that help clinicians survive this burden – including, at times, dark humour.

Mr President, Becoming That Guy is a compelling and reflective memoir of a life devoted to medicine, learning and service.

It is intertwined with insights into the human heart and the advances of modern cardiology. I have no doubt that many Tasmanians owe their lives to Dr Brian Herman. This book was dedicated to his sons.

Mr President, how fortunate we are that in 2003 Dr Brian Herman boarded a plane for a 36 hour flight to a place he couldn’t event find on a map – Tasmania. Dr Herman couldn’t be with us this morning, as he’s working, no doubt doing what he’s been doing during his 40 year career – repairing failing hearts through the tiniest of incisions, saving lives.