The American Heart Association's (AHA) Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research (QCOR) Council bestowed the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award on Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS, the executive director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) and vice dean at the Duke University School of Medicine, during the AHA Scientific Sessions on November 16.
The award is presented annually at the AHA Scientific Sessions to a QCOR Council member for their significant long-term contributions to outcomes research and the improvement of cardiovascular care.
In addition to his leadership roles at Duke, Hernandez is a cardiologist and an internationally recognized leader in clinical research. His work ranges from clinical trials to health services and policy research, with over 600 publications. He has served as the steering committee chair or principal investigator of multiple large studies and is committed to improving the health of patients with cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
During his keynote speech at the awards reception, Hernandez highlighted the caring, committed community within the QCOR.
"We care about moving quality outcomes forward," he said. "We care about closing false disparities. And in our current times, these things will continue to be important. At the DCRI, I have a great job working across different research areas, and I use the QCOR as an example of communities coming together to improve quality care and health outcomes."