It is customary at the ACC that the first trip of the newly installed ACC President is to visit Heart House in Washington, DC to meet with College staff. So on Monday April 9, I met with the entire staff of the ACC, of more than 300, to discuss my upcoming presidential year. I shared with them the details of my pathway to becoming president of the ACC along with some photos of earlier years in Lebanon, my hometown, my team at the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in Houston, TX and of my loving family.

I was encouraged by the energy in the room and the open interaction and discussions. I am confident that this next year will be a great one under the current guidance of Tom Arend, the ACC’s General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer, who will serve as the interim Chief Staff Officer, alongside the team of Senior Vice Presidents and dedicated staff while we search for a new Chief Executive Officer of the ACC. This process has already started. Changes can be bittersweet but in the words of Winston Churchill: “there is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.”  The ACC continues to be a vibrant organization with strong member and staff leadership. I look forward to many exciting achievements this year working with all of you.

Over the past two weeks ACC leaders have been globetrotting in the U.S. and all over the world to attend the Florida Chapter meeting, the German Society of Cardiology’s Annual Meeting, the Malaysia Heart Association’s Annual Meeting, the World Heart Federation’s World Congress of Cardiology Scientific Sessions, and the ARCA Italian Clinical Cardiology Society Meeting. I’m glad we have these opportunities to share with other international leaders how the ACC is working to combat cardiovascular disease and to promote patient-centered care this coming year.

Finally, I look forward to communicating with you, our members, through the Blog and exchanging important developments or thoughts. I invite you to leave any questions you may have in the comment section below.

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