Physicians of Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s
Episcopal Hospital Honored as Living Legends

HOUSTON (August 22, 2006)  Three leading physicians of the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital have been honored as “Living Legends” by the 16th World Congress of the World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons. Denton A. Cooley, M.D., James Willerson, M.D., and Bud Frazier, M.D., were three of ten physicians to receive the award this year, in honor of their major contributions to humanity through invention or discovery and their service as mentors to other scientists. The “Living Legends” have contributed greatly to major scientific and technological advances through their work, teaching and leadership.

Dr. Cooley is president and surgeon-in-chief of the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s. Dr. Willerson is president-elect and medical director of the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s. Dr. Frazier is chief of Cardiopulmonary Transplantation and director of Surgical Research at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s.

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The Texas Heart Institute, founded by world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Denton A. Cooley in 1962, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through innovative and progressive programs in research, education and improved patient care. Together with its clinical partner, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, it has been ranked among the top ten cardiovascular centers in the United States by U.S. News & World Report’s annual guide to “America’s Best Hospitals” for the past 16 years. The Texas Heart Institute is also affiliated with The University of Texas (UT) System, which promotes collaboration in cardiovascular research and education among UT and THI faculty at the Texas Heart Institute and other UT components. For more information about the Institute, please visit www.texasheart.org.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System comprises the flagship St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, founded in 1954 by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas; St. Luke’s Community Medical Center–The Woodlands, opened in 2003; St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities, a charity devoted to assessing and enhancing community health, especially among the underserved; and Kelsey-Seybold Management, LLP, overseeing 21 area clinic locations. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital is home to the Texas Heart Institute. Affiliated with several nursing schools and two medical schools, St. Luke’s serves as the primary adult teaching hospital for Baylor College of Medicine. St. Luke’s was the first hospital in Texas named a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence, and the Health System has been recognized by FORTUNE as among “100 Best Companies to Work For” and by Houston Business Journal as a top employer in Houston. For more information about St. Luke’s, please visit www.stlukestexas.com.