Free blood pressure screenings and breakfast will be provided
One of the leading experts in the country in stroke and neurovascular disease, Pierre Fayad, M.D., will make a presentation in Harlan, Iowa, on Aug. 26.
The presentation is free and open to the public. It will be held from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the Auble Room of Myrtue Medical Center. A continental breakfast will be served and free blood pressure screenings will be provided.
Dr. Fayad is the Reynolds Centennial professor and chairman of the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Neurological Sciences.
Dr. Fayad was named the National American Heart Association Physician of the Year in 2009. He serves as the chairman of the American Stroke Association Advisory Committee.
Dr. Fayad is director of Neurological Sciences and the Stroke Center at The Nebraska Medical Center, UNMC’s hospital partner. In 2008, The Nebraska Medical Center was ranked among America’s best 50 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report in two categories – cancer and neurology/neurosurgery.
In addition, The Nebraska Medical Center has been recognized by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association for the past two years for being among the top hospitals in the nation in following evidence-based guidelines for treating patients with stroke.
The stroke center at The Nebraska Medical Center was Nebraska’s first nationally certified stroke center dedicated to the prevention and management of stroke. The stroke center has received the “Gold Seal of Approval” from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations for the past four years.
Prior to coming to UNMC in 2001, Dr. Fayad served on the Yale University faculty for 10 years. A native of Lebanon, Dr. Fayad can write and speak fluently in four languages. He earned his medical degree from the University of Rome in 1983, then completed his internship and neurology residency training at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Since joining UNMC, Dr. Fayad has built a new department of Neurological Sciences and recruited several neurology specialists with extensive training and skills. He has built subspecialty programs that greatly enhanced the capabilities of UNMC and The Nebraska Medical Center to become a regional referral center and provide care to patients suffering from strokes, seizures, muscle and nerve disorders, brain cancer and degenerative disorders of the brain such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia.
“The brain used to be a mystery,” Dr. Fayad said. “However, over the past two decades, there have been a tremendous number of advances made, especially with respect to imaging techniques and treatments for brain diseases.
“Since many neurological diseases are associated with older age, we anticipate that we will be seeing more neurological problems in the future as the baby boomers are now nearing retirement. That’s why it’s important that we provide the region with state-of-the-art neurological care that is unsurpassed in the rest of the country.”
Stroke is the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer. “It can dramatically affect our existence and that of our family and relatives,” Dr. Fayad said. “With a stroke, time lost is brain lost. Many people don’t understand how bad a stroke can be until it hits someone in their family. Strokes can be deadly and disabling and have a major societal impact on those who experience them.”
An active researcher, Dr. Fayad has over the years participated in more than 25 funded research projects, including some through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He brought to UNMC two major international trials for stroke prevention, including one that is ongoing and the largest-ever international trial for stroke prevention supported by the NIH.
He has written more than 70 book chapters and articles, including some in the most highly respected peer-reviewed medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and given numerous lectures, abstract and research presentations at scientific meetings nationally and internationally.
Among his extramural appointments, Dr. Fayad is a fellow of the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Neurology. He sits on the board of directors of the National Center and the Midwest Affiliate of the American Heart Association. He also serves as chairman of the American Academy of Neurology Section on Stroke and Vascular Neurology, the largest professional organization for neurologists.
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu.