VCU Health System names distinguished clinician

By Malorie Burkett

RICHMOND, Va. – Michael L. Hess, M.D., professor of internal medicine in the Division of Cardiology of Virginia Commonwealth University, recently was awarded the 2003 Distinguished Clinician Award by the VCU Health System.

The VCU Medical Center clinical faculty nominates a fellow clinician for the award each year based on criteria such as the individual’s patient care, clinical excellence and compassion. Dr. Hess specifically was recognized for extraordinary leadership and superb quality of clinical activities, as well as his contributions as director of VCU’s medical heart failure team and efforts in heart transplant management.

“Dr. Hess is an exceptionally dedicated, competent and caring clinician who deserves recognition as clinician of the year for extraordinary service,” said Dr. George Vetrovec, professor of medicine and chair of the VCU Division of Cardiology.

Dr. Hess has been involved with numerous externally funded research projects including current investigations funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. During his career, he has been reviewer for 28 journals and has served on the editorial board for eight publications, including the Journal of Heart Failure, the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology and the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

In addition, he organized and has led the VCU Medical Center Heart Failure Program for more than 15 years, and in the last year has assumed leadership for the McGuire Veterans Administration Heart Failure and Transplant Medical Program.  

Dr. Hess received the VCU Distinguished Scholar Award in 1989, the Young Investigator Award from the American College of Cardiology in 1972 and has been chosen as reviewer for several NIH study sections.

A VCU faculty member for more than 25 years, Dr. Hess completed his undergraduate studies at St. Francis College in Pennsylvania, and received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He came to VCU in 1971 for his fellowship training and joined the Department of Physiology as course instructor. After serving as assistant professor of physiology at the Eastern Virginia Medical School for two years, Dr. Hess became associate professor of physiology at VCU in 1975 and four years later, achieved the rank of professor.

Previous award recipients include Harold F.Young, M.D., neurosurgery, 1994; David Draper, M.D., pediatrics, 1995; Arnold M. Salzberg, surgery, 1996; George Vetrovec, M.D., cardiology, 1997; David F. Garner, M.D., endocrinology, 1998; John D. Ward, M.D., neurosurgery, 1999, Thomas J. Smith, M.D., hematology/oncology, 2000; Kenneth A. Ellenbogen, M.D., cardiology, 2001; and Robert Leshner, M.D., pediatric neurology, 2002.