Croatian President Awards Dr. Novick Presidential Medal

President Stipe Mesic awarded Dr. William M. Novick, pediatric cardiac surgeon, the Presidential Medal of Appreciation March 18, 2002 at the Presidential residence in Zagreb, Croatia. Dr. Novick received the award for his dedication to the health and well being of Croatian children since 1993. Dr. Novick is only the third American to receive this award.

Since 1993, Dr. Novick has been taking medical teams of doctors, nurses and technicians to Zagreb to operate on children with congenital heart defects. He currently makes four two-week trips to Zagreb each year. During the March, 2002 trip, Dr. Novick and the medical team performed surgery on their 500th Croatian child.

Dr. Novick began traveling to Croatia in 1993 while the country was at war with Serbia and has continued a close relationship with the University Hospital in Zagreb for the past nine years.