Camilo Ramiro Gomez, (born September 12, 1960) is an American

neurologist Neurology (from , "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous system, which comprises the brain, the ...

, medical educator, and researcher. He is one of the first 100 vascular neurologists certified by the

American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. (ABPN) is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1934 following conferences of committees appointed by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Neurological Association, and the t ...

(ABPN)., additional Vascular. Also, he is one of the founders of the subspecialty of interventional neurology in the United States , additional History and one of the first 50 to be certified in this field by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties He has published extensively Gomez CR: Time is Brain
J Stroke and Cerebrovasc Dis
3:1-2. 1993, additional TimeGomez CR, Malkoff MD, Sauer CM, Tulyapronchote R, Burch CM and Banet GA: Code Stroke: An Attempt to Shorten In-Hospital Therapeutic Delays
Stroke25(10): 1920-1923. 1994
additional CodeGomez CR and Kern MJ. Cerebral Catheterization: Back to the Future
J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis
6(5): 308-312. 1997, additional Cath and is credited with having coined the phrase ''Time is Brain!'' to denote the urgency required in the treatment of

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

patients. He also introduced the term "Code Stroke" as an in-hospital method for summoning specialists to the stroke patient bedside.

Early life

Gomez was born in

Holguín Holguín (, ) is a municipality-city in Cuba. After Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Camagüey, it is the List of cities in Cuba, fourth largest city in Cuba. History Before Christopher Columbus, Columbus, the Taino people settled in huts made fro ...

, Cuba and emigrated in 1965, his family settling in

Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

. There, he attended the Fray Luis Amigo and Santo Tomas de Villanueva catholic schools. Later, in 1981, he received a M.D. from the Universidad Central del Este in

San Pedro de Macorís San Pedro de Macorís is a city and municipality (''municipio'') in the Dominican Republic. The capital of its eponymous province in the east region of the country, it is among the ten largest cities of the Dominican Republic. The city has approx ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

, and immediately emigrated to the United States to continue postgraduate education in neurology at

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Missi ...

Career

In 1986, having completed his neurology residency, he became the founding director of the

stroke center, incorporating a neurovascular

ultrasound Ultrasound is sound with frequency, frequencies greater than 20 Hertz, kilohertz. This frequency is the approximate upper audible hearing range, limit of human hearing in healthy young adults. The physical principles of acoustic waves apply ...

laboratory dedicated to the application of the new diagnostic technique of Transcranial Doppler. This work earned the first EME Transcranial Doppler Research Award in 1990, and caught the attention of Sylvia N. Souers, widow of the late Admiral Sidney W. Souers, who later agreed to donate a portion of her estate to the creation of the Souers Stroke Institute, which Gomez directed until 1995. In 1995, he was recruited by the

University of Alabama at Birmingham The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1969 and part of the University of Alabama System, UAB has grown to be the state's largest employer, with more than ...

(UAB) and became the founding director of its Comprehensive Stroke Center, a post that he held until 2003. He then switched to private practice, maintained an adjunct appointment to the UAB School of Public Health, and remained the principal neurology investigator of the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS), a federally funded project intended to uncover the underlying causes for the existence of the Stroke Belt. In 2015 he led the team that secured Primary Stroke Center certification by The

Joint Commission The Joint Commission is a United States-based nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c) organization that accredits more than 22,000 US health care organizations and programs. The international branch accredits medical services from around the world. A majori ...

for Brookwood Medical Center and, in 2016, he became Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at

Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic Church, ...

Stritch School of Medicine The Stritch School of Medicine is the medical school affiliated with Loyola University Chicago. It is located at the heart of the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. The medical campus includes Foster G. McGaw Hospital, Ca ...

. At that institution, he also was Vice-Chairman of the Department of Neurology, and Medical Director of the Neuroendovascular Surgery Program at Loyola University Medical Center. In 2019, he joined the faculty of the department of neurology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine in

Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1821 as the county seat of Boone County, Missouri, Boone County and had a population of 126,254 as recorded in the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Misso ...

, continuing to practice vascular and interventional neurology within the

University of Missouri Health Care University of Missouri Health Care is an American Academic medical center, academic health system located in Columbia, Missouri. It's owned by the University of Missouri System. University of Missouri Health System includes five hospitals: Unive ...

System.

Neuroimaging and Interventional neurology

He joined the American Society of Neuroimaging (ASN) in the mid-1980s, serving in its board of directors for over ten years, and as its president between 2007 and 2009. He was instrumental in the education and certification of neurologists in diagnostic

vascular Vascular can refer to: * blood vessels, the vascular system in animals * vascular tissue Vascular tissue is a complex transporting tissue, formed of more than one cell type, found in vascular plants. The primary components of vascular tissue ...

computed tomography A computed tomography scan (CT scan), formerly called computed axial tomography scan (CAT scan), is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers or ...

(CT),

magnetic resonance imaging Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and ...

(MRI), and

angiography Angiography or arteriography is a medical imaging technique used to visualize the inside, or lumen, of blood vessels and organs of the body, with particular interest in the arteries, veins, and the heart chambers. Modern angiography is perfo ...

