American Heart Association honors Mount Sinai’s Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, for his global leadership

The American Heart Association (AHA) has awarded world-renowned cardiologist Dr. Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, its prominent American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Ron Haddock International Impact Award.

Dr. Fuster serves as Physician-in-Chief, Director of the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute and the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health at Mount Sinai, and the Richard Gorlin, MD/Heart Research Foundation Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Fuster accepted the AHA/ASA Ron Haddock International Impact Award on June 26 at the AHA 2013 June Awards Luncheon held in Dallas, Texas. The honor recognizes Dr. Fuster's important and dedicated service to the American Heart Association, his extraordinary contributions to the organization's global efforts, and his strong leadership in its development of its international programs in the prevention and fight against heart disease.

With his expertise and experience Dr. Fuster has worked for more than three decades to create substantial and enduring bonds with scientists and health organizations around the world. His efforts have allowed AHA to address disparities that exist in cardiovascular disease risk factors, awareness, life expectancy, and resources to treat these diseases in countries across the globe.

"It is with great pleasure that we award the prestigious Ron W. Haddock AHA/ASA International Impact Award to Dr. Fuster for his global impact and leadership in the AHA's work to promote heart health and free the world of heart disease," says Mariell Jessup, MD, the 2013-14 President of the American Heart Association. "We thank Dr. Fuster for his colossal efforts and tireless, steadfast dedication in significantly advancing research discoveries and clinical care for cardiovascular diseases internationally."

"It's a true honor to receive this international AHA award recognizing the great progress the AHA and I working together have been able to accomplish in the battle against heart disease, a truly global problem," says Dr. Fuster. "Each and every day, we continue the fight to make an even greater impact for patients in the United States and throughout the world."

The award is named in honor of Ron Haddock, the 2012-2013 chairman of the American Heart Association. Last year, Haddock and his wife Sandi made a generous $1 million gift allowing the Association to establish the Ron Haddock American Heart Association/American Stroke Association International Impact Award to recognize an individual or group for its outstanding contributions to the organization's global efforts.  

Dr. Fuster is internationally recognized as one of the world's most acclaimed cardiologists in clinical care, research, and education.  Most recently, the AHA presented Dr. Fuster with its 2012 Research Achievement Award for his significant and enduring contributions to a broad spectrum of cardiovascular medicine, achievements that have accelerated progress toward conquering disease and enriching the human condition worldwide.

As a past President of the AHA and the World Heart Federation, Dr. Fuster holds numerous distinctions including honorary doctorates from 30 universities across the globe. As the Chair of the Committee on Preventing the Global Epidemic of Cardiovascular Disease for the Institute of Medicine (IOM), he is a prominent advocate for cardiovascular health.

He is the only cardiologist to receive two gold medal awards and all four major research awards from the four major cardiovascular organizations worldwide. Among his many international accolades are two Distinguished Researcher awards of the Inter-American Society of Cardiology; the Principe de Asturias Award of Science and Technology, the highest honor given to Spanish-speaking scientists; the Andreas Gruntzig Scientific Award and the Gold Medal Award of the European Society of Cardiology, and the Kurt Polzer Cardiovascular Award from the European Society of Science and the Arts. In addition, in 2012 Dr. Fuster received the Lefoulo Delalande Grand Prix from the Institute of France, which is considered the most prestigious award given in the field of cardiovascular research.

The AHA has also honored him with the Lewis A. Conner Memorial and the Gold Medal Award, and Dr. Fuster has received the Herrick Award of the Association's Council on Clinical Cardiology. The American College of Cardiology has named him a Distinguished Scientist and Legend in Cardiovascular Medicine. As Chair of the American College of Cardiology's Fellowship Training Directors Program, he has shaped medical training in cardiovascular care throughout the United States.

Overall, more than 900 published research articles document Dr. Fuster's studies of coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis and thrombosis. He is the lead editor of two major cardiology textbooks. While Dr. Fuster's research has significantly elevated coronary disease knowledge and treatment, he has championed the perspective -- now recognized by the United Nations -- that obesity-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease are global problems. Dr. Fuster chaired a committee of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences that is responsible for developing guidelines for promoting cardiovascular health worldwide. He has also served on the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Advisory Council and numerous other cardiovascular care organizations.

After receiving his medical degree from Barcelona University and completing an internship at Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, Dr. Fuster spent several years at the Mayo Clinic, first as a resident and later as Professor of Medicine and Consultant in Cardiology. In 1981, he came to Mount Sinai as head of Cardiology. From 1991 to 1994, he was Mallinckrodt Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of Cardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He returned to Mount Sinai in 1994 as Director of the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute.

About The Mount Sinai Medical Center
The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Established in 1968, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is one of the leading medical schools in the United States. The Icahn School of Medicine is noted for innovation in education, biomedical research, clinical care delivery, and local and global community service. It has more than 3,400 faculty members in 32 departments and 14 research institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and by U.S. News & World Report.

The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation's oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. In 2012, U.S. News & World Report ranked The Mount Sinai Hospital 14th on its elite Honor Roll of the nation's top hospitals based on reputation, safety, and other patient-care factors. Mount Sinai is one of just 12 integrated academic medical centers whose medical school ranks among the top 20 in NIH funding and by U.S. News & World Report and whose hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll.  Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 560,000 outpatient visits took place.