Each year, the accomplishments of all 50 ACC state chapters, as well as chapters in Puerto Rico and Washington, DC, are compiled into an official “State of the States” report. These accomplishments run the gamut of special programs designed to encourage greater engagement of Fellows in Training (FIT) and Cardiovascular (CV) Team members to quality improvement efforts aimed at transforming care and improving patient outcomes. The following are a sample of the many accomplishments from 2017.

Engagement with the College’s various Member Sections was a priority for many state chapters in 2017. The Alabama Chapter has incorporated a standing rotating section speaker into its annual meeting, beginning with the Women in Cardiology (WIC) Section in 2017. Meanwhile, the Arizona Chapter established its own new specialty sections focused on vascular medicine, membership engagement, and innovation and new technologies. The Ohio Chapter put tremendous energy into FIT engagement, including support for a robust FIT council, development of a new and comprehensive social media strategy, and a strong presence of Ohio FITs at ACC.17 in Washington, DC.

The Rhode Island, Iowa and Indiana chapters were also focused on member engagement and recruitment, particularly around the CV Team and WIC. The Missouri Chapter provided six research grants, totaling $50,000, to four early career cardiologists and two advanced practice providers, while also awarding $14,000 in travel scholarships for FITs to attend key ACC live courses throughout the year.

On the quality improvement front, both the Arkansas and North Dakota chapters continue to focus on efforts around statewide STEMI systems of care. The Puerto Rico chapter bestowed a “Best in Care” award on a member who developed education tools and programs designed to improve the early recognition of STEMI. The program has had a significant impact on the community. The website and app are updated frequently and monthly messages are sent to test one’s ability to recognize STEMI electrocardiograms. The Michigan Chapter’s NCDR ICD Initiative is successfully using ACC’s new Chapter eReports Dashboard for a collaborative quality improvement project involving electrophysiologists, as well as FITs and other members of the cardiovascular care team.

Population health management is another area where state chapters can shine given their on-the-ground roles. In 2017, the North Carolina Chapter used $25,000 to continue a program with the NC Free Clinic Association aimed at “Improving Cardiovascular Care in NC Free and Charitable Clinics.” The Oregon Chapter also continued to refine and expand its Cuff Oregon program designed to provide free blood pressure cuffs for impoverished Oregonians in rural communities. Additionally, several chapters and their partners worked closely to implement CPR and AED training, as well as athlete screenings, with the ultimate goal of preventing cardiac death and saving lives. As part of ACC’s recent Leadership Forum in Washington, DC, the New York Chapter was awarded a grant to continue its AED expansion project throughout the state.

“Over the last several years, the ACC and its chapters have made significant progress in addressing the core strategies identified in the current Strategic Plan, including increasing member value and engagement, facilitating transformation of care, managing population health and providing purposeful education,” said BOG Chair Hadley Wilson, MD, FACC. “As the College moves into the final year of the current Strategic Plan, the Board of Governors remains closely involved with the development of the 2019 – 2023 plan and the plan will be critically important in connecting the goals of chapters with both each other and ACC’s mission overall.”

Look for a more comprehensive summary of “State of the State” efforts this month in a special JACC Leadership Page authored by Wilson. For more information on ACC State Chapters and how to get involved, go to ACC.org/Chapters.

Clinical Topics: Arrhythmias and Clinical EP, Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Care Team, Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Disease, Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies, Invasive Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention, Prevention, Sports and Exercise Cardiology, Valvular Heart Disease, Implantable Devices, SCD/Ventricular Arrhythmias, Atrial Fibrillation/Supraventricular Arrhythmias, Aortic Surgery, Cardiac Surgery and Arrhythmias, Cardiac Surgery and Heart Failure, Cardiac Surgery and VHD, Acute Heart Failure, Interventions and Structural Heart Disease, Exercise

Keywords: ACC Publications, Cardiology Magazine, ACC18, ACC Annual Scientific Session, Myocardial Infarction, Drug Approval, Fellowships and Scholarships, Ursidae, Goals, Social Media, Quality Improvement, Leadership, Motivation, Athletes, Inpatients, Rural Population, Blood Pressure, Medicaid, Outpatients, Pilot Projects, Arrhythmias, Cardiac, Medicare, Patient Care, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Electronic Health Records, Electrocardiography, Coronary Artery Bypass, Awards and Prizes, Consumer Product Safety, Heart Failure, Running, Defibrillators, Heart Valves, Heart Valve Diseases, Pacemaker, Artificial, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Cohort Studies

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