Richard A. Humes, M.D., a professor of Pediatrics for the Wayne State University School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Cardiology for Children's Hospital of Michigan, will be honored with a lifetime achievement award from the American Heart Association.
Dr. Humes will receive the association's Seymour Gordon Award of Lifetime Achievement during the annual Heart Ball in April.
"I am honored to receive this prestigious award from the American Heart Association," Dr. Humes said. "The AHA emphasizes research and advocacy in the larger areas of heart attack, stroke and hypertension -- diseases which affect a large proportion of our population. The area which I serve within the cardiology community represents a small but important niche of patients -- children. Children are generally not affected by these same disease processes, but more frequently are seen with congenital heart defects. I have spent the majority of my working career in the management of this group of patients. I have also been very active in the education of both the medical community as well as the lay population on the problems associated with this subset of problems."
The association's 2009 Medical Committee, made up of leading cardiologists from all health systems in southeast Michigan, selected Dr. Humes for the honor.
"The selection process is taken very seriously, with an initial nominations session commenced by the committee, a narrowing down of top candidates, and then a final session for a vote on the winning candidate," said Kathy Kauffmann, vice president of Development for the American Heart Association.
Kauffman said Dr. Humes is the first pediatric cardiologist to win the award.
"Dr. Humes has been at the forefront of pediatric cardiology for the Detroit Medical Center," she added. "He is recognized as the expert in his field and continues to lead the way for all pediatric cardiologists in Michigan and throughout the nation. We are humbled and honored to have his acceptance of this prestigious award."
Dr. Humes has agreed to become the first pediatric cardiologist on the Southeast Michigan Board of the American Heart Association, Kauffman said. He is a Fellow of the national American heart Association and has served on the national affiliate as a member of the executive board of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young as well as a member of the Congenital Cardiac Defects Committee.