FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 19, 2014)  W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) joined with leaders across the vascular and endovascular community in honoring four North American physicians as Pioneers in Performance. The biennial award acknowledges exceptional work in the field of vascular and endovascular therapy, including aortic and lower-limb bypass and dialysis access surgery.

The 2014 nominees were selected by past award recipients in four categories that correspond with different aspects of clinical collaboration. Through popular vote on www.pioneersinperformance.com, the broader medical community chose to award the following honorees at a special celebration during the 41st VEITHsymposium® held in New York, November 18-22, 2014.

Commitment to Ongoing Learning:

  • Jose I. Almeida, MD, FACS, RPVI, RVT, Vascular Surgeon and Founder of the Miami Vein Center, Miami, Florida

Dedication to Sharing Knowledge with Peers and Patients:

  • Jaafer Golzar, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Interventional Cardiologist at Advocate Christ Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois

Dedication to Creating Consensus within the Medical Community:

  • Michael R. Jaff, DO, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Dedication to Analysis of Clinical Outcomes:

  • Herbert D. Aronow, MD, MPH, Director of the Comprehensive Vascular Program at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Symposium Chair, Frank Veith, commented, “Pioneers in Performance recognizes the incredible achievements made by leaders in our field. We are able to honor their dedication to excellence through innovation, critical thinking, education, research, and collaboration. This year’s award recipients are of the finest in our industry and exemplify what it means to be a true pioneer in the pursuit to advance open and endovascular surgery and improve patient outcomes.” Dr. Veith is also Professor of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic and New York University and The William J. von Liebig Chair in Vascular surgery at New York Medical Center.

“Since the Pioneers in Performance program began, physicians from all over the world have been given the opportunity to honor the extraordinary achievements of their peers and this year is no different,” said David Abeyta, Leader of the Gore Medical Products Division. “We congratulate this latest group of European-based honorees and thank them, and their fellow nominees, for their unrelenting dedication to advancing vascular and endovascular therapy for their patients and their peers.”

“Each year, we support the extraordinary achievements made by vascular and endovascular physicians from all over the world through Pioneers in Performance and this year is no exception as we congratulate the 2014 North American honorees,” said David Abeyta, Leader of the Gore Medical Products Division. “It is with this honor that we thank all the participants for their unrelenting dedication to advancing vascular and endovascular therapy for their patients and their peers.”

About W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

About W. L. Gore & Associates: The Gore Medical Products Division has provided creative therapeutic solutions to complex medical problems for more than 35 years. During that time, more than 35 million innovative Gore Medical Devices have been implanted, saving and improving the quality of lives worldwide. The extensive Gore Medical family of products includes vascular grafts, endovascular and interventional devices, surgical meshes for hernia repair, soft tissue reconstruction, staple line reinforcement and sutures for use in vascular, cardiac, and general surgery. Gore is one of a select few companies to appear on all of the U.S. “100 Best Companies to Work For” lists since the rankings debuted in 1984. For more information, visit www.goremedical.com.

GORE® and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. AT0761-EN1

About VEITHsymposium

Now in its fourth decade, VEITHsymposium provides vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, interventional cardiologists and other vascular specialists with a unique and exciting format to learn the most current information about what is new and important in the treatment of vascular disease. The 5-day event features over 900 rapid-fire presentations from world-renowned vascular specialists with emphasis on the latest advances, changing concepts in diagnosis and management, pressing controversies and new techniques. For VEITHsymposium media inquiries, please contact Pauline T. Mayer at 631.979.3780.

Media Contact

Chempetitive Group for W. L. Gore & Associates
Kena Hudson
+1 510 908 0966
Contact by email