Gore Recognizes "Pioneers in Performance"

November 16, 2012—Gore & Associates (Flagstaff, AZ) announced the honorees of the 2011-2012 Pioneers in Performance Awards for the United States. The awards acknowledge exceptional work in the field of vascular and endovascular therapy, including aortic and lower limb bypass and dialysis access surgery. A celebration was held in honor of the Pioneers in Performance award recipients during the VEITH Symposium, held on November 14–18, 2012 in New York City.

According to Gore's announcement, these physicians and innovators were recognized for their unrelenting dedication to advancing vascular and endovascular therapy and minimally invasive treatment options, and the work performed by these individuals has expanded therapeutic options for at-risk patients. More information about the awards and biographies of this year's recipients is available on the Pioneers in Performance website.

The 2012 Pioneers in Performance honorees are:

K. Wayne Johnston, MD, for “Commitment to Ongoing Learning.” Dr. Johnston is the R. Fraser Elliott Chair in Vascular Surgery and Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.

William Pearce, MD, for “Dedication to Sharing Knowledge with Peers and Patients.”
 Dr. Pearce is Professor of Vascular Surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

Alan Lumsden, MD, for “Dedication to Creating Consensus within the Medical Community.” Dr. Lumsden is Medical Director of the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center in Houston, Texas.

Krishna Rocha-Singh, MD, for “Dedication to Analysis of Clinical Outcomes.” Dr. Rocha-Singh is Director of the Prairie Vascular Institute and Medical Director of the Prairie Education & Research Cooperative in Springfield, Illinois.

On behalf of the company, Ryan Takeuchi, Gore Aortic Business Leader, commented, “We congratulate this year's honorees and are proud to recognize them as true pioneers in performance. Their continued dedication to advancing vascular care empowers and inspires Gore to work to continually pursue new, innovative technologies that help physicians achieve better patient outcomes that improve patients' lives.”

As part of the awards program at the VEITH Symposium, Gore also commemorated the 20th anniversary of the first endovascular aortic repair in North America by gathering together and recognizing those who participated in the pioneering medical milestone. The two decades that have passed since the “Year of EVAR” have seen innumerable peer-reviewed papers, endovascular congresses and conferences, society events and gatherings, medical study and practice, device design and innovation, and procedures at medical centers around the world, noted the company.