A new endowment from the Michael Wolk Heart Foundation will help ensure the ACC has a consistent pipeline of trained clinician educators into the future. The endowment, announced last night during the annual Emerging Faculty Graduate Reception, will support and build upon ACC’s existing Emerging Faculty program.

“Michael J. Wolk, MD, MACC, through the Michael Wolk Foundation has consistently supported the ACC Emerging Faculty program noting that good teachers make good clinicians,” said former ACC President John Gordon Harold, MD, MACC. “Under the leadership of Rick Nishimura, MD, MACC, and Patrick T. O’Gara, MD, MACC, the Emerging Faculty program promotes the development of leadership and educator skills for early career clinicians.”

Wolk, also an ACC past president, has generously supported the Emerging Faculty program since its inception more than 12 years ago. He, along with Nishimura and O’Gara, was a prime contributor to the original vision of the program, which focuses on training clinicians to be effective faculty and leaders. To date, program “graduates” have gone on to serve as mentors and ACC leaders. Among the notable graduates: ACC.18 Chair Jeffrey T. Kuvin, MD, FACC, and Vice Chair Andrew M. Kates, MD, FACC. In 2017, the ACC received nearly 100 applications for the highly-coveted 22-person program.

Along with the endowment, the ACC announced that the Emerging Faculty program will officially be referred to as the Rick Nishimura, MD, MACC, and Patrick T. O’Gara, MD, MACC, Emerging Faculty Leadership Academy going forward.  “Supporting the Emerging Faculty Scholars program and honoring Nishimura and O’Gara was an easy decision,” said Wolk. “There is nothing more important than supporting the next generation of College leaders and educators!”