Dear Members and Colleagues,

As we celebrated the American College of Cardiology’s 75th Anniversary this past year, we were reminded that our journey is not just about the passage of time, but about the transformative impact we have had on cardiovascular care. From our humble beginnings in 1949 to today’s global community of over 60,000 cardiovascular professionals, the ACC has been defined by a steadfast commitment to transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all.

The story of the ACC is a testament to vision, resilience, collaboration and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Our members have been at the forefront of groundbreaking research, clinical advancements, transforming team-based care and advocacy efforts that have shaped modern cardiology.

Over the last year we were able to honor this legacy, while also charting an ambitious course for the future. Among the highlights, we launched our next Strategic Plan that involves continued focus on our Strategic Pillars, as well as several new major initiatives that will ensure we are able to continue to serve as the professional home for cardiovascular clinicians for another 75 years and beyond.

As part of this effort, we doubled down on our commitment to being both an early adopter of emerging technologies – from artificial intelligence to big data and digital health solutions – and a convener of stakeholders and partners like MedAxiom to identify innovative care transformation solutions that are not only cutting-edge but also practical and accessible. In addition, we continued to optimize our NCDR registries and ACC Accreditation Services, ensuring that hospitals, health systems and clinicians have the tools needed to harness the power of their data to drive meaningful change.

Innovation without equity is progress without purpose, and the ACC also remained steadfast in its commitment to dismantling barriers and solving for health equity. Our goal is to ensure that innovation serves as a bridge to care transformation and better health outcomes, rather than a barrier dictated by geography or socioeconomic status.

We also continued to invest in developing the next generation of cardiovascular professionals through programs such as the Sandra J. Lewis Mid-Career Women's Leadership Institute, the Wael Al Mahmeed Dedication to Young Leaders, the ACC Leadership Academy, the Emerging Faculty Program, and our Young Scholars and Internal Medicine programs. We are also fostering global mentorship and expanding initiatives like the Hani Najm Global Scholar Award and the William A. Zoghbi International Research Award to support research and education in low- and middle-income countries.

Cardiovascular disease knows no borders, and neither should our solutions. As such, accelerating our global impact was another important part of our work this last year. Collaborations with our Global Chapters (now numbering 43 with the addition of the Ireland Chapter), international societies and cross-disciplinary educational initiatives ensured we were sharing the latest science and innovations and localizing education around the world.

Additionally, the ACC continued with its critical role of advocating for policies that protect patient access, support workforce sustainability and reduce the global burden of cardiovascular disease. In 2024, we continued our advocacy work at the state, federal and global levels, ensuring that the voices of our members and patients were heard.

The need to address clinician well-being, the workforce crisis, and the health and growth of our Member Sections also remained key. We championed policies promoting workforce sustainability, along with safe and supportive work environments. We also reinforced the benefits of dyad leadership and multi-disciplinary care and stressed the need to leverage the strengths of the entire cardiovascular care team in order to shape a profession that is both resilient and inclusive.

Education and actionable knowledge remained central to our work. We pushed forward with our efforts to create a new, independent American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine, in collaboration with the broader house of cardiology. Our live meetings like the Annual Scientific Session, the MedAxiom CV Transforum and our Valentin Fuster Cardiovascular Symposium continued to set the bar for scientific meetings. Our Certified Cardiovascular Knowledge Examination for NPs/PAs and clinicians outside the U.S., as well as our SAP products and Collaborative Maintenance Pathway also provided cardiovascular clinicians with the means to showcase both their cardiovascular knowledge and their commitment to staying on top of the latest advances and treatments.

On the quality front, collaboration with the American Heart Association to optimize clinical guideline development remained a cornerstone of our efforts to provide actionable knowledge that improves care worldwide. We also expanded our own library of clinical guidance to address new and emerging areas of cardiovascular medicine.

Looking ahead, sustaining our mission for the next 75 years will require a strong, adaptable organization. As we embark on the path forward, we do so with a clear vision: to create a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. Our collective efforts will shape the future of cardiovascular medicine and ensure a legacy that lasts for generations to come.

We thank you—our members, partners and supporters — for your unwavering dedication to the ACC’s Mission. Together, we will continue to push boundaries, drive innovation and build a future where every heart is healthier and every life is longer.

With gratitude and determination,

Cathleen C. Gates
ACC CEO

Cathleen Biga, MSN, FACC
ACC President