Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Celebrates "National Physician Assistant Week" and Honors Those Who Have Committed Themselves to the Service of Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Terumo Cardiovascular Systems announced today that they are joining in the nationwide celebration of "National Physician Assistant Week," which runs yearly from October 6 through October 12. This week was chosen by the American Academy of Physician Assistants to commemorate the anniversary of the very first graduating Physician Assistant (P.A.) class at Duke University, on October 6, 1967. Now, more than 40 years later, about 75,000 P.A.s provide care in virtually every medical and surgical specialty in the U.S.

National Physician Assistant Week recognizes the many important contributions of the P.A. profession. P.A.s work in hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities, where they are tasked with medical decision making as determined by their supervising or sponsoring physician.

"Physician Assistants have chosen a calling which is grounded in the concept of service to others," said Bob Langford, Senior Clinical Specialist, at Terumo CVS. "I believe that all of us owe a debt of gratitude to these selfless people who have committed themselves to the care of patients with cardiovascular disease. On a daily basis I work closely with P.A.s who are involved in endoscopic vessel harvesting for coronary artery bypass grafting, and I am always impressed with their skill and dedication."

"When I look around at the other P.A.s I work with, what I really see are unsung heroes," said Steve Bello, P.A.-C and Administrative Director, Cardiovascular Services at Southside Hospital, an affiliate of North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, NY. "To me a true hero is somebody who is selfless and generous. Somebody who just wants to give back as much as possible and help people. The P.A.s that I know work every day to save people, and they care deeply about improving patient outcomes."

Terumo gratefully recognizes the thousands of Physician Assistants all over the United States for their exceptional performance and commitment over the years. They have been influential in their unwavering support of all those impacted by cardiovascular disease.

About Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation

Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation manufactures and markets medical devices for the global cardiac surgery market and is the U.S. distributor for Vascutek^® Vascular Grafts. The company is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan with manufacturing operations in Ann Arbor; Elkton, Maryland; and Ashland, Massachusetts. It is one of several subsidiaries of Terumo Corporation of Japan which focus on cardiac and vascular specialties, including Terumo Heart, Inc., developer of a ventricular assist device and Vascutek, Ltd., manufacturer of a broad portfolio of vascular grafts. For more information, visit www.terumo-cvs.com.

About Terumo Corporation
Tokyo-based Terumo Corporation is one of the world's leading medical device manufacturers with $4.9 billion in sales and operations in more than 160 nations. Founded in 1921, the company develops, manufactures, and distributes world-class medical devices including products for use in cardiothoracic surgery, interventional procedures, and transfusion medicine; the company also manufactures a broad array of syringe and hypodermic needle products for hospital and physician office use. Terumo contributes to society by providing valued products and services to the healthcare market and by responding to the needs of healthcare providers and the people they serve.

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SOURCE Terumo Cardiovascular Systems