. Following his seminal endovascular work in St. Louis, upon moving to UAB, he continued to collaborate closely with interventional cardiologists and radiologists, becoming a member of the team that largely influenced the application of carotid artery stenting for stroke prevention. He also worked closely with interventional neuroradiologists and neurosurgeons of the Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, exchanging working visits several times each year, and leading to a productive interaction in the endovascular management of cerebral aneurysms. The 1990s witnessed an interventional

turf war A turf war is a fight over territory or resources, or may refer to: Music * ''Turf Wars'', a 2007 album by the Canadian band Daggermouth * "Turf War", a song on the 2001 album '' Filmtracks 2000'' by American composer Bill Television * '' Turf ...

between the three major specialties with stakes in the practice of neuroendovascular procedures, namely

neurology Neurology (from , "string, nerve" and the suffix wikt:-logia, -logia, "study of") is the branch of specialty (medicine) , medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous syst ...

neurosurgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the specialty (medicine), medical specialty that focuses on the surgical treatment or rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system ...

and

neuroradiology Neuroradiology is a subspecialty of radiology focusing on the diagnosis and characterization of abnormalities of the central and peripheral nervous system, spine, and head and neck using neuroimaging techniques. Medical issues utilizing neurorad ...

. During this period, Gomez took part on behalf of the

American Academy of Neurology The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is a professional society representing over 40,000 neurologists and neuroscientists. As a medical specialty society it was established in 1948 by A.B. Baker of the University of Minnesota to advance the a ...

(AAN) in negotiating a common educational pathway and, as a byproduct, vascular neurology became an accredited subspecialty, as well as a prerequisite for neurologists training in

interventional neuroradiology Interventional neuroradiology (INR) also known as neurointerventional surgery (NIS), endovascular therapy (EVT), endovascular neurosurgery, and interventional neurology is a medical subspecialty of neurosurgery, neuroradiology, intervention radio ...

. His work on mechanical neuroendovascular rescue of acute ischemic stroke preceded the approval by the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

(FDA) of devices specifically designed for this purpose, culminating in the widespread acceptance of endovascular thrombectomy as an urgent treatment strategy in these cases.

Urgent Stroke Management and Critical Care Neurology

In the early 1990s he coined the phrase ''Time is Brain!'', as an argument for the need to expedite the treatment of stroke victims at a time when this was not the norm, and also introduced one of the first experiences using a "Code Stroke" system for managing stroke patients, in parallel to the existing procedures for treating patients with cardiac arrest. He promoted the use of

hypothermia Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe ...

for the management of critically ill neurologic patients, including stroke, a subject highlighted in a 2001 article and television piece by

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

. He partnered with the Birmingham Regional Emergency Medical Services System (BREMSS) to construct a regional stroke transportation system that was unique in the country. The product served as a model for national guidelines. It became operational in 2000 and, for the first time, used a dedicated computerized system to link dedicated stroke centers within the six counties that surround the city of Birmingham, allowing them to work in a symbiotic way. The system included a process for certifying stroke centers based upon a set of criteria, anteceding the current stroke center certification process by the

. He is also certified in Neurocritical Care by the

(ABPN).

Military service

In 1986 he joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps, becoming a member of the

Medical Detachment of the 21st General Hospital, 102nd Army Reserve Command (ARCOM). In December 1990, he was called to active duty in support of

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

, and was honorably discharged in 1994.

Honors and awards

Gomez was the commencement speaker for the graduation ceremonies at Universidad Central del Este in 1988 and is a member of the

Phi Kappa Phi The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (or simply Phi Kappa Phi or ) is an honor society established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to the area of study, and to promote the "unity and democracy of educa ...

and

Beta Gamma Sigma Beta Gamma Sigma () is an international business honor society. Founded in 1913 at the University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois and the University of California, it has over 980,000 members, selected from more than 600 collegiate chapters i ...

honor societies in business. He has been listed in several editions of Best Doctors in America. In 1990, he was awarded the first Eden Medical Electronics (EME) Transcranial Doppler Research Award for his work on cerebral perfusion during

cardiopulmonary resuscitation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure used during Cardiac arrest, cardiac or Respiratory arrest, respiratory arrest that involves chest compressions, often combined with artificial ventilation, to preserve brain function ...

and, in 2000, the Birmingham Regional EMS (BREMSS) awarded him the R. Floyd Yarborough EMS Award for being instrumental in organizing the care of stroke patients in the counties that surround the city of Birmingham, Alabama. He then received the Interventional Pioneer Award by the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology (SVIN) during their inaugural meeting in 2007.

Business degree

In 2006, he completed and earned the degree of

Master in Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...

(MBA) from the Physician Executive MBA (PEMBA) program at the

University of Tennessee at Knoxville The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1794, two years before Te ...

Personal life

He married Sandra Maria Lopez Quiroga in 1981, but they divorced in 2007 after having had two children. He is currently married to Kayla Kitchens Fricks.

Publications (books only)

* Tegeler CH, Babikian VL and Gomez CR. ''Neurosonology''. Mosby-Yearbook Publishers. St. Louis, MO. 1996 * McCartney JP, Thomas-Lukes KM and Gomez CR. ''Handbook of Transcranial Doppler''. Springer-Verlag Publishers. New York, 1997. * Geyer JD and Gomez CR. ''Stroke: A Practical Approach''. Lippincott. Philadelphia, PA. 2009. * Gomez CR. ''The Downgrading of American Healthcare'', Kindle Direct Publishing. 2012 * Gomez CR. ''Missouri Wines Uncorked!'', CK Publishing, LLC. 2024

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomez, Camilo 1960 births Living people American neurologists Health and wellness writers American writers of Cuban descent Physicians from Alabama University of Tennessee alumni University of Missouri faculty People from Holguín