Ralph Brindis, MD, MPH

Few have done more to advance the nationwide collection, analyses and distribution of cardiovascular clinical outcomes data than Ralph Brindis, MD.

In 1998, the American College of Cardiology asked Dr. Brindis to chair its newly created National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR). Dr. Brindis was among the first to recognize the registry’s potential value and champion its creation and expansion. Under his leadership from 1998 to 2008, the registry grew to gather clinical outcomes data from over 2,400 hospitals and more than 11 million patient records. It has expanded from one to six separate cardiovascular registries.

Today, the registries play an increasingly important role in helping our nation’s hospitals and physicians assess and improve the quality of cardiovascular care. The registries have also become an instrumental tool in post-market drug and medical device surveillance and in comparative effectiveness research. A growing number of public and private agencies, including KP, use NCDR data to help achieve health care that is effective, equitable and safe.

Dr. Brindis has co-authored nearly 100 major papers and is in great demand as a lecturer around the world. In March 2010, he was elected President of the American College of Cardiology, an honor that attests to the high regard of his colleagues.