Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation Receives Support From Siemens Medical

FAIRFAX, Va., Dec. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation's Discovery Campaign, which seeks to further the growth of minimally invasive medicine into new areas of discovery, announced a major corporate pledge to that initiative. Siemens Medical Solutions, a provider of imaging and laboratory diagnostic equipment and information technology and management consulting and services to health care customers, pledged $200,000, as a "Pioneer" Supporter.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100127/SIRLOGO)

"The impact that corporate support at this level has on the future of the specialty is immense," said Gordon McLennan, M.D., FSIR, chair of the SIR Foundation board of directors. "The funding will be used to support grants, research consensus panels, registries, clinical trials and educational programming. Support of this kind sends a clear message about investing in the future of interventional radiology, a truly trailblazing specialty," noted McLennan, an interventional radiologist with the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. "We thank Siemens Medical Solutions for coming forward to support us on this venture," he noted.

"We are dedicated to supporting educational and research initiatives and developing technologies to advance image-guided therapies," noted Claus Grill, vice president of Siemens Medical Solutions, USA Inc., based in Malvern, Pa.

The Discovery Campaign was launched initially in 2007 with an SIR membership phase. Last year marked the initiation of the campaign's outreach to the medical technology industry for support. For information about the Society of Interventional Radiology, a national organization of nearly 4,700 doctors, scientists and allied health professionals dedicated to improving health care through minimally invasive treatments, visit online at www.SIRweb.org. For more information about the Discovery Campaign or to learn more about the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation, visit online at www.SIRFoundation.org.

About the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation

SIR Foundation is a scientific foundation dedicated to fostering research and education in interventional radiology for the purposes of advancing scientific knowledge, increasing the number of skilled investigators in interventional radiology and developing innovative therapies that lead to improved patient care and quality of life. Visit www.SIRFoundation.org.

About the Society of Interventional Radiology

Interventional radiologists are physicians who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments. They offer the most in-depth knowledge of the least invasive treatments available coupled with diagnostic and clinical experience across all specialties. They use X-ray, MRI and other imaging to advance a catheter in the body, such as in an artery, to treat at the source of the disease internally. As the inventors of angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent, which were first used in the legs to treat peripheral arterial disease, interventional radiologists pioneered minimally invasive modern medicine. Today, interventional oncology is a growing specialty area of interventional radiology. Interventional radiologists can deliver treatments for cancer directly to the tumor without significant side effects or damage to nearby normal tissue.

Many conditions that once required surgery can be treated less invasively by interventional radiologists. Interventional radiology treatments offer less risk, less pain and less recovery time compared to open surgery. Visit www.SIRweb.org.

About Siemens Medical Solutions

The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source— from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 48,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2010 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 12.4 billion euros and profit of around 750 million euros. For further information please visit www.siemens.com/healthcare.

SOURCE Society of Interventional Radiology