Newswise — (Kansas City, MO): The Vasculitis Foundation (VF) announced the winner of its 2018 Recognizing Excellence in Diagnostics (V-RED) Award.  The V-RED Award is presented annually to a medical professional who made a quick diagnosis of vasculitis, thus enabling the patient to receive timely and appropriate treatment, potentially sparing the patient permanent and ongoing health complications.

The 2018 V-RED Awardee is Linda Brady, MD, a pediatrician with Old Harding Pediatric Associates, Vanderbilt University Medical Center/Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee.  Dr. Brady was nominated by Lisa Crabb whose son, Chip, was diagnosed with Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA/formerly Wegener’s granulomatosis) in September 2017.

The VF also recognized two Honorable Mentions for the 2018 V-RED Award:

Samir Parikh, MD, (Nephrologist) Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio

Daniel Watson, MD, FACS, (ENT-Otolaryngologist) Park Nicollet St. Louis Park Clinic, St. Louis Park, Minnesota

“The V-RED Award honors these healthcare professionals because their stories demonstrate the importance of the need for earlier diagnosis of vasculitis,” says Joyce Kullman, Executive Director of the Vasculitis Foundation. “So often our patients fail to get an early diagnosis because vasculitis symptoms can mimic so many other conditions.  We created the V-RED Award to single out those medical professionals who did catch the disease in its early stages, thus improving the outcome for the patient.”

This year, more than 40 patients nominated their doctors for the award which surpassed the number of submissions since the recognition program began five years ago.  Although only one winner was selected, along with several Honorable Mention nominees, the VF decided it was essential to recognize all the medical professionals whose names were submitted.

"This year we also provided V-RED certificates to all of the physicians nominated for the award to thank them for their early intervention in diagnosis,” says Kullman.  “All of the nominees demonstrated tremendous care and concern for their patients and we want to recognize them for their efforts." 

More information about the VF’s V-RED Award can be found at: https://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/2018-v-red-award-winners-announced/

 

About the Vasculitis Foundation Based in the United States, the Vasculitis Foundation (VF) is the international organization for people with vasculitis and their family and friends.  The VF empowers patients through disease education, raises awareness of vasculitis in the public and medical community, and funds research to determine the cause, develop more effective treatments and discover the cure for all types of vasculitis. The foundation is committed to improving the lives of current and future patients and is positioned as the definitive resource for patients, family members, medical professionals and researchers seeking information about vasculitis.