Two of Mount Sinai's top doctors will be honored with prestigious awards at the American Heart Association's New York City Heart and Stroke Ball, taking place virtually on Wednesday, June 9.
Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart, and David Reich, MD, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Mount Sinai Hospital, will be recognized for their exceptional leadership and dedication to improving the health of communities across New York.
Dr. Fuster, who is also the Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital, will receive the first-ever "Heart of NYC Legacy Award." This award carries the highest level of recognition from the American Heart Association (AHA), acknowledging Dr. Fuster's exceptional career, outstanding influence over medical care, and extraordinary leadership. It also honors his pivotal position in the community, supporting the well-being of all New Yorkers, along with his long-term passion for promoting health and heart disease prevention and his commitment to the AHA's mission.
"I am excited and proud to receive this significant award from the American Heart Association. It recognizes the great progress that AHA and I have accomplished to raise awareness in the community about heart disease and serves as motivation to further educate and develop worldwide programs from childhood on, in leading a healthy lifestyle to improve cardiovascular health," says Dr. Fuster.
Dr. Fuster's contributions to cardiovascular medicine and the prevention and treatment of heart disease are unparalleled. He has been named Doctor Honoris Causa by 33 universities and has received three of the most important awards from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. He is an author of more than 900 scientific articles in international medical journals and has published two leading books on clinical cardiology and research. Dr. Fuster is the only cardiologist to have received the highest awards for research from the four leading international cardiology organizations: the American College of Cardiology, AHA, European Society of Cardiology, and the Interamerican Society of Cardiology.
Among his numerous leadership positions, Dr. Fuster has served as president of the National AHA and AHA of New York City, where he created "The American Heart Association's Cardiology Fellows Society of Greater New York." He also served as president of the World Heart Federation, and as a member of the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Dr. Reich, who is also President of Mount Sinai Queens, will receive the "Heart of Gold Award," one of the group's highest honors. It praises his dedication and exceptional support of the well-being of all New Yorkers, along with his support of the AHA. Dr. Reich's commitment to the community's health was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his leadership role, he inspired patients and staff to deliver extraordinary care under unprecedented circumstances and offered critical guidance and clarity during this difficult time. His perseverance and dedication to the health of the community impacted and saved lives in a significant way.
The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens were among the hardest-hit hospitals within the Mount Sinai Health System during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Under Dr. Reich's leadership, Mount Sinai played a key role in the COVID-19 response through unprecedented clinical research efforts, which have resulted in greater understanding of and new protocols for the treatment and management of this virus.
"I am grateful for this significant recognition that highlights the important role of Mount Sinai's efforts and dedication to our community during such a challenging time. It has been a privilege and honor to lead our teams that worked tirelessly to deliver exceptional care to our patients and saved thousands of lives," says Dr. Reich.
