Ralph Sacco Named National President of American Heart Association

Ralph Sacco, M.D., M.S., professor and chair of neurology and an international authority on the prevention and treatment of stroke, has been elected national president of the American Heart Association (AHA) for the term that begins in July 2010. He will be the first neurologist to serve as president of the AHA.

Ralph Sacco, M.D., M.S., will be the first neurologist to serve as president of the American Heart Association.

“Stroke is the third leading cause of death in this country, and to have Dr. Sacco, a member of our faculty and a recognized world expert on this devastating condition, serve as president of the American Heart Association is a huge honor,” said Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School. “Since this is the first time a neurologist has been elected to this post, the impact of Ralph Sacco will be invaluable to stroke patients and those individuals at risk.”

In July, Sacco will become president-elect of the AHA, before assuming the presidency in 2010. “This is a terrific opportunity, and I am delighted to serve and help broaden the mission of the American Heart Association, which has always included the American Stroke Association,” Sacco said. “The American Heart Association recognizes the need to expand its outreach and focus on achieving optimal cardiovascular health. I am excited about pushing the prevention mission further than we have gone in the past.”