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AMA’s Nathan Davis Award for International Medicine Given to IVU Founder.

Salt Lake City, Utah (USA) (2/8/2006) - - For Immediate Release

International Volunteers in Urology (IVU), a Salt Lake City based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing medical education and treatment in developing countries is excited to announce the award of the American Medical Association’s top International Medicine Honor to IVU Founder and President, Dr. Catherine deVries.

Dr. deVries has been awarded the American Medical Association’s (AMA) “Dr. Nathan Davis International Award in Medicine”. This award honors a domestic physician for outstanding international service in the areas of medical practice, medical education or medical research. Only one recipient is chosen for this award annually. She will travel to Washington, D.C. to accept the award in March.

Dr. deVries began her overseas volunteer efforts in 1992 as the Director of Reconstructive Urology for Interplast, Inc. She founded International Volunteers in Urology (IVU) in 1994 which was incorporated as a non-profit organization the following year. Dr. deVries is a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Chief of Urology at Primary Children\'s Hospital. A graduate of Harvard University, she completed a Masters in Pathology at Duke University and a Medical Doctorate at Stanford University. At Stanford University she trained in Urology before completing a fellowship in Pediatric Urology at the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. deVries has also fostered an interest in international surgery among her students, serving as Faculty Advisor for Students for Intercultural Medicine at Medical College of Georgia and founding a medical student exchange program in Honduras. She has also participated as a faculty member in the International Health Medical Education Consortium. Since 2001, she has served on the Review Committee for the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) program of Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. Dr. deVries has received many awards over the course of her career, including being named a “Health Care Hero” by Utah Business Magazine in 2002.

Since its founding, IVU has been the only nonprofit organization in the world devoted entirely to teaching urology in developing countries. By incorporating the motto, Teach One – Reach Many, IVU emphasizes its mission in teaching the teachers. IVU volunteers including surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses from all across the country generously donate their time, skills and energy. By training the local doctors and nurses in developing countries, IVU helps to assure the future of quality urological care available to people worldwide.      Over the years, IVU has come to be recognized as a valuable organization in the medical field. In 2000, IVU was selected as the only surgical organization to partner with the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control, Gates Foundation and numerous others in the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis. IVU was awarded the “Best in State – 2003” medal, as the premier humanitarian organization in Utah.

IVU operates four main programs which include Traveling Resident Scholars, IVU Service Fellows, a Women’s Program and a Pediatric Teaching Program. The Pediatric Teaching Program is the heart of IVU. Children’s urological disorders are ten times more common than cleft lip and pallet disorders. Thousands of children suffering from urological diseases and birth defects have been treated by IVU volunteers in over 15 different countries including Cuba, Honduras, Vietnam, Mongolia and India. Through an Affiliates Program, IVU has donated over half a million dollars worth of medical supplies and equipment to urologists working in developing countries around the globe.

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Contact: Alyssa H. McBride - Executive Director

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