2007-03-12 21:01:55 -

CLEVELAND, March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Cleveland Clinic today announced that its Chief Executive Officer and President, Delos M. "Toby" Cosgrove, M.D., is receiving a National Physician of the Year Award for Clinical Excellence from Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., publisher of the America's Top Doctors guides.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060118/CLW035 )

Dr. Cosgrove, will be one of five individuals honored at an awards dinner in New York City's Pierre Hotel on Tuesday, March 13. This is the second year Castle Connolly hosts the dinner in honor of a select group of outstanding physicians.

"As

a surgeon, I was energized by the privilege of providing patients with the best medical care possible and I enjoyed the challenge of innovating and developing new techniques and surgical tools for the advancement of cardiac surgery," Dr. Cosgrove said. "I'm truly honored to be receiving this award from Castle Connolly for a career I've found to be so fulfilling and rewarding."

At the March 13 dinner, Joseph G. McCarthy, M.D. of New York Medical Center, and Patrick Walsh, M.D., of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, will also receive awards for Clinical Excellence. Maria Delivoria-Papadopoulos, M.D., of The St. Christopher's Hospital for Children-Philadelphia will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award and the Honorable Nancy G. Brinker, Founder of the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure, will receive a National Health Leadership Award.

Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is a research and publishing company focused on helping consumers find independent, trusted information about quality healthcare, and in particular, about top doctors, on the regional and national levels.

Every year, the publisher's "Top Doctors" guides profile the nation's leading physicians following an extensive nomination, research and screening process, which involves soliciting nominations from tens of thousands of doctors across the United States. Physicians receiving the Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year Award were selected in a similarly nomination process.

Recognized as a global expert in the sub-specialty of heart valve surgery, Dr. Cosgrove has pioneered numerous surgical techniques and devices to effectuate the minimally invasive reconstruction or replacement of the mitral, aortic and or tricuspid valves saving thousands of lives, worldwide. Having performed over 22,000 operations and received 30 patents, Dr. Cosgrove has stimulated innovation in virtually every aspect of cardiac surgical care at the Cleveland Clinic and has participated in numerous conferences and tele- symposia to educate surgeons abroad.

Dr. Cosgrove, a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, completed his clinical training in cardiothoracic surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and Brook General Hospital in London. He was a surgeon in the U.S. Air Force and served in Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, as the Chief of the U.S. Air Force Casualty Staging Flight. He was awarded the Bronze Star for evacuating more than 20,000 casualties during his tour of duty in Vietnam. Dr. Cosgrove was also awarded the Republic of Vietnam Commendation Medal for the volunteer medical services he rendered to Vietnamese civilians. Dr. Cosgrove has performed more than 20,000 operations, authored more than 450 scientific publications, holds more than 20 medical patents and is a member of 16 scientific societies, including the American Association of Thoracic Surgery to which he was elected President in 2000.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Approximately 1,500 full-time salaried physicians at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2005, there were 2.9 million outpatient visits to Cleveland Clinic. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80 countries. There were nearly 54,000 hospital admissions to Cleveland Clinic in 2005. Cleveland Clinic's Web site address is http://www.clevelandclinic.org/.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060118/CLW035
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Source: Cleveland Clinic