Richard Kovacs Named ACC Chief Medical Adviser/Chief Medical Officer

Richard "Dick" Kovacs, MD, MACC, will assume the role of ACC Chief Medical Adviser/Chief Medical Officer beginning next month. As CMA/CMO he will work with physician leadership and staff to provide clinical advice in fulfilling the College's mission of transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health.

"Dick has been an exemplary leader in the College throughout his tenure as an ACC member, leading not only at the highest roles, but also in various committees and task forces ranging from finance to science and quality," says ACC CEO Cathleen C. Gates. "His history of leadership in medicine and his breadth of experience throughout the different areas of the College make him a perfect fit to serve as CMA/CMO and bring his clinical expertise and knowledge to the ACC staff."

In his role as CMA/CMO, Kovacs will counsel ACC staff on emerging clinical issues and help assess complex medical and scientific data. As a member of the senior executive staff, he will also work closely with partner cardiovascular societies, medical specialty organizations and external collaborators, including regulatory and governmental agencies, payers, and credentialing and licensing organizations.

"I've devoted a large portion of my professional career to volunteer member service to the ACC to help advance the mission and propel the field of cardiology forward," says Kovacs. "I'm honored to expand my involvement as ACC chief medical adviser and chief medical officer and more closely work with the College staff and physician leaders to transform cardiovascular care on a global scale."

Click here to read more about Kovacs and the CMA/CMO role.

Katie Berlacher Named Next Annual Scientific Session Vice Chair

Katie Berlacher, MD, MS, FACC, will be the next vice chair of the ACC's Annual Scientific Session, starting with ACC.23 and ACC.24. She will transition to chair for ACC.25 and ACC.26.

"The College has an awesome opportunity to lead global cardiovascular education, impacting care delivery, population health, scientific discovery – and so much more," Berlacher says. "I am both thrilled and humbled by the appointment as vice chair and am looking forward to working with the team as we build annual sessions that are grounded in science, inspired by innovation and focused on equity."

The Annual Scientific Session vice chair and chair are responsible for leading the development of ACC's flagship annual meeting. ACC.22 will be held April 2-4, 2022, in Washington, DC, and led by current Annual Scientific Session Chair Pamela Morris, MD, FACC, and Vice Chair Douglas Drachman, MD, FACC.

Click here to read more about Berlacher and her role.

Megan Coylewright Named Editor of CardioSmart

Megan Coylewright, MD, MPH, FACC, has been named editor of ACC's CardioSmart patient engagement initiative. As editor, Coylewright will serve a three-year term and be responsible for advising and ensuring clinical accuracy of the editorial content development on CardioSmart.org, as well as assist in developing innovative strategies to help the ACC best engage, educate and activate the diversity of cardiovascular patients in their care.

"The role of editor of CardioSmart is an ideal blend of my daily clinical work performing transcatheter valve repair and replacement, research in shared decision-making, and our community and nationally-based efforts to ensure we are using best practices in promoting diversity, inclusion and belonging in all that we do," Coylewright says. "I am thrilled to work with the talented staff of CardioSmart. Together, we will partner with patients and the cardiovascular care team to further embed the patient voice in our daily practices, scholarship, guidelines and clinical trials."

Click here to read more about Coylewright and her role.