4.11.2005 ET

(CSRwire) ARLINGTON, VA and DEERFIELD, IL - In recognition of his notable contributions to the healthcare improvement of the public through innovative health services research, David L. Sackett, OC, FRSC, M.D., has been selected as the 2005 recipient of The Baxter International Foundation Health Services Research Prize. The Prize will be awarded on June 25, 2005 at the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) Annual Meeting in Boston. The Prize is recognized internationally as the highest distinction that researchers in the health services field can achieve. The Prize is sponsored by The Baxter International Foundation, and administered by AUPHA.

"Dr. Sackett has revolutionized thinking in medical practice, public policy, and academe regarding evidence-based medicine," said Douglas Conrad, Ph.D, University of Washington - Seattle, and selection committee chair. "David is a pioneer in this domain, and his contributions in translating evidence into practice will continue to impact generations of practitioners, researchers, and policymakers throughout the world."

Sackett established Canada's first Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics and chaired the Division of Internal Medicine at McMaster University, where he served from 1967 until he accepted a Chair at Oxford University in 1994. He developed and mentored a new breed of applied clinician-scientists and worked with them to create and disseminate the practice of evidence-based medicine throughout the world. His collaborative research teams were the first to validate the efficacy of aspirin and carotid endarterectomy for patients with threatened stroke, develop effective strategies for helping hypertensive patients take their medicine, and generate compelling evidence of the effectiveness of nurse practitioners.

"David Sackett transformed health services research, education and practice by providing the tools to assess evidence and bring it to the bedside," said Ross Baker, Ph.D, University of Toronto and another member of the selection committee. "More importantly, he created a movement that altered the cultures of professional education and practice, infusing the daily teaching and work of health professionals, not only in medicine, but in all healthcare disciplines. Evidence-based healthcare has become an essential criterion for excellence."

"Throughout my career, I have been blessed with students and colleagues whose opinion of my talents was greater than my own," said Sackett, upon learning of his selection. Sackett was chosen from a field of more than 60 nominees by a selection committee comprised of renowned health services academicians and clinicians from around the world.

Sacket is currently founder and director of the Kilgore S. Trout Research & Education Centre at Irish Lake in Ontario, Canada. He received his bachelor's degree from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., and then went on to receive his M.D. at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He was the Founding Chair of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics at McMaster University in Canada, the Founding Director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University in England, and the Founding Chair of the Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group.

Sackett has received various research awards and elections to learned societies, including the Royal Society of Canada, Fellowship in the Royal College of Physicians of London and Edinburgh, the American and Canadian Societies for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the Canadian Society for Internal Medicine, and the Pan-American Health Association. He has also received numerous awards for his educational and clinical work, and was elected to the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2000. He has written eight books, chapters for approximately 60 others and 300 refereed articles.

Since 1986, The Baxter International Foundation has funded the Health Services Research Prize in recognition of researchers who have made major contributions to the health of the public through innovative research in health services. The Prize is administered by the AUPHA and is accompanied by a $25,000 award -- $10,000 is awarded to the individual with the remaining $15,000 going to a not-for-profit institution that supports the Prize winner's work.

The Association of University Programs in Health Administration is a not-for-profit association of the premier university-based educational programs throughout the world, faculty, practitioners, and provider organizations. Its members are dedicated to continuously improving the field of health management and practice. It is the only non-profit entity of its kind that works to improve the delivery of health services throughout the world - and thus the health of citizens - by educating professional managers.

The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), helps organizations expand access to healthcare in the United States and around the world. The foundation, established in 1981, began to focus exclusively on increasing access to healthcare in 2002 - particularly for the disadvantaged and underserved - in communities where Baxter employees live and work. Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, assists health care professionals and their patients with the treatment of complex medical conditions, including cancer, hemophilia, immune disorders, kidney disease and trauma. The company applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives. For more information, please visit www.baxter.com.

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