The Pulse of ACC | Global CV Society Statement on Environmental Threats to CV Health; Leveraging Registry Data For Cardiac Certification; More
In Memoriam: Raymond D. Bahr, MD, FACC
Raymond D. Bahr, MD, FACC, renowned cardiologist, leader and advocate, passed away on Jan. 14 at the age of 90.
Many of those who knew Bahr heard his story about Jack, the local tailor, who had come by the pharmacy where Bahr was working when he was 22, complaining about mild chest discomfort and who ultimately died of a heart attack later that day. That moment, according to Bahr, is what inspired him to become a cardiologist and jumpstarted his lifelong commitment to improving heart attack care in the hospital and in the community.
Bahr received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed his residency at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and St. Agnes Hospital, both in Baltimore. Among his many accomplishments, Bahr was instrumental in creating the first-ever Chest Pain Center in the Emergency Room at St. Agnes in 1981. He was also behind the creation of the Society of Chest Pain Centers in 1998, which later became the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC), and ultimately transitioned to ACC Accreditation Services in January 2016. Still troubled by the number of heart attack patients who didn't even make it to the hospital, Bahr also created the Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC) educational program.
When he wasn't saving lives and educating people, Bahr was busy spending time with his wife and family and was a tireless advocate for social justice and the environment, a passionate fan of the Orioles and Ravens, and an avid historian of Canton, MD.
"Dr. Bahr leaves behind a 50-year legacy dedicated to stopping heart attacks before they occur. Starting with the Paul Dudley White Coronary Care Unit at St. Agnes Hospital to what we know today as ACC Accreditation Services, he impacted the lives of countless fellows and mentees, while also reaching millions through EHAC," says ACC CEO Cathleen Gates. "It was a true privilege to know him, and we are honored to continue carrying on his work."
Read more about Bahr and his many contributions.
Global CV Society Statement Urges Action on Environmental Threats to CV Health
A joint statement released by the ACC, European Society of Cardiology (ESC), American Heart Association (AHA) and World Heart Federation (WHF) calls for urgent action to address environmental stressors as major, yet preventable, causes of cardiovascular disease.
The statement focuses on key environmental stressors, including noise/light pollution, climate change, chemical pollution, soil pollution, and air and water pollution, and outlines the following six overarching priority areas where a unified approach to prevention and policy can drive change.
- Global advocacy and policy alignment that prioritizes environmental effects on cardiovascular health.
- Investment in research on the impacts of environmental risk factors to inform targeted action.
- Education and increased awareness among health care professionals and the public on environmental risk factors.
- Urban planning and policies promoting clean transport, green space and noise control.
- Sustainable health care to reduce emissions and pollution within medical systems.
- Climate-resilient health systems to protect vulnerable populations.
"Research has shown the negative health impacts of pollution, noise, rising temperatures and other environmental stressors," says ACC President Christopher M. Kramer, MD, FACC. "The time for action on addressing the impact of the environment on cardiovascular health is now and essential to reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease around the world."
Headed to ACC.26? Explore the program planner or meeting app for sessions addressing social drivers of health like the environment and their impacts on cardiovascular health.
New Partnership to Leverage Registry Data For Cardiac Certification
The Joint Commission has partnered with the ACC and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) to leverage clinical performance data for a new cardiac care certification driven by measures of patient outcomes. The upcoming cardiac certification will be informed by the ACC's CathPCI Registry, STS/ACC TVT Registry and STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database.
"At a time of both rapid advancement in medicine and increasing complexity in health care, we must ensure that patients not only have access to quality care, but also that they can have confidence in the care they are getting," says Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, president and CEO of the Joint Commission. "By harnessing registries from trusted specialty societies like STS and ACC, we can do both."
ACC Chief Medical Officer Richard Kovacs, MD, MACC, describes the CathPCI Registry as "a cornerstone for advancing the quality of cardiovascular care and generating high-quality evidence that informs clinical decision-making in the cath lab."
"Integrating CathPCI Registry data into Joint Commission's new cardiac certification allows cardiovascular teams and health systems to more clearly quantify the real-world impact of their patient care and clinical expertise," Kovacs says.
Women's Health in the Spotlight
JACC's newest spotlight issue turns its focus to women's cardiovascular health – an area long shaped by gaps in representation and research. The issue features content from across the JACC journals and illustrates how science, training and care improve when systems are intentionally designed with women in mind.
Featured content includes:
- Menopausal Status Associated With Docetaxel-Induced Vascular Dysfunction in Breast Cancer Patients
- Microaxial Flow Pump Use in Women With STEMI-CS. What's Age Got to Do With It?
- Sex Differences in Efficacy of Multidomain Rehabilitation Among Older Adults With Acute HF: The REHAB-HF Trial
- Race- and Sex-Associated Electrocardiographic Repolarization Characteristics in Young American Athletes in the Digital Age
- Rethinking Cholesterol Management in Women: From Short-Term Risk Estimation to Lifecourse Cardiovascular Health
"The next phase of progress asks something more demanding than inclusion alone. It asks whether the systems through which evidence is generated, clinicians are trained, and careers are built can be designed to serve women as fully and routinely as men," writes Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM, FACC, in a related editorial.
Keywords: Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications, CM-Mar-2026, Environmental Health, Global Health, In Memoriam, Risk Factors, Leadership, National Cardiovascular Data Registries, Registries, Women's Health, Certification, CathPCI Registry
