The Vascular Disease Foundation presented its annual awards at the organisation’s 8th annual meeting in Washington, USA. The awards honor the work of citizens, health care providers, organisations, researchers and companies that have enhanced the understanding and/or treatment of peripheral vascular diseases.
The most prestigious award, the Julius H. Jacobson II MD Award for Physician Excellence, was given to Barry T Katzen, medical director of Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute in Miami and professor of radiology at the University of Miami. This award recognises outstanding contributions to physician education, leadership and patient care in vascular diseases.
Katzen has been pioneer in many of the methods of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and was one of the first to popularise fibrinolytic therapy. His most unique contribution to education was pioneering the use of “live-case” tutorial for vascular education which has evolved into a teaching tool for procedure-oriented specialties.
In addition to the Jacobson award, the Vascular Disease Foundation presented its President’s Awards which recognise individuals who have assisted the foundation in accomplishing its mission to improve health for all by reducing death and disability from vascular diseases.
“The President’s Awards for Vision, Leadership, Inspiration and Partnership show our appreciation for the extraordinary initiatives to support the foundation’s efforts to increase awareness of vascular disease and enhance patient lives,” said Robert McLafferty, president of the Vascular Disease Foundation.
This year’s President’s Awards were presented as follows:
President’s Award for Inspiration was given to Beth Murray, HeartCaring/Cardiac Outreach coordinator at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in Patchogue, New York.
President’s Award for Leadership was given to Anton N Sidawy, professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, Sidawy also serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vascular Surgery and he is a past-president of the Society for Vascular Surgery. Having served on the Vascular Disease Foundation’s board of directors since June 2003 he was president-elect and president from 2006 to 2010. Through his dedication to and leadership of the Vascular Disease Foundation, he has shown his commitment to the foundation’s mission in increasing the awareness of vascular disease and improving vascular health.
President’s Award for Partnership was given to the American Association of CardioVascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. For over a year the Association had partnered with the Vascular Disease Foundation to create, review and promote the Peripheral Artery Disease Exercise Toolkit, and has cross-promoted the programme to its members. Over 1,000 professionals have used the programme over the past year.
President’s Award for Vision was given to the Center for Vascular Awareness in Albany, New York, and Manish Mehta, vascular surgeon and endovascular specialist, for their advancement of vascular awareness through quarterly meetings held for health care providers and others in the community.
“It gives me great honor to present these awards on behalf of the Vascular Disease Foundation,” said McLafferty. “This year’s recipients have made such an outstanding contribution to not only the Vascular Disease Foundation but the field of vascular medicine. It is such a privilege to acknowledge those committed to advancing the field of vascular disease.”
