Legends of Cardiology | SCAI

Our Legends of Cardiology:

 

F. Mason Sones, MD (1918–1985)

Known as the father of coronary angiography and co-founder of SCAI, Dr. Sones was a pioneer in cardiac catheterization and was instrumental in the development of both coronary artery bypass surgery and interventional cardiology. Sones was also the first SCAI President and one of the first elected SCAI Trustees for Life, a rare honor.


Melvin P. Judkins, MD (1922–1985)

Dr. Judkins was the developer of preshaped catheters now known as "Judkins catheters" (the basis for the Judkins percutaneous transfemoral technique for selective coronary angiography) and SCAI co-founder.


Andreas Gruentzig, MD (1939–1985)

It was 1977, in Zurich, Switzerland, that Dr. Gruentzig performed the first coronary angioplasty on an awake human patient. In doing so, he forever altered the role of the cardiologist in treating heart and vascular disease.
 


Fred W. Schoonmaker, MD (1929–2005)

Dr. Schoonmaker is best known as the developer of a new kind of catheter. The multipurpose catheter eliminated the need for catheter exchange and thus reduced the chance of introducing a thrombus into the heart. Using a single catheter also made procedures faster and easier. Among his many achievements, he was a charter member of the Board of Trustees of SCAI and a clinical investigator for the American Heart Association.


Patrick J. Scanlon, MD (1938–2005)

Dr. Scanlon was a founding fellow and past president of SCAI, and a past president of the American Heart Association of Metropolitan Chicago. He also co-authored the national guidelines for coronary angiography procedures.


John H. Vogel, MD (1932-2015)

Dr. Vogel was a founding fellow of SCAI and the founder and program director of the Snowmass Conference (1968). He also received the SCAI Distinguished Service Award in 2009.


Joseph D. Babb, MD, MSCAI (1939-2018)

Dr. Babb was a past president of SCAI in 2001–2002. He also received the Distinguished Service Award of SCAI in 2005, was elected by his colleagues a Master of the SCAI in 2014 and he received the inaugural SCAI Helping Hearts Lifetime Service Award in 2015. 


Charles E. Chambers, MD, MSCAI (1955-2019)

Dr. Chambers was a steadfast advocate for radiation safety and quality improvement in the field of interventional cardiology. Dr. Chambers was a past president of SCAI in 2014–2015. He received the Distinguished Service Award of SCAI in 2006, was elected by his colleagues a Master of the Society of SCAI in 2015 and he received the inaugural SCAI Helping Hearts Lifetime Service Award in 2020. He also served as chair of the physician-led organization Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence.


Charles E. Mullins, MD, MSCAI (1932- )

During an illustrious career spanning four decades, Dr. Mullins made innumerable contributions to the field of interventional cardiology, including pioneering transseptal punctures for left heart catheterizations using the Mullins sheath. The 'Mullins Lecture', established in 2009, is a keynote address at SCAI's annual scientific sessions. 


Frank J. Hildner, MD, FSCAI

One of the 42 original founders of The Society for Cardiac Angiography (later becoming The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions), Dr. Hildner, MD, FSCAI is a SCAI Past President, an elected SCAI Trustee for Life, and the founder of SCAI’s journal titled Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions (CCI). The 'Hildner Lecture' at scientific sessions was founded to honor his many years of dedicated service.  

Our Legends of Cardiology
Frank J. Hildner

Frank J. Hildner, MD, FSCAI

SCAI Past President
Trustee for Life
Legend of Cardiology
Helping Hearts Lifetime Service Award Recipient
Distinguished Service Award Recipient