ACC leadership joined subject matter experts to share key findings from the presidential task force on cardiovascular workforce challenges, discussing ways the ACC can better support clinicians and the field of cardiology in the coming years.

Thomas M. Maddox, MD, MSc, FACC, moderated the conversation with ACC President Edward T. A. Fry, MD, FACC; ACC Chief Innovation Officer Ami B. Bhatt, MD, FACC; William A. Van Decker, MD, FACC; MedAxiom President Jerry G. Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC; and Julie B. Damp, MD, FACC.

"We need to do a better job of assessing the landscape and what the profession needs," said Fry in his opening remarks.

The task force found that key factors affecting the cardiovascular workforce could be grouped into four pressures impacting supply – long training and certification pathways, hyper-specialization, unfavorable work-life balance and an insufficient supply of physicians, APPs, nurses and allied health professionals – and four pressures augmenting demand – increasingly older and sicker population, increasing complexity of cardiovascular care, increasing health care costs (with decreasing revenues) and reduced reimbursement.

After establishing the main challenges facing the cardiovascular workforce, the task force presented actions the College can take to be part of the solution. Proposed steps forward included pursuing changes in training and certification pathways, incentivizing careers in general cardiology, providing well-being resources, promoting team-based care, creating new models and tools that optimize workflow, driving payment reform and incentives alignment, and partnering to better manage cardiovascular disease.

The ensuing discussion covered a range of topics such as what organizational changes are needed to reengineer delivery of care, the promotion of team-based care, and exploring ways to "shorten training" and eliminate obsolete training to make the field of cardiology more appealing and manageable to new recruits.

The panel also touched on how the digital transformation of health care will impact the workforce, presenting opportunities to unburden clinical teams, but requiring additional innovation and digital education.

"The workforce issues we are facing throughout the past year are complex and multifactorial," said Maddox. "This is a roadmap that happily coincides with the College being in the process of making its next strategic plan starting in 2024."

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team

Keywords: ACC Annual Scientific Session, ACC23, Cardiovascular Diseases, Motivation, Leadership, Workflow, Cardiology, Workforce, Organizational Innovation, Physicians, Nurses, Certification

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