May 13, 2008

Springfield Cardiologist Named SIU Distinguished Alumnus

Dr. Frank V. Aguirre , clinical professor of internal medicine and chair of the cardiology division at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, is the recipient of the medical school’s distinguished alumni award for 2008.  Aguirre, class of 1980, is in full-time practice with Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants in Springfield.

The award from the School’s Alumni Society Board of Governors recognizes outstanding contributions to medicine and distinguished service to humankind.  It will be presented at SIU’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 24, in Springfield.

Aguirre’s nominators wrote “Dr. Aguirre has demonstrated exceptional ability in clinical cardiovascular research and has made numerous contributions to the field...He is respected for his extraordinary educational and teaching ability by students, residents and paramedical personnel, and has combined these talents to become an exceptional, compassionate and sensitive patient care advocate…He is a model citizen in the medical community.”  His community volunteer efforts include the American Diabetes Association, St. John’s Hospital Breadline and Friend-In-Deed program.

Aguirre has made numerous contributions to research as an active clinical researcher.  He has participated in more than 40 clinical trials of devices and drugs and published more than 150 articles, book chapters and abstracts.  He serves on the editorial board of American Heart Journal.  One nominator said, “These publications reflect his interest, talent, hard work and professional recognition in the field of coronary intervention and the management of patients with acute coronary syndromes and myocardial infarctions.”  Aguirre helped establish and is currently medical director of the Prairie Stat Heart program for heart attack treatment, a nationally recognized program developed in central and southern Illinois.

Aguirre is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in cardiovascular diseases and interventional cardiology and is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Clinical Council of the American Heart Association and Society of Cardiac Catheterization and Coronary Intervention.  Before coming to Springfield in 1999, he was on the faculty at St. Louis University (SLU) Health Sciences Center for 10 years.  He completed fellowships in both clinical and interventional cardiology at SLU (1988, 1989) and his internal medicine residency at SLU Hospital (1984).  He earned his bachelor’s from Illinois Benedictine College in Lisle (1977).

A native of Chicago, Aguirre and his wife, Diane Aguirre, have two children.

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