| June 17, 2010 | Media contact: Shantell Kirkendoll E-mail: smkirk@umich.edu Phone: 734-764-2220 |
Vallerie McLaughlin, M.D., earns pulmonary hypertension excellence award
Award from Pulmonary Hypertension Association highlights physician committment to patient care and research for rare, difficult-to-treat condition
Dr. Vallerie McLaughlin
|
 |
|
Meet the expert: Learn more:
|
Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Pulmonary Hypertension Association and Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc. today announced Vallerie McLaughlin, M.D., of the University of Michigan Health System, as the recipient of the annual PHA Award of Excellence in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Care.
As part of the award, the U-M Health System will receive a grant in the amount of $50,000 to support continued excellence in care for patients with PAH. The award is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Actelion and will be presented at the PHA’s 2010 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions next week in Garden Grove, Calif.
Approximately 100,000 people suffer from PAH, a chronic, potentially fatal disease that is characterized by high blood pressure in the lungs. More women than men are diagnosed, and patients experience symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue.
These symptoms may limit their daily activities and in some cases are so severe that they cannot get out of bed. For these patients, exceptional physician expertise and care is vital to their improvement and overall well-being.
Wayne resident Sharon Steward was sick for years before she was correctly diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension.
“When I initially felt sick, my condition was misdiagnosed and it took six years to be referred to Dr. McLaughlin and correctly diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension,” says Steward. “Dr. McLaughlin has provided excellent care, information on treatment options and lifestyle changes and support that has turned my life around.”
McLaughlin is a professor of internal medicine and director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center.
Upon completion of her residency in internal medicine at the University of Michigan and her fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at Northwestern University, she served as associate director of the Center for Pulmonary Heart Disease at Rush University in Chicago.
The U-M physician was selected in recognition of the quality and broad scope of her service to the pulmonary hypertension community. She has served as editor of Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension, PHA’s medical journal and as chair of PHA’s Scientific Leadership Council which provides governance for all of the organization’s medical activity.
“She has generously provided her time to provide medical education for patients, physicians and allied health professionals and has led committees that are shaping a better future for patients living with this disease,” says Rino Aldrighetti, president of PHA. “In recent years, patient morale and outlook have improved due to excellent patient care and the continued drive of the entire PAH community to bring better treatment options to patients. Dr. McLaughlin epitomizes this drive, and we thank her for her commitment to improving outcomes for patients with PAH.”
Criteria in selecting the award recipients included: proven resources required for excellence in PAH patient care, service to the PAH community, and consistent provision of cutting-edge options for patients living with PAH.
"We were thrilled to learn that Dr. McLaughlin, one of the nation's foremost experts in treating pulmonary hypertension, has won the Award in Excellence in Pulmonary Hypertension Care,” says David J. Pinsky, M.D., a director of the U-M Cardiovascular Center.
“It comes as no surprise to me and her colleagues here at the University of Michigan, who have witnessed firsthand the compassion and absolute dedication she has for her patients and their families. We are very proud of her and of the entire pulmonary hypertension team for their tireless efforts on behalf of patients suffering with pulmonary hypertension."
About the Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., PHA is the country’s leading organization connecting pulmonary hypertension patients, families, and medical professionals. Its mission is to find ways to prevent and cure pulmonary hypertension and provide hope for the community through support, education, advocacy and awareness. PHA provides free access to information on its website about PH and facilitates over 200 support groups around the nation, helping many of the estimated 30,000 diagnosed patients in the U.S. To learn more, visit www.PHAssociation.org
About U-M Health System
The University of Michigan Health System includes the U-M Hospitals & Health Centers, which comprises three hospitals and dozens of outpatient health centers and clinics; the U-M Medical School with its Faculty Group Practice and extensive research and education programs; the clinical operations of the U-M School of Nursing; and the Michigan Health Corp. The three U-M hospitals are University Hospital, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital. UMHS has been recognized numerous times for excellence in patient care, including 15 years on the honor roll of "America's Best Hospitals", as compiled by U.S. News & World Report. To learn more, visit www.med.umich.edu.
RSS
