Pulse of ACC

Aug 21, 2017

Cardiology Magazine

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ACC BOT 2018 Slate of Officers, ACTION Registry award winners announced, ACC Holds AUC Summit, and More.

In Memoriam: Forrest Hood Adams, MD, MACC

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Forrest Hood Adams, MD, MACC, distinguished pioneer in pediatric cardiology and the ACC’s oldest-surviving past ACC president, passed away at his California home on July 14. He was 97 years old.

Born in 1919 in Minneapolis, MN, Adams was a descendant of U.S. presidents John Adams (1735-1826) and John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), who lived to the ages of 91 and 81, respectively. He attended both Johns Hopkins and the University of Minnesota, earning degrees specializing in pediatrics, infectious diseases and pediatric cardiology. From his research on fetal and neonatal cardiopulmonary function in health and disease to his implementation of the first heart catheterizations on newborns and infants, Adams’ life and career in medicine were full of many firsts and renowned accomplishments. Read More >>>

Adams also contributed much to ACC’s success over the years, serving as president from 1971-1972. He also served as chair of the ACC’s Annual Scientific Program and of the ACC’s Credentials Committee. Additionally, he aided in the development of ACC’s first scientific journal, Cardiology, and became its first editor.

“Dr. Forrest Adams had an enormous impact on my own alma mater, the University of Minnesota, as well as on the ACC,” said ACC President Mary Norine Walsh, MD, FACC. “As we work on changes in ACC governance and our five-year Strategic Plan, we are reminded that many pivotal College initiatives were started by or contributed to by Dr. Adams. His legacy is enduring.”

Adams is survived by his wife, Joan, and eight children. Click here to read more about Adams in a feature article originally published in the December 2014 issue of Cardiology.

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ACC BOT Recommends 2018 Slate of Officers and Trustees

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The ACC Board of Trustees (BOT) recommended the College’s newest slate of officers and trustees during its August meeting, which took place Aug. 5 and 6 in Minnesota. The ACC Nominating Committee, led by Immediate Past President Richard Chazal, MD, MACC, put forth the following candidates for BOT recommendation, using the College’s Leadership Competencies as guidance: Read More >>>

  • C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC, to serve as president from 2018-2019
  • Richard J. Kovacs, MD, FACC, to serve as vice president from 2018-2019
  • Howard T. Walpole Jr., MD, MBA, FACC, to serve as treasurer from 2018-2021
  • Edward T. A. Fry, MD, FACC, and Daniel Jose Pineiro, MD, FACC, to serve as trustees from 2018-2021

These officers will be officially approved at the College’s Annual Business Meeting in March 2018 in Orlando, FL. The College is grateful for the work of the Nominating Committee, which in addition to Chazal, is made up of Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH, FACC; Eileen Handberg, PhD, ARNP, FACC; Christopher Kramer, MD, FACC; Jagat Narula, DM, MD, PhD, MACC; Robert Shor, MD, FACC; and Thad F. Waites, MD, FACC.

Additionally, ACC and NCDR committee nominations will open on Monday, Aug. 14 and run through Friday, Sept. 22. ACC members are encouraged to review the open positions and may self-nominate or nominate a colleague via the Committee Nominations Portal.

ACC’s ongoing governance transformation has allowed for an increase in open committee positions to expand member involvement and provide additional opportunities for members to impact the work of the College. Applicants will be notified of results in January 2018. For questions or additional information, email committees@acc.org. For NCDR Committees, contact ncdrcommittees@acc.org.

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An Overseas Perspective

Cardiology Magazine ImageIn a recent Leadership Page published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Huon Gray, MD, FACC, past chair of the ACC Assembly of International Governors reprises his Maseri-Florio International Lecture, which was given at ACC.17. He addresses the College’s international growth and goals, explaining that the College had no international strategy until the Board of Trustees established a task force to do so in 2002. “As professionals working in the field of [cardiovascular disease] we have so much more that unites us than should ever divide us by nationality or beliefs,” he writes. “We should embrace the opportunities given to us in pursuing our common goals.” Learn more about ACC’s International efforts at ACC.org/International.

ACC Rhythm 2017 Reaches Clinicians in Nine Indian Cities

The ACC and Lupin Pharma partnered in July to bring the “ACC Rhythm 2017” education program to over 2,000 physicians in nine Indian cities – Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Indore, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Chennai. ACC experts in electrophysiology, heart failure and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presented sessions representing clinical arrhythmia management, pacing, ablation, genetics, pharmacology and ECG basic science.

The ambitious “ACC Rhythm 2017” program also showcased digital patient simulations with cases targeting ACS and heart failure. These dynamic simulation scenarios challenged the physician attendees clinical and critical thinking skills while integrating clinical evidence and established guidelines to aid in providing the best care to real patients.

ACTION Registry 2017 Performance Achievement Award Recipients Named

The ACC has named the recipients of the ACTION Registry 2017 Performance Achievement Awards. This year’s Platinum, Gold and Silver Award recipients are recognized for their consistency in meeting patient care guidelines for acute myocardial infarction patients.

Hospitals that received a 2017 Performance Achievement Award will be featured in the special U.S. News and World Report “Best Hospitals” issue, available on Aug. 29. Scan the QR code to learn more about the ACTION Registry.

ACC Holds AUC Summit

The ACC held an appropriate use criteria (AUC) summit on Aug. 9 at its Heart House headquarters in Washington, DC. The summit provided an overview of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) forthcoming AUC program, with discussion among participants about where the program is headed and how the AUC community, including the ACC, can help. Read More >>>

Experts delved into ways the AUC can best collaborate around the development and implementation of AUC, as well as addressed confusion around contradicting AUC recommendations. Other topics included implementations strategies ranging from licensing strategies for AUC content to how best to optimize electronic health record (EHRs) and clinical decision support mechanisms (CDSMs). The summit closed with an interactive discussion around recommendations for future AUC utilization as it pertains to communications and tools for clinicians, recommendations for the clinical community, recommendations for CMS and recommendations regarding EHRs and CDSMs.

In his closing remarks, summit moderator Stephen F. Jencks, MD, MPH, said, “My takeaways from this summit can be broken down into three primary messages. Firstly, it’s not easy for groups to rank their priorities for AUC implementation – all of their priorities are high. Secondly, most of the issues raised today could be categorized as either research or nomenclatural issues, and thirdly, different groups have differing priorities regarding the implementation of this program, and they have considerable financial stake in those priorities. These groups must work out their priorities and issues internally before moving forward.” Click here to read more on the AUC program in Heart of Health Policy.

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ABIM Foundation Launches Choosing Wisely App

The ABIM Foundation has launched a new mobile app that makes all the Choosing Wisely recommendations, including those of the ACC, available at the touch of an iPhone screen (an Android version is coming soon).

Through the new app, clinicians can search recommendations using keywords and filter by specialty, age, setting and service (i.e., imaging, medication, treatment, lab, test). Recommendations are linked to relevant patient-friendly resources, and both can be shared via text or email with colleagues or patients.

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Keywords: ACC Publications, Cardiology Magazine, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S., Acute Coronary Syndrome, Mobile Applications, Leadership, Medicaid, Medicare, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Heart Failure, Pediatrics, Patient Care, Cardiac Catheterization, Myocardial Infarction, Electrocardiography, Arrhythmias, Cardiac


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