NATICK, Mass., Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced that it has established a $1.7 million endowment to fund the "Donald S. Baim, M.D., '75 Scholarship Fund" for Yale School of Medicine.  This scholarship fund will honor the late interventional cardiology pioneer and Yale School of Medicine graduate who served as Boston Scientific's Chief Medical and Scientific Officer from 2006 until 2009, when he died unexpectedly.

At Boston Scientific, Dr. Baim provided oversight to preclinical and clinical studies, educational programs and physician relationships.  He was a key contributor to the Company's technology development strategy, including the assessment of strategic acquisitions and partnering opportunities, while also serving as the Company's leading patient advocate for new products and procedures.  Under Dr. Baim's leadership, Boston Scientific's Clinical Sciences group was strengthened considerably, increasing its emphasis on leading clinical research to support evidence-based medicine.

"Dr. Baim was a pioneer in interventional cardiology and less-invasive medicine who demonstrated remarkable intellect and passion across a range of disciplines," said Ray Elliott, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Scientific.  "We are proud to honor his memory by supporting the next generation of medical leaders."

Dr. Baim enjoyed a prestigious career that included a position as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.  He was a highly respected physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital (now Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) in Boston, where he trained many of the interventional cardiology leaders of today.  Dr. Baim was a prolific author, publishing nearly 300 scientific papers and editing a leading interventional cardiology textbook.  He also served as principal investigator on numerous clinical trials and was a founder of, or key contributor to, more than 20 medical device start-up companies.  Dr. Baim earned his medical degree at Yale School of Medicine in 1975 and studied cardiology and internal medicine at Stanford University.

"Donald Baim helped advance interventional cardiology from a promising technology to a proven therapy that has benefited millions of people," said Martin Leon, M.D., of Columbia University Medical Center and the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York, and fellow Yale School of Medicine alumnus.  "The many important contributions he made to science, medicine and medical technology will serve as a proud and enduring legacy."

Beginning in August 2011, a Donald S. Baim scholarship will be awarded annually to one incoming first-year medical student at Yale School of Medicine to cover half of his or her tuition for four years.  Yale will seek scholarship candidates based on their financial need as well as their demonstration of the excellence and intellectual and clinical drive exhibited by Dr. Baim.

"We are grateful for Boston Scientific's generosity and its contribution to future generations of physicians," said Robert J. Alpern, M.D., Dean of Yale School of Medicine.  "Dr. Baim was an extraordinary alumnus who left a lasting impression on the field of cardiovascular medicine, and we are pleased that Boston Scientific is honoring him through this scholarship fund."

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties.  For more information, please visit www.bostonscientific.com.

About Yale School of Medicine

Founded in 1810, Yale School of Medicine is a world-renowned center for biomedical research, education and advanced health care.  Among its 28 departments are one of the nation's oldest schools of public health and the internationally recognized Child Study Center, founded in 1911.  Yale School of Medicine consistently ranks among the handful of leading recipients of research funding from the National Institutes of Health and other organizations supporting the biomedical sciences.  Its core faculty of more than 1,100 physicians and scientists is well represented within the Institute of Medicine and National Academy of Sciences and among investigators of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  For more information, log on to http://medicine.yale.edu/index.aspx.  

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SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation