HR1224

LRB094 19934 HSS 57236 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of this Body are happy to recognize 
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citizens of this State who have made outstanding contributions 
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to society; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Dr. Valluvan Jeevanandam is the Chief of the 
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Section of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery at the University of 
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Chicago; he specializes in the surgical management of heart 
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failure and is an expert in high-risk cardiac surgery; he has 
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performed more than 650 heart transplants and numerous cardiac 
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surgery procedures, including transmyocardial laser 
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revascularization, complex valve reconstruction, and minimally 
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invasive coronary artery bypass graft surgery; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He has a special interest in treating patients 
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traditionally considered inoperable; he has repaired damaged 
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hearts in several patients awaiting transplant, enabling those 
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patients to forgo transplantation; he also has successfully 
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performed transplants involving patients who do not fit the 
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standard criteria for transplant; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He is board certified in cardiac surgery, thoracic 
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surgery, and general surgery; he attended Columbia University 
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School of Medicine for medical school and completed his 
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surgical residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center; 
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his fellowship was in transplantation & cardiothoracic surgery 
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at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He was a John Jay Scholar from 1976 to 1979; is a 
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member of Phi Beta Kappa, and Phi Lambda Upsilon (Chemistry 
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Honor Society); he received the Rudin Achievement Award from 
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1980 to 1984, the NIH Junior Research Award in 1984, the 
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Janeway Prize for Excellence in Medicine in 1984, the Whipple 
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Award for Excellence in Surgery in 1984, and the J. Rudin Award 
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for Achievement in Physiology in 1994; and

 
 


 






HR1224
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LRB094 19934 HSS 57236 r




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    WHEREAS, Dr. Jeevanandam is a pioneer in the field of 
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mechanical circulatory assist devices; in October 2000, he was 
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the first surgeon in the world to successfully implant the 
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CardioVAD, a revolutionary, permanent circulatory assist 
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device that boosts heart function in patients with severe heart 
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failure who are not candidates for transplant; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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we recognize and commend Dr. Valluvan Jeevanandam, M.D., for a 
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life and career that has been devoted to helping people, many 
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of whom were thought to be beyond help; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to him as an expression of our gratitude for the 
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great work that he does in our State.