Geisinger presents Henry Hood Award for Clinical and Research Excellence

DANVILLE, Pa. – Geisinger presented the 2023 Henry Hood Award for Clinical and Research Excellence to Pugazhendhi Vijayaraman, M.D., system chief, clinical electrophysiology for Geisinger’s Heart & Vascular Institute, during a ceremony in Danville Monday evening.

Dr. Vijayaraman’s research and use of His bundle pacing (HBP) and left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) has made this procedure the standard of care at Geisinger for patients with heart failure and other cardiac conditions. HBP/LBBP stimulates the His-Purkinje network, a system of specialized cells that activates both ventricles of the heart. Compared to traditional pacemakers, which stimulate the right ventricle only, HBP/LBBP is more effective and leads to better overall patient outcomes. 

Results of a landmark clinical trial led by Dr. Vijayaraman were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology Clinical Electrophysiology in 2023. Overall, he has published more than 200 scholarly articles on conduction system pacing and travels extensively worldwide to educate clinicians about his work.

“I want to thank my colleagues and fellows for their incredible work and support in uplifting Geisinger’s mission of providing high-quality care to our patients,” Dr. Vijayaraman said.

Dr. Vijayaraman completed his undergraduate studies and a residency in cardiology at Madurai Medical College in Madurai, India, and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research in Pondicherry, India. He then completed a residency in internal medicine and fellowships in cardiovascular medicine and clinical cardiac electrophysiology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Jacobi Medical Center/Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y.

The Henry Hood Award was established by Geisinger’s board of directors in honor of Henry L. Hood, M.D. Dr. Hood founded Geisinger’s Department of Neurosurgery and served as president and chief executive officer of Geisinger Medical Center from 1974 until his retirement in 1991. The award recognizes Dr. Hood’s dedication to excellence through clinical practice and state-of-the art research that advanced and enhanced patient care. 

The award includes a prize of $50,000 to be used to advance clinical care through research, innovation and education at Geisinger. This monetary award is made possible by an endowed gift from Ken Langone, former Geisinger board member, and his wife Elaine.

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 126 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,700 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $15 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.