The Global PAD Association has named Dr. Erica Fidone, MD, of Nacogdoches Heart & Vascular Clinic, America’s PAD Rising Star of the Year as part of the 2026 Global PAD Impact Awards, a patient-nominated recognition program honoring physicians, healthcare teams, researchers and innovators whose work has stood out in the lives of people affected by Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD).

Dr. Fidone is a vascular interventional cardiologist with Nacogdoches Medical Partners and Nacogdoches Heart & Vascular Clinic. The award recognizes the combination of clinical skill, compassion and determination that patients say distinguishes her care, from the warmth and thoughtfulness they experience in clinic to the precision of her technique in the catheterization lab.

“What makes this award so powerful is that it comes from the patients,” said Kym McNicholas, Founder and CEO of the Global PAD Association. “They describe Dr. Fidone as unlike any doctor they’ve experienced, from her warmth and thoughtfulness in the clinic to her precision in the cath lab. Some came to her after being told their limb could not be saved. They credit her with giving them hope and their lives back. That’s what makes this an earned award.”

Peripheral Artery Disease is a circulatory condition in which narrowed or blocked arteries reduce blood flow, most commonly to the legs. PAD can cause leg pain with walking, weakness, numbness, rest pain, nonhealing wounds and, in its most advanced stages, threatened limb loss. Because PAD is also a marker of systemic atherosclerosis, patients may face increased cardiovascular risk and often require long-term management that extends beyond a single procedure.

The Global PAD Impact Awards recognize contributions across the continuum of PAD care, including prevention, diagnosis, walking and exercise therapy, cardiovascular risk reduction, revascularization, wound care, limb preservation, multidisciplinary care, research, innovation and compassionate patient support. The 2026 honorees were selected from nominations and experiences shared by patients with the Global PAD Association.

As America’s PAD Rising Star of the Year, Dr. Fidone is being recognized not simply for promise early in her career, but for the impact patients say she is already making. Their nominations describe a physician who listens carefully, explains thoughtfully and combines a personal connection with the technical focus required to treat complex PAD.

Additional Information:

2026 GLOBAL PAD IMPACT AWARDS INTERVIEW

Dr. Fidone is also being featured in the Global PAD Association’s 2026 Global PAD Impact Awards interview series during PAD Awareness Month. The conversations share the stories behind the patient nominations and explore what each honoree has learned from patients, the role of walking as medicine, and what gives them hope for the future of PAD care.

ABOUT THE GLOBAL PAD ASSOCIATION

The Global PAD Association is dedicated to improving awareness, education, access to care and outcomes for people living with Peripheral Artery Disease. Through patient education, advocacy, support programs and the free Leg Saver Hotline, the organization helps patients better understand PAD, prepare for medical visits and learn when another evaluation may be warranted.

Leg Saver Hotline: 1-833-PAD-LEGS (1-833-723-5347)
Website: PADhelp.org