The ACC and Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) announced an innovative partnership to create the Martin B. Leon Center for Cardiovascular Transformation during the TCT 2020 Opening Session on Oct. 14. The joint venture will fund research and education to eliminate health disparities, and transform cardiovascular care.

Through the Leon Center’s four pillars, ACC and CRF will offer new advanced fellowships and clinical research grants focused on enhancing the pace of research in order to eradicate health disparities and transform cardiovascular care. The four pillars are:

• Addressing the impact of the pandemic on cardiovascular research and care.
• Programs to impact workforce diversity and team-based care.
• Workshops and forums to promote innovations in cardiovascular care.
• Patient advocacy and patient-centered education and research programs with a focus on underserved populations.

To improve cardiovascular care and outcomes, we need visionary thinking and bold action. Through our joint work to create the Martin B. Leon Center for Cardiovascular Transformation, the ACC and CRF promise to deliver on that vision," said ACC President Athena Poppas, MD, FACC. "The biggest challenges require collaborative solutions, and through the Leon Center we are fostering diversity, innovative research and leadership as a springboard to a healthier future."

The Leon Center is inspired by Martin B. Leon, MD, FACC, and his legacy of innovation in cardiovascular care. Leon is a distinguished pioneer in interventional cardiology and the founder and director of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT).

"Designed to foster the best ideas, encourage innovative research, and ultimately deliver transformative and global solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our profession and our patients – the Leon Center will be as transformational as the man for which it is named," said CRF President and CEO Juan F. Granada, MD. "CRF is excited to work with the ACC on this visionary endeavor that will build on the legacy already created by Dr. Martin Leon. The future of our profession and of our patients will be brighter because of this work together."

For more information on the Leon Center, visit LeonCenter.org.

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team

Keywords: TCT20, Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics, Fellowships and Scholarships, Patient Advocacy, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, Pandemics, Cardiovascular System, Medically Underserved Area, Hospital-Physician Joint Ventures, Financial Management, Patient-Centered Care

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