Dr. Elad Levy and Dr. Vernice E. Bates
The American Heart Association’s Executive Leadership Committee for the 34th annual Heart Ball is thrilled to announce Dr. Elad Levy and Dr. Vernice Bates as the 2014 recipients of the prestigious Hero of the Heart Award. Chaired by Anthony Baynes and Jim Cornell, this lively event raises critical funds for the education, training, advocacy and research in the areas of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Each year, the Hero of the Heart award is presented to a member of our community who helps to spread the lifesaving mission of the American Heart Association, and encourages all of us to lead healthy lives in efforts to reduce cardiovascular diseases and stroke in Western New York. This year, both of our recipients have made significant contributions to brain health in the field of neurology.
Dr. Vernice E. Bates is the president of Dent Neurologic Institute and Director of Dent’s vascular neurology program. With over 25 years of experience in stroke care, Dr. Bates has invested the past decade in the outpatient sector, working collaboratively to reduce the incidence of major strokes. His pioneering approach consists of a dedicated, readily-accessible team that incorporates comprehensive technologies and extensive care coordination to identify and target embolic sources and other risk factors. Through early and aggressive intervention, Dr. Bates has saved many patients from experiencing the devastation of stroke.
Dr. Elad Levy is a fellow of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and a board-certified neurosurgeon. He is one of the youngest in the country to serve as a chairman for the Department of Neurosurgery, a position he holds at UB. Dr. Levy is also the founder and president of PUCCS (Program for Understanding Childhood Concussion & Stroke), a nonprofit research and education program. Levy’s published research interests include drug coated stents, treatment of acute stroke, and stenting of aneurysms. He has served and currently serves in roles as principal investigator in national and international stroke trials and is the vice chair of the Scientific Planning Committee of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
The American Heart Association is the largest private funder of scientific research related to cardiovascular and stroke in the United States. In Buffalo, the American Heart Association currently funds $1.8 million in scientific research. Funds raised at the 2014 Buffalo Niagara Heart Ball helps fulfill our mission.