Leadership — helping current leaders rise to the occasion, as well as building and empowering the next generation of new leaders — is key to the overall success of both the College and the cardiovascular community. As I mentioned in a recent President’s Message in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the ACC’s 65-year history is filled with numerous examples of leaders, men and women who “have inspired research breakthroughs; been recognized by their peers for contributions to their respective fields; served as mentors both professionally and personally; charted new paths for the College; and so much more. Importantly, they have led more by example than by personal acclaim or self-aggrandizement.”

This issue of Cardiology highlights the work of several of the College’s current and up-and-coming leaders for their international service, lifetime achievements, mentorship, educational innovations and research accomplishments. We also get a closer look at ACC’s Board of Governors (BOG) Chair Michael Mansour, MD, FACC, including his plans for the year, his path to leadership and what he does in his “spare” time when not seeing patients or leading the BOG.

This issue also provides and in-depth look at an innovative program in Louisiana — the Louisiana Emergency Response Network (LERN) — designed to improve STEMI treatment in the state and counter alarming statistics showing that up to 30 percent of STEMI patients in the U.S. never receive treatment. The Louisiana ACC Chapter is helping to lead this effort and joins other ACC Chapters in North Carolina and Puerto Rico that are also leading the way in state-based STEMI programs.

Last, but certainly not least, this issue of Cardiology is focused on the College’s leadership efforts internationally. William Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage” – a statement that couldn’t be more true today. We have opportunities to share information, learn, network and maintain relationships in ways that we couldn’t have imagined even a decade ago. This issue’s cover story spotlights the many ways the College is taking advantage of these opportunities to ensure cardiovascular professionals around the globe are not only armed with the latest science and best practices in cardiovascular care, but are able to share knowledge, identify gaps in care and learn from each other. In addition, the article highlights the College’s efforts to educate patients and consumers and build unique global partnerships targeting prevention and treatment of specific risk factors in order to take down the world’s #1 killer.

Leadership, in a nutshell, requires vision, collaboration and the ability to empower others. This issue of Cardiology is a testament to the many ways individuals, Chapters and the College itself are truly leading the way in transforming cardiovascular care and improving the health of populations around the world.

Patrick T. O’Gara, MD, FACC
ACC President

Keywords: Mentors, Knowledge, Cardiology, Risk Factors, Leadership

< Back to Listings