Latest In CV Prevention and Care the Focus of ACC Asia 2022

Experts from around the Asia Pacific region and world came together in person and virtually from April 15-16 to discuss, share and critique the latest in cardiovascular prevention and care as part of the ACC Asia 2022 conference, held in partnership with the Korean Society of Cardiology's (KSC) Spring Conference in Gyeongju, South Korea.

Led by conference co-chairs Fred M. Kusumoto, MD, FACC, and Hyun-Jae Kang, MD, the conference featured a cutting-edge agenda designed to critically examine emerging trends, evidence-based strategies and contemporary best practices. Not-to-miss sessions included a closer look at the latest in cardiovascular innovations, what's next in interventional therapy and inside looks at cardiovascular disease in Asia hosted by JACC: Asia leaders. The conference also featured abstract presentations on a variety of research being done by cardiovascular clinicians throughout the region.

Examples included a deep dive into maternal and neonatal outcomes among pregnant women with heart disease in the Philippines; as well as a study of railway workers in southwest China finding long-term shift work is not associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Another abstract using data from the National Health Interview Survey demonstrated adults with a history of allergic disorders have an increased risk of high blood pressure and coronary heart disease, with the highest risk seen in Black male adults.

ACC Welcomes 2022 Young Scholars Cohort

The 2022 Young Scholars Program cohort has officially kicked off, with more than 200 high school and college students from across the country participating in the year-long mentorship program that will conclude next March at ACC.23 together with the World Congress of Cardiology in New Orleans.

The ACC Young Scholars Program was established in 2019 to introduce students interested in science and research to the field of cardiology and strengthen the pipeline of talent for the future.

The 2022 cohort was selected from across all regions of the U.S., allowing students to learn and network with individuals from different backgrounds. Throughout the program year, scholars are paired with a Fellow of the College to shadow and learn professional skills in the clinical cardiology industry. Students have the opportunity to be a part of their mentor's research projects and attend cardiology-related research meetings.

"The Young Scholars program allows young leaders from respected high schools and colleges to be immersed in the fast-changing field of cardiovascular practice and research. I am honored to congratulate this cohort and excited to see how they will become the future cardiovascular professional of tomorrow," said Edward T. A. Fry, MD, FACC, ACC President.

Click here to view the complete list of 2022 participants.

Call For Applications: JACC: Case Reports Structural Heart Disease/ ACHD Associate Editor

JACC: Case Reports is inviting applications for an associate editor specializing in structural heart disease, with a focus in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD).

The ideal candidate will have expertise in these clinical areas, be a recognized researcher with a strong track record of original scientific contributions in these areas, have experience in editorial and peer review, and have demonstrated ability in working productively in multidisciplinary team collaborations.

Applications are due to jacccreditor@acc.org by Monday, June 13. Click here to learn more and apply.

New Collaboration Focuses on Lipid Management, CV Risk Reduction

A new collaboration between the ACC and Medscape Education will provide online Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities related to lipid management and cardiovascular (CV) risk reduction. This collaboration will combine ACC and Medscape's strengths in learning design, clinical expertise, and the ability to reach thousands of clinicians nationwide via Medscape.org.

"Reducing CV risk and managing lipids are key pillars to transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health," said Joyce Donnellan, ACC Division Vice President of Education. "Together with Medscape, we're providing CV care team members with two new educational resources that will give them the most up-to-date tools to provide quality care to their patients."

The education programs will launch later this year on Medscape.org and will also be distributed on ACC's Dyslipidemia and Prevention clinical topic collection page, via e-newsletter and social media.

"We're pleased to work with ACC to create and deliver these education activities that are focused on important topics to our membership. By working together, we can extend our mission and bring together our strengths and expertise to reach more clinicians with the critical information they need to improve care for their patients," said Hansa Barghava, MD, MPh, Medscape Education Chief Medical Officer.

Helping to Solve For Interoperability

The ACC, along with 40 other organizations and industry stakeholders, helped to inform a new report from the Health Innovation Alliance (HIA) that offers a series of solutions to improve interoperability and use of health care data.

Overall, the report includes six primary recommendations for improving how health care data is shared and meeting the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology's goal of improving interoperability in health care by 2030. These solutions, which have the potential to "shepherd in an era of new medical innovation and precision medicine," call for:

1. Data that works for patients and providers at the point of care
2. Leveraging state-of-the-art medical devices to improve patient care
3. Establishing clear protections from HIPAA penalties for patient information requests
4. Informing medical research and innovation with better information
5. Addressing social determinants of health
6. Improving public health data collection and reporting

"The promise of interoperability in health care is still very real, even though it has yet to be fully realized. By improving adoption and functionality in existing systems like [electronic health records] and expanding interoperability efforts to other areas of health care, like public health and medical devices, we will begin to approach a truly liquid environment of usable health information," the report states. It goes on to note that stakeholders "at every end of the U.S. health care system stand to benefit from full implementation of the recommendations.

Click here for more information.

Apply Now: Help Lead ACC Into the Future

Recommendations to the ACC Nominating Committee are now being accepted for ACC Vice President, Finance Committee Chair-Elect, and three open Board of Trustee (BOT) positions.

The Vice President serves a one-year term and is thereafter eligible to assume the position of ACC President. To be eligible for the Vice President position, an individual must have first served at least one term on the BOT.

The Finance Committee Chair-Elect serves a one-year term and is thereafter eligible to assume the position of ACC Treasurer/Finance Committee Chair. The ACC Treasurer serves one, nonrenewable, three-year term. To be eligible for the Finance Committee Chair-Elect, an individual must have previously served at least one term on the Finance Committee.

If the Board identifies competencies that are needed to further the Mission and Vision of the College and such competencies may be best fulfilled by non-ACC member(s), then non-ACC member(s) may apply to serve in one of the open Trustee positions ("Public Member Trustee"). If appointed, the Public Member Trustee will serve a two-year term and may be reappointed for one additional one-year term, provided there is a continuing need for the Public Member Trustee's competencies.

Nominations and supporting materials should be sent to Taylor Davis at tdavis@acc.org by June 22 at 3 p.m. ET. Visit ACC.org/BOTNominations for more details about the nomination process, position descriptions, ACC leadership competencies and a list of the 2022-2023 Nominating Committee members. The Nominating Committee will meet this summer to consider all recommendations and will present a slate of nominations to the BOT for approval.