Belarus President awards Dr. Novick Presidential Medal

Thursday December 29, 2005 10:22:13 AM

President Alexander Lukashenko awarded Dr. William M. Novick, pediatric cardiac surgeon, the Franskaya Scorina Humanitarian Presidential Medal on December 29, 2004 at the Presidential residence in Minsk, Belarus.

The award was presented in a State ceremony in appreciation for his dedication to the health and well being of Belarusian children with congenital heart defects.  Dr. Novick is the only American physician who has ever received this award.

The ceremony preceded the grand opening of a new state-of-the-art cardiac surgical center with the capacity to handle 1000 operations per year.  The International Children's Heart Foundation made three trips per year to Minsk (2006-2007) to continue its comprehensive program of operating, educating and teaching at the new center.

Dr. Novick, Founder and Medical Director of the International Children's Heart Foundation, has been taking volunteer medical teams to Belarus since December 1996.  To date, the International Children's Heart Foundation has made seven trips to Belarus and operated on 148 children with congenital heart defects.