Following an entertaining evening with political power couple Mary Matalin and James Carville courtesy of the ACC Political Action Committee (PAC), the College kicked off its 2014 Legislative Conference early Monday morning with a record number of cardiovascular professionals (nearly 400, including approximately 100 Fellows in Training and 80 CV Team members) in attendance.

This year’s conference is centered on the many ways the ACC is leading the way in transforming care. As such, it was fitting that ACC  President Patrick O’Gara, MD, FACC, along with ACC Vice President Richard Chazal, MD, FACC, and Michael Lauer, MD, FACC, director of cardiovascular science at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, came together for the first session of the day to talk about cardiovascular innovation and research. The ACC’s influence in both of these areas is significant because of its leadership in registries, quality and research support. The STS/ACC TVT Registry is just one example of this leadership. It involves unique partnerships with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to drive a potentially transformational treatment option forward in an evidence-based, appropriate manner. Lauer also highlighted a number of additional opportunