New Center Triples Size for Heart Disease Research and Treatment at Turkey's First Private, Not-For-Profit Hospital
Istanbul (June 29, 2007) — A world-renowned cardiovascular educator, researcher and clinician, Dr. Antonio M. Gotto Jr. of Weill Cornell Medical College was honored today with the dedication of a new, state-of-the art center for heart disease research and treatment in Istanbul, Turkey. The Center will be known as the Antonio M. Gotto Jr., MD, Center for Cardiology and Cardiovascular Diseases at the Vehbi Koç Vakfi (V.K.V.) Foundation American Hospital in Istanbul, which is affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and their chief clinical partner NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Dr. Gotto is the distinguished Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University. As Weill Cornell's dean over the last decade, he has helped pioneer the concept of the globalization of medicine and medical education. The relationship between these renowned organizations in the United States and Turkey dates to 1998. Since that time, in its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has also established a strong presence in countries as diverse as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil and Austria. In fact, with the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas.
The dedication ceremony, held at the American Hospital in Istanbul School of Nursing Building today at 1 p.m. (Turkish Time), featured remarks from Dr. Gotto; Rahmi Koç, Chairman of the Board of Directors of V.K.V. American Hospital and Honorary Chairman and Member of the Board of Directors of Koç Holding; George Rountree, former CEO of V.K.V. American Hospital; David Skorton, M.D., President of Cornell University; Peter Meinig, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cornell University and member of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medical College; and Sanford I. Weill, Chairman of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medical College.
The ceremony included the unveiling of a portrait of Dr. Gotto, which will be on permanent display at the entrance of the new Center. Commemorative plaques in Turkish and English will flank the portrait. In addition, there was a presentation of a five-minute video tribute to Dr. Gotto, celebrating his contribution to medicine and to the health of the people of Turkey.
The new Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil. Center for Cardiology and Cardiovascular Diseases triples the size of the dedicated space for heart disease research and treatment at the American Hospital. The Center is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and staffed by board-certified physicians and leading scientists. The American Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission International, an accomplishment that symbolizes the Hospital's strong commitment to patient care, safety and satisfaction.
"I am deeply honored and privileged," said Dr. Gotto, "to be associated with the Vehbi Koç Foundation and one of Turkey's leading and most distinguished medical facilities. Establishing a Center such as this will enable the American Hospital to continue to provide the highest quality cardiac care to the region, as well as engage in the kind of significant research that will contribute to the health and well-being of the Turkish people and beyond. Today, no one could be happier than I with our enduring relationship, which has made a real difference in medicine, education and research worldwide."
Next year marks the tenth anniversary of the affiliation between NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College/Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Vehbi Koç Foundation American Hospital in Istanbul. The relationship grew out of a long-standing friendship between Dr. Gotto and Mr. Rahmi Koç, Chairman of the Board of Directors of V.K.F. American Hospital and Honorary Chairman of Koç Holding, one of Turkey's largest holding companies and among the Fortune 300 companies worldwide.
Mr. Koç came to Dr. Gotto as a patient more than 30 years ago — initially when Dr. Gotto was at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, and the friendship has continued during Dr. Gotto's tenure at Weill Cornell. Over the years, the two have built a deep relationship based on their common interest in ensuring the best health care for people around the world. Dr. Gotto has made more than 35 trips to Turkey, where he has been a consulting and attending physician to two former Turkish presidents and a former Prime Minister. In addition, Dr. Gotto has collaborated in an ongoing research study on cholesterol and the Turkish population, which dates back to the 1980s. Dr. Gotto conducts lectures and research with his colleagues at the American Hospital. The official affiliation between these institutions has led to a long-standing collaboration in training, research and clinical care.
About Antonio M. Gotto Jr., M.D., D.Phil.
Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., MD, D.Phil., is the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, New York, where he is also Professor of Medicine. In addition, Dr Gotto is Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University. Previously, at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, he was the Bob and Vivian Smith Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine, Scientific Director of the DeBakey Heart Center, and holder of the JS Abercrombie Professor Chair for Atherosclerosis and Lipoprotein Research. He also served as Chief of the Internal Medicine Service at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. Dr. Gotto's postgraduate work included doctoral studies at Oxford University in England, as a Rhodes Scholar, and residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. He has been National President of the American Heart Association; President of the International Atherosclerosis Society; a member of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council and the National Diabetes Advisory Board; and a reviewer of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Third Report on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. Dr. Gotto speaks nationally and internationally on cardiovascular disease, and has contributed more than 500 scholarly articles and books to the medical literature. He and his associates were the first to achieve complete synthesis of a plasma apolipoprotein (apo C-I). They also determined the complete cDNA and amino acid sequence of apo B-100, one of the largest proteins ever sequenced and a key protein in atherosclerosis. His research interests include clinical disorders of lipid transport and the structure, metabolism and function of lipoproteins and apolipoproteins.
About the Vehbi Koç Foundation American Hospital
The Vehbi Koç Foundation American Hospital is a general acute-care, full-service healthcare organization that has been rendering quality medical care to patients in Turkey and the neighboring regions since 1920. It is the first private, not-for-profit hospital in Turkey. In 1995, the Hospital was transferred to the Vehbi Koç Foundation by the original owners, the American Hospital of Istanbul, Inc. Board of Directors in New York. Since then, the Hospital has continued to expand, improving services available to patients throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Vehbi Koç was a Turkish entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded the Koç Group, Turkey's largest and most prestigious group of companies. He died in 1996. He is succeeded by his son, Rahmi Koç (b.1930), who is now Honorary Chairman of Koç Holding; his grandson Mustapha, who is CEO; and his daughters, Semahat Arsel (1928), Sevgi Gönül (1938-2003) and Suna Kiraç (1941).
About Weill Cornell Medical College
Weill Cornell Medical College — Cornell University's Medical School located in New York City — is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Weill Cornell, which is a principal academic affiliate of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, offers an innovative curriculum that integrates the teaching of basic and clinical sciences, problem-based learning, office-based preceptorships, and primary care and doctoring courses. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research in such areas as stem cells, genetics and gene therapy, geriatrics, neuroscience, structural biology, cardiovascular medicine, AIDS, obesity, cancer, psychiatry and public health — and continue to delve ever deeper into the molecular basis of disease in an effort to unlock the mysteries behind the human body and the malfunctions that result in serious medical disorders. The Medical College — in its commitment to global health and education — has a strong presence in such places as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Salzburg and Turkey. With the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — from the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer to the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the world's first clinical trial for gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and, most recently, the first indication of bone marrow's critical role in tumor growth. For more information, visit www.med.cornell.edu.
About NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital — based in New York City — is the nation's largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, with 2,335 beds. It provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine at five major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Allen Pavilion and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division. One of the largest and most comprehensive health-care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. It ranks sixth nationally in U.S.News & World Report's guide to "America's Best Hospitals" and first in New York; ranks first on New York magazine's "Best Hospitals" survey; has the greatest number of physicians listed in New York magazine's "Best Doctors" issue; and is included among Solucient's top 15 major teaching hospitals. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the nation's leading medical colleges: Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. For more information, visit www.nyp.org.
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