Mountain View, CA – Frederick St. Goar, MD, medical director at the Norma Melchor Heart & Vascular Institute, was distinguished with the Andreas Grüntzig Ethica Award, the highest global honor in interventional cardiology. Dr. St. Goar received the recognition during a special ceremony in Paris, France, along with esteemed cardiothoracic surgeon, Professor Ottavio Alfieri of San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy. The Ethica Award is presented every year to outstanding colleagues for their achievements and contributions to the cardiovascular field. Andreas Grüntzig was a German cardiologist best known for being the first to develop successful balloon angioplasty for expanding lumens of narrowed arteries.
"Andreas Grüntzig was a pioneer in the field, so I’m grateful and honored to receive the Ethica Award," said Dr. St. Goar. "It's a celebration of the amazing innovation that has occurred in structural heart disease therapy over the last 20 years and I’m proud to be part of it. Improving patient care and outcomes is what drives my commitment to helping find new solutions in the field. It is also a celebration of the value of remarkable teamwork, as this progress has occurred only because of the close collaboration between the interventional cardiology and cardiothoracic communities, as well as major contributions from nursing and industry clinical support teams."
In addition to being locally trusted for improving patient outcomes through his medical practice at El Camino Health, Dr. St. Goar is internationally recognized for remarkable career achievements which include the development of the MitraClip, a medical innovation used worldwide to reduce mitral regurgitation, a common heart condition that occurs when the mitral valve doesn't close properly. He also played a key role in developing intravascular ultrasound, as well as the U.S. standard-of-care for managing postpartum hemorrhage, the JADA System.
El Camino Health takes great pride in implementing a higher standard of care for patients. In 2024, the Heart & Vascular Institute was recognized as the fourth best heart-focused program in California and one of America's 100 Best for Cardiac Care for the fourth year in a row by Healthgrades, an independent evaluator of clinical quality for hospitals.
About El Camino Health
El Camino Health has served the communities of Silicon Valley and the South Bay for more than 60 years, with nationally recognized physicians and nurses at two not-for-profit acute care hospitals in Los Gatos and Mountain View, and primary care, multi-specialty care, and urgent care locations across the region. El Camino Health is dedicated to giving patients high-quality care utilizing the most advanced technology and research. As your healthcare partner of choice, we focus on keeping you healthy and getting you back on your feet when you need it, so you can live your best life.
Aside from achieving outstanding patient outcomes, the hospitals have earned numerous awards for clinical excellence, including being named one of the World’s Best Hospitals 2024 by Newsweek, one of the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report, one of America’s 100 Best for Cardiac Care by Healthgrades and becoming the San Francisco Bay Area’s first Magnet hospital, earning four consecutive designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center for nursing excellence.
Key service lines include cancer care, cardiovascular care, maternity care, mental health and addiction services, orthopedics, pulmonology, urology, and women’s health. Visit elcaminohealth.org to learn more.
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