June 3, 2016

What works best in your Chapter for member/patient benefit?

This week's BOG Update is brought to you by BOG Chair A. Allen Seals, MD, FACC.

BOG Priorities: Where Does Our Compass Point?

Taking on the role of Governor of one of ACC's Chapters can be a daunting task with a to-do list that at times seems a mile long. In an upcoming post, I will detail how the ACC on a national level is helping each of us get to a place where we can be more effective and productive. When it comes to us as a group – it is important that we are together guided by a set of common priorities. But what are those priorities? What areas are most critical? Where are we headed? Where does our compass point? When I look at the year ahead, I foresee the following priorities rising to the top for us to address:

  • MACRA: The ACC is communicating information about MACRA in every way that we can. I urge each of you to include MACRA talking points at their chapter meetings and in newsletters. You can find the most up to date information on MACRA here. We will have updated talking points and slides on MACRA for the Leadership Portal soon.
  • Governance: The BOG Chair-Elect has been added to the ACC's Board of Trustees, which will keep the lines of communication open. Additionally, the Membership Chair has been added to the BOT. The Governance Committee heard our concerns, and I remain confident in the process and progress we are making to ensure the College is nimble, strategic and successful.
  • Maintenance of Certification (MOC): Working with ABIM has proved fruitful, and they've suspended a number of requirements, though the 10 year exam remains an issue. ACC President Rick Chazal, MD, FACC drafted an excellent Leadership Page for JACC on the topic that was published last month – read it here. Please share these ACC accomplishments with your chapters. You can find the most up to date MOC information on the MOC Hub on ACC.org.
  • Collaboration with ACC Sections: We're on solid footing here – let's continue to work together. Sections can provide valuable education on specialty areas at our chapter meetings. We're having a session on Cardio-Oncology at the Florida Chapter meeting this year with Section Chair Ana Barac, MD, FACC. Additionally, chapter and section collaborations only make our collective voices stronger, which will be key as the Membership Committee develops.
  • Collaboration with ACC's International Chapters and the Assembly International Governors: Stay tuned for more details about the chapter exchange program – and look for my Leadership Page in the June 28 issue of JACC that talks about ACC's international growth, and touches on some successful exchange programs.
  • Collaboration with the Cardiovascular Team (CVT) Section: CVT members are our partners in our practices, and should be within our chapters as well. It is important to engage CVT State Liaisons on chapter councils and in breakouts at chapter meetings.
  • BOG Portal - Chapter Initiatives: We are in the process of launching a best practices section of the BOG's Leadership Portal to facilitate sharing across chapters – and keep all of your tips in one place. Have a best practice or success story that could apply to other chapters? Send it to Dr. Seals and Amy Adams (aadams@acc.org) for inclusion.
  • Pre-Authorization Task Force: This group is working on fleshing out the College's current activities and strategy in this area, to recommend to the ACC's Science and Quality Committee and Health Affairs Committee.
  • Accreditation: The addition of Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC) to the ACC in 2016 brings new thinking, new perspectives and new expertise to ongoing efforts to reduce the data burden on facilities by providing a streamlined, continuous approach to quality improvement. The College is committed to creating a unique value proposition that includes, but also goes beyond accreditation, to integrate with relevant NCDR registries, quality improvement initiatives and education. The ACC's goal is to expand these quality offerings across the cardiovascular service line spectrum, the first of these offerings being the new Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation program.
  • Advocacy: The BOG has a long history of support of all the ACC Advocacy efforts -- support of both the ACC Advocacy strategic goals that are now under the direction of the Health Affairs Committee, formerly known as the Advocacy Steering Committee, as well as critical support of the important role of the ACC Political Action Committee (ACCPAC) as a means to support regulatory and legislative priorities of the College.
  • SQC - Science and Quality Committee Collaboration: The implementation of MACRA requires a robust commitment to science and quality as applied to clinical practice. The Science and Quality Committee (SQC) is where the lofty goals of MACRA and the reality of clinical practice intersect. The BOG must devote resources to assist the SQC implement many of their action plans that are clearly of mutual interest.

As we work through each of these areas throughout the year, I encourage each of you to share a success story from your state. What has worked for your chapter and has provided exceptional member value and member benefit? I know that our chapters are strong and active, and this is an excellent opportunity to share best practices and provide insight to your colleagues around the country about how an ACC chapter can overcome challenges and obstacles to see real, tangible results. Please share your story with the rest of the BOG. Start by sending your short draft along to Miriam Surdin (msurdin@acc.org) for future use in a BOG Update.

Thank you all for your continued commitment to the BOG, the ACC and our profession.