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The Division of Cardiology at Weill Cornell Medical College has been named for Maurice R. and Corinne P. Greenberg, generous and longtime benefactors of the Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in many areas, including cardiovascular research and patient care.

The new name the Maurice R. and Corinne P. Greenberg Division of Cardiology at Weill Cornell Medical College became effective on December 1, 2003. The official dedication ceremony took place on February 2.

The Greenberg family and the Starr Foundation have continually demonstrated their steadfast leadership in support of cardiology, said Dr. Antonio M. Gotto, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. Without their forward-thinking and generosity, the scope and success of our cardiology program would not have been possible.

In the last five years, the Weill Cornell cardiology program has earned a place of international importance in the research and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Home to one of the nation's most productive and academically respected cardiac catheterization, cardiac arrhythmia, and echocardiography laboratories, the program also has an outstanding group of molecular cardiologists performing cutting-edge research.

Among many milestones made possible through the vision and leadership of the Greenberg family, the Division of Cardiology has recruited physician-scientists of the highest caliber; acquired a supercomputer that made possible the world's only three-dimensional computer model of atrial fibrillation; and is now in the process of upgrading many of its facilities, including laboratory space dedicated to innovative research initiatives such as genomic phenotyping.

Maurice Greenberg is a member of Weill Cornell Medical College's Board of Overseers, as well as Chairman Emeritus and Trustee of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's Board of Trustees. Mr. Greenberg is Chairman and CEO of American International Group (AIG), a leading global insurance and financial services organization. Additionally, he is Chairman of the Starr Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the U.S.

The Greenberg family and the Starr Foundation have donated generously in support of cardiology, for both research and clinical care. Last year, Mr. Greenberg and the Starr Foundation made generous contributions for cardiology initiatives as part of the Advancing the Clinical Mission Capital Campaign, and to support research in molecular cardiology. Additionally, the Starr Foundation established a clinical scholar endowment in honor of Dr. Bruce Lerman, who is the Hilda Altschul Master Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and Chief of the Division of Cardiology. The Starr Foundation also gave generously in 2000 to help fund the Atrial Fibrillation Basic Research Program.

The Greenberg family and the Starr Foundation have supported the missions of the Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center since 1979. In 1997, the Hospital opened the Maurice R. and Corinne P. Greenberg Pavilion, a 776-bed inpatient facility and a major expansion to the Weill Cornell Medical Center. The pavilion was named in recognition of the Greenbergs' longtime leadership, support, and generosity towards the construction of the building. Other notable gifts include a generous contribution to the Medical College's Advancing the Clinical Mission Capital Campaign, which is earmarked for the new ambulatory care building on York Avenue. Additionally, the Greenbergs have made significant contributions to the Medical College and Hospital for the Retinoblastoma Tumor Center; for the Genetic Medicine Program as part of the New Horizons for Medicine Capital Campaign; for neurological surgery programs; for a molecular neuropharmacology laboratory; for a joint program between The Rockefeller University, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and Weill Cornell Medical College for the study of Hepatitis C; for the C.V. Starr Biomedical Information Center; and for the C.V. Starr Pavilion, a state-of-the-art outpatient facility.