The Institute for Functional Medicine Names Toby Cosgrove, MD, as the 2016 Linus Pauling Award Recipient

SAN DIEGO, May 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Toby Cosgrove, MD, President and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, has been honored by receiving the Linus Pauling Award at the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)'s 2016 Annual International Conference, being held May 12-14, 2016, in San Diego, CA. Dr. Cosgrove receives this award for his vision and leadership in opening the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine—the first medical center in the nation to take such an innovative step. The Center has a broad mission, addressing 21st-century health care across the continuum of clinical care, community outreach, research, and education.

Among his many outstanding achievements, Dr. Cosgrove helped set up Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the technology transfer and commercialization arm of the health system, which has enabled nearly 60 spinoff companies to develop and sell new medical technology. He holds 30 patents for medical and clinical products used in surgical environments. Dr. Cosgrove oversaw the building of the Global Center for Health Innovation, and, in an amazing and inspiring step, under his leadership the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine—a partnership between Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University—became the first medical school in the country to offer full scholarships to every student accepted into the program. U.S. News & World Report regularly names the Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals; it is one of only two hospitals named in the list of "America's 99 Most Ethical Companies" (Ethisphere Institute). Its heart program, in particular, has been ranked No. 1 since 1995.

IFM CEO, Laurie Hofmann, has this to say about Dr. Cosgrove's selection as the 2016 Linus Pauling Functional Medicine Award recipient: "We are thrilled to recognize Dr. Cosgrove's tremendous contribution to the global Functional Medicine Movement. His visionary leadership and commitment helped establish and support the Center for Functional Medicine's research, clinical operations, education, and community outreach initiatives. This pioneering endeavor offers transformational opportunities and inspiration for clinicians, patients, health systems, policymakers, and communities worldwide."

Dr. Cosgrove replies: "The time has come for a new approach to the crisis in chronic disease. Functional Medicine is destined to make a powerful contribution to American health care in the years to come. My profound thanks to the Institute and its members for this very great honor."

Dr. Cosgrove's work in support of Functional Medicine is critically needed to reverse the epidemic of complex chronic disease and to demonstrate a new, viable model for health care. To learn more about the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, visit http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/center-for-functional-medicine.

The Linus Pauling Award recognizes a visionary clinician or researcher who has made a significant contribution to the development of the Functional Medicine model or to the extension of the reach of Functional Medicine nationally or internationally.   

About The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM): IFM is the global leader in Functional Medicine. The mission of IFM is to serve the highest expression of individual health through the widespread adoption of Functional Medicine as the standard of care. 

Functional Medicine is a personalized, systems biology-based model that empowers patients and practitioners to achieve the highest expression of health by working in collaboration to address the underlying causes of disease. The primary drivers of the chronic disease epidemic are the daily interactions among an individual's genetics, environment, and lifestyle choices. Functional Medicine addresses these underlying causes of disease and equips healthcare practitioners to help their patients manage this complex, interconnected web. For more information about www.functionalmedicine.org IFM, please visit www.functionalmedicine.org.

SOURCE Institute for Functional Medicine

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