The Chronicle‘s Michelle Mittelstadt reports that legendary surgeon Michael DeBakey has received the nation’s top civilian honor:
With a stroke of his pen today, President Bush officially conferred the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, on famed Houston heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey.
Bush’s action caps a four-year effort by Texans in Congress to honor the 99-year-old, whose surgical and technical innovations have improved the practice of medicine over more than a half century.
The next step is the design and minting of the one-of-a-kind medal that will be presented to DeBakey at a congressional ceremony. The U.S. Mint, which will consult with DeBakey and his family on the design, will also mint duplicate medals for sale to the public.
Though the process typically takes a year or more and requires the approval of the Treasury secretary, various committees and the recipient, DeBakey’s admirers are hoping to cut through the red tape and hold the ceremony within the next several months.
Well done. Now let’s get moving on the official presentation.
