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Medtronic Names Francine Kaufman, M.D. to Key Executive Role in Diabetes Business

^{Published on 2008-11-24 11:47:10 - Market Wire}
 

MINNEAPOLIS--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Medtronic, Inc., (NYSE: MDT) today announced that Francine Kaufman, M.D., has been named as vice president of Global Medical Affairs, for the Diabetes business. Reporting to Chris O'Connell, president of the Diabetes business and senior vice president at Medtronic, Dr. Kaufman will be a key architect of the company's global diabetes strategy, as well as a leading voice for multi-disciplinary medical strategy across Medtronic. Dr. Kaufman will retain her University of Southern California (USC) academic title and remain on the board of Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).

"As one of the world's top pediatric endocrinologists, Dr. Kaufman has contributed greatly to academic medicine in diabetes, and is a passionate and vocal advocate for the diabetes community and healthcare issues in general," said O'Connell. "The addition of Dr. Kaufman to our leadership team signals Medtronic's commitment to making a broader and more significant contribution in global diabetes care."

"After a full and complete career in academic medicine, patient care and advocacy, taking on an industry role with Medtronic represents an exciting new phase in my career," said Kaufman. "Addressing the global diabetes epidemic will require strong leadership from the healthcare community, government and industry. Medtronic provides me a new and powerful platform from which I can continue my work to improve diabetes care across the world."

Dr. Kaufman is a Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Communications at the Keck School of Medicine and the Annenberg School of Communications of USC, and Head of the Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at CHLA. She has published more than 120 peer-reviewed publications, as well as more than 200 articles and abstracts. Additionally, she is the author of more than 30 books or book chapters, including the best-selling book, "Diabesity."

A former president of the American Diabetes Association^®, Dr. Kaufman has served as a delegate to the World Health Organization and was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Kaufman has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1980 and is the current Chair of the National Diabetes Education Program, which is jointly sponsored by the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has consistently been included in the annual "Best Doctors in America" list, and was named Woman of Valor for 2003 by the American Diabetes Association in recognition of her outstanding dedication and commitment to diabetes. Dr. Kaufman is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Chicago Medical School.

About Medtronic

Medtronic, Inc. ([ www.medtronic.com ]), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology – alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 25, 2008. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.