Chicago, Ill., April 28, 2009 – Cook Medical has agreed to become the exclusive sponsor of the American Urological Association's global exchange program. Details of exchange sponsorship were announced at a press conference during the AUA annual meeting in Chicago. Jerry French, senior vice president and strategic business leader for Cook Medical's urology division was joined by Dr. Joel Nelson, chair of the AUA/EAU Academic Fellowship Selection Committee and Dr. Ziya Kirkali, a past exchange participant from Turkey and upcoming chair of the AUA International Member Committee.

The AUA exchange program unites urologists from various cultural, educational and clinical backgrounds to exchange ideas and expertise with their American colleagues. Visiting physicians in this year's program will spend time at renowned U.S. facilities such as the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. During their stays, physicians will observe procedures, take classes and share their own best practices with faculty and staff.

Dr. Nelson, chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, stressed the importance of the international program to the improvement of the practice of urology. “As the field continues to innovate, it is vital that we have an open world-wide exchange of best practices and techniques across professionals,” said Nelson. “The AUA's exchange program plays a pivotal role is assisting urologists to globally engage and learn from one another. We believe the end result will be better medical practices and improvements in overall patient care.”

Associations participating in the global exchange program include the European Association for Urology (EAU), Sociedade Brasiliera de Urologia (SBU), Chinese Urological Association (CUA) and the Japanese Urological Association (JUA). Through the program, each international society is invited to select urologists annually to visit U.S. academic centers for a period of up to one month. U.S. urologists are also chosen to visit academic centers in countries served by the international societies.

Former exchange participant representing the EAU, Dr. Kirkali described his experience as “a rewarding and energizing opportunity to share and learn from my international colleagues, and return to my practice in Turkey with a better knowledge of global best practices and techniques.” Kirkali is professor of urology at Dokuz Eylul University of Medicine in Izmir, Turkey. His primary research activities focus on clinical and basic research in oncologic urology.

Jerry French said, “Throughout our history, Cook has remained dedicated to fostering communication and education between physicians to improve patient care globally. With this sponsorship, we reinforce our devotion to ongoing innovation, collaborative learning and cross-cultural understanding in the field of urology.”

About Cook Medical:
Cook Medical was one of the first companies to help popularize interventional medicine, pioneering many of the devices now commonly used worldwide to perform minimally invasive medical procedures. Today, the company integrates minimally invasive medical device design, biopharma, gene and cell therapy, and biotech to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes in the fields of aortic intervention; interventional cardiology; critical care medicine; gastroenterology; radiology, peripheral vascular, bone access and oncology; surgery and soft tissue repair; urology; and assisted reproductive technology, gynecology and high-risk obstetrics. Founded in 1963 and operated as a family-held private corporation, Cook is a past winner of the prestigious Medical Device Manufacturer of the Year Award from Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine. For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com.

About the American Urological Association:
In February 1902, a group of eight New York Genito-Urinary Society members met and formed the American Urological Association (AUA). In its 107 years of existence, the AUA has grown to more than 16,000 members worldwide and supports its members through the promotion of the highest standards of urologic care, emphasis on education and research, and the formulation of healthcare policy. Fueled by the AUA, urologists continue their pursuit of new knowledge to lead the way in the field. This professional association of physicians provides a foundation for support and a worldwide arena for new developments and progress in urologic care. For more information, visit www.auanet.org