VCU physician receives award for contributions to ethnic minority health

By Malorie Burkett

Domenic Sica, M.D., Virginia Commonwealth University professor of internal medicine and nephrology, has been awarded a 2006 Master Clinician Award from the International Society of Hypertension in Blacks.

The award, which was presented June 23 at ISHIB's opening and awards ceremony in Atlanta, recognizes leadership and achievements in overcoming health disparities in ethnic minority populations. Sica was honored for research, clinical care, education and philanthropy.

"Ethnic and minority health care issues are critical concerns in this country," said Sica. "Of even more importance is providing quality health care to underserved patients in general, irrespective of ethnicity.

"Patients just want to be treated with some respect and when that is done, the feeling of self-worth so engendered can have a dramatic impact on patient adherence to therapy as well as their having hope that something can be done for them," he said.

A specialist in all forms of hypertension, Sica headed a research team at VCU that involved the first medical implantation device of its kind to treat resistant hypertension — making VCU the first medical center in Virginia to perform the surgical procedure and only the second in the country. The study was part of a Phase II clinical research program being conducted at a limited number of medical centers in the United States.

In addition, Sica has been extensively involved in a service and leadership capacity with a number of the nephrology, clinical pharmacology and hypertension organizations. He has several times been given the Best Teaching Attending award.

ISHIB is a not-for-profit, professional medical membership society whose mission is to improve the health and life expectancy of ethnic minority populations around the world. ISHIB represents multiple health disciplines within the medical arena, targeting not only African Americans but other underserved populations.