Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD Named to Modern Healthcare’s 2024 Innovators List

CLEVELAND – University Hospitals (UH) is proud to announce the recognition of Dr. Mehdi Shishehbor by Modern Healthcare as one of its Innovators for 2024. Modern Healthcare’s Innovators Awards recognize leaders and organizations driving innovation that improves care, achieves measurable results, and contributes to the clinical and financial goals of the organization.

Dr. Shishehbor is an interventional cardiologist and President of UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, as well as a professor with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He also serves as the Angela and James Hambrick Chair in Innovation. He is an expert in minimally invasive approaches to reconstruct lower extremity arteries to treat critical limb ischemia and prevent amputation. 

“Mehdi is a tenacious physician-scientist, passionate educator, and impressive executive leader,” said Dr. Daniel Simon, President of Academic & External Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer at University Hospitals, as well as the Ernie and Patti Novak Distinguished Chair in Health Care Leadership. “He exemplifies UH’s motto of science and compassion by positively impacting the lives of the patients he cares for and the team he leads.”

Dr. Shishehbor’s clinical and academic achievements are recognized with more than 200 peer reviewed publications. Paramount among his exemplary work is the PROMISE II U.S. Pivotal Clinical Trial and the results from the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2023.

According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 400 Americans per day undergo a leg amputation, most commonly due to poor circulation. PROMISE II studied transcatheter arterialization, a procedure that bypasses blocked arteries in the leg and rushes blood back into the foot using a novel stent that turns a vein into an artery. Before entering the trial, all patients were headed toward a major amputation. At 6 months post-procedure, 76 percent of patients avoided an above-the-ankle amputation. PROMISE II found that transcatheter arterialization of the deep veins is safe and can be performed successfully in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia and no conventional surgical or endovascular revascularization treatment options. The study and publication, of which Dr. Shishehbor was the co-principal investigator and lead author, led to the FDA approval of LimFlow, a specialized device used for transcatheter arterialization.

“My motivation for innovation has always been rooted in bringing hope to patients and improving their lives,” said Dr. Shishehbor. “I am humbled by this recognition and honored that through it, more people may learn about alternatives to amputation and seek a second opinion that could save their leg and their life.”

“The role of innovation has always been paramount in healthcare, and our 2024 honorees as top Innovators are driving real change in the industry,” said Mary Ellen Podmolik, editor in chief of Modern Healthcare. “The wide variety of projects underway by these executives and organizations demonstrates a dedication to tackling the ‘what ifs’ that can improve the delivery of healthcare and improve communities and the patient experience.”

The profiles of the honorees are featured in the April 8, 2024 issue of MH magazine and online at ModernHealthcare.com/Innovator-Awards.