Internationally-Renowned Cardiologists/Cardiothoracic Surgeons Form Medical Society Focusing on Heart Valve Disease

Heart Valve Society of America (HVSA) formed to promote education and research and advance recognition & knowledge of field.

(PRWEB) June 15, 2005 -- The Heart Valve Society of America (HVSA) - including the Heart Valve Trialists Society - has been formed by a founding board of nationally and internationally prominent cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons in the heart valve disease field.

The mission of the Society is to:

- promote research

- educate medical professionals about the evaluation and treatment of heart valve diseases;

- serve as an informational resource for government, private industry, healthcare providers, the media and public; and,

- encourage and facilitate education of future heart valve disease specialists

"Heart valve diseases can be considered 'mystery killers,'" said Jeffrey S. Borer, MD of Weill Medical College of Cornell University, president of the Society. "Too often, they progress slowly and imperceptibly, yet are capable of causing sudden and unexpected death. The founding board believes a vehicle is needed to bring cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, anesthesiologists, pathologists, internists, basic scientists, other medical and allied health professionals together, in order to further research and educate caregivers and patients about this important public health problem."

Please visit our site at www.heartvalvesocietyofamerica.org

The founding board members include:

Jeffrey S. Borer, MD (President) - Gladys & Roland Harriman Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chief, Division of Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Co-director, The Howard Gilman Institute for Valvular Heart Diseases, Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Maurice E. Sarano, MD (Executive Vice President) - Professor of Medicine, Mayo Medical School; Director, Valvular Heart Disease Clinic, Mayo Clinic

A. Jamil Tajik, MD (Secretary) - Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Professor, Mayo Medical School; Consultant, Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic

Mark Starling, MD (Treasurer) - Medical Director, Banner Baywood Heart Hospital, Mesa, AZ

Cary W. Akins, MD (Vice President/Interspecialty Liaison) - Clinical Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Chief, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital

Robert O. Bonow, MD (Vice President/Membership) - Goldberg Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Chief, Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University Medical School; immediate past president, American Heart Association

Blase Carabello, MD (Vice President/Programs & Education) - The W.A. Tex" and Deborah Moncrief Jr. Professor of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine; Vice Chairman, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine

O. Wayne Isom, MD (Vice President/Interspecialty Liaison) - Terry Allen Kramer Professor and Chairman, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Co-Director, The Howard Gilman Institute for Valvular Heart Diseases, Weill Medical College

Jagat Narula, MD (Vice President/Policy) - Professor of Medicine, Chief of Cardiology, Associate Dean, University of California/Irvine

Since receiving its nonprofit status in late October 2004, HVSA membership has grown to close to 200 members. In April, the Society had it first annual meeting and conference at Valves in the Heart of the Big Apple IV: Evaluation & Management of Valvular Heart Diseases 2005 in New York City. Almost 350 participants from the US and abroad attended the two and one-half day conference, which featured top presenters in the field.

Membership is open to medical and allied health professionals involved/interested in the field, as well as individuals who work for corporations, academic and service institutions, and foundations interested in valvular heart disease.

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