Texas Heart Institute Medal and the Ray C. Fish Award for Scientific Achievement in Cardiovascular Diseases

Ray C. Fish (1902–1962) was a leading figure in Houston's natural gas industry and a philanthropist. He believed in the American dream of “opportunity for success.” The Ray C. Fish Foundation was established so that others might be encouraged to broaden man's self-knowledge and to keep the American dream alive. After its founder's death from heart disease, the Fish Foundation granted $5 million to make the Texas Heart Institute a reality. For this reason, the Institute's highest professional award is given in honor of this extraordinary man. The award recognizes those whose innovations have made significant contributions to cardiovascular medicine and surgery.

The first Texas Heart Institute Medal and Ray C. Fish Award for Scientific Achievement in Cardiovascular Diseases were presented in 1972 to Dr. Norman Shumway. Since 1972, 35 other highly deserving recipients have been so honored by the Institute. The complete roll of recipients appears on the next page.

Delos (Toby) Cosgrove, MD

Delos M. Cosgrove, MD

Dr. Delos (Toby) Cosgrove is president and chief executive officer of the Cleveland Clinic. He heads a $6 billion healthcare system that comprises Cleveland Clinic, 8 community hospitals, 16 family health and surgery centers, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health (Las Vegas), Cleveland Clinic Toronto, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Cosgrove received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and completed training at Massachusetts General Hospital and at Brook General Hospital in London. He earned his undergraduate degree from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. In 1967, he was a surgeon in the U.S. Air Force, serving in Da Nang, Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Republic of Vietnam Commendation Medal.

Dr. Cosgrove joined the Cleveland Clinic in 1975 and was named Chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in 1989. He performed more than 22,000 operations and earned international recognition in cardiac valve surgery before his retirement in 2006. He holds 30 patents for medical innovations.

He has received numerous awards and is ranked among Modern Healthcare's “100 most powerful people in healthcare” and “most powerful physician executives.” His book, The Cleveland Clinic Way, was published by McGraw-Hill Education in 2014.

Roll of Recipients of the Texas Heart Institute Medal and the Ray C. Fish Award for Scientific Achievement in Cardiovascular Diseases

• 1972Norman E. Shumway

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Heart Transplantation)

• 1973F. Mason Sones, Jr.

  Cardiology (Coronary Angiography)

• 1974Eugene E. Braunwald

  Physiology (Myocardial Preservation)

• 1975Willem J. Kolff

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Artificial Organs)

• 1976Harvey Feigenbaum

  Cardiology (Echocardiography)

• 1977John W. Kirklin

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Heart-Lung Machines)

• 1978Bernard Lown

  Cardiology (Cardiac Arrhythmias)

• 1979John J. Gallagher and William C. Sealy (co-recipients)

  Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery (Surgery for Pre-Excitation)

• 1980W. Proctor Harvey

  Cardiology (Clinical Practice and Teaching)

• 1981Paul M. Zoll

  Cardiology (Pacemaking)

• 1983Andreas R. Grüntzig

  Cardiology (Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty)

• 1984Hein J.J. Wellens and Douglas P. Zipes (co-recipients)

  Cardiology (Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Cardiac Arrhythmias)

• 1985Denton A. Cooley

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease, Aneurysms of the Aorta, and Implantation of the Artificial Heart)

• 1986William J. Rashkind

  Pediatric Cardiology (Nonsurgical Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease)

• 1987Dwight E. Harken

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Intracardiac Surgery)

• 1988J. Willis Hurst

  Cardiology (Writing and Teaching)

• 1989Robert J. Hall

  Cardiology (Clinical Practice and Teaching)

• 1990Sol Sherry

  Cardiology (Thrombolytic Therapy)

• 1992Arthur S. Keats

  Cardiovascular Anesthesiology

• 1997Aldo R. Castañeda

  Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery

• 1997Julio C. Palmaz

  Radiology (Endovascular Stents)

• 1998Magdi Yacoub

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Heart-Lung Transplantation)

• 1999Thomas J. Fogarty

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Medical and Surgical Devices)

• 2004James L. Cox

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Surgery for Atrial Fibrillation)

• 2004Stephen Westaby

  Cardiovascular Surgery (First Clinical Trial of Axial-Flow Devices for Destination Therapy and Significant Contributions to the Surgical Literature)

• 2007Charles E. Mullins

  Pediatric Cardiology (Teaching and Pioneering Work in Interventional Techniques for Congenital Heart Disease)

• 2008O.H. Frazier

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Heart Transplantation and Research and Development of the Left Ventricular Assist Device)

• 2009James T. Willerson

  Cardiology (Pioneering Work in Unstable Atherosclerotic Plaques, Acute Coronary Syndromes, and Cardiac Stem Cells)

• 2010Charles D. Fraser, Jr.

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Development of a Program Known for Its Effectiveness in Correcting Congenital Cardiovascular Disease in Children)

• 2011Interventional Cardiology (Major Contributions to Interventional Cardiology, Including Those to the Development of Both Bare-Metal and Drug-Eluting Stents)
• 2012George J. Reul

  Cardiac and Vascular Surgery (Development of an Accredited Vascular Lab at SLEH; Leader in Quality Measures)

• 2013Alain G. Cribier

  Interventional Cardiology (First Balloon Dilation of Aortic Valve for Calcific Aortic Stenosis, 1985; and First Implantation of a Prosthetic Aortic Valve via Cardiac Catheterization, 2002)

• 2014Terence English

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Establishing Heart Transplantation Program in England)

• 2015Delos M. Cosgrove

  Cardiovascular Surgery (Significant Contributions to Cardiac Valve Repair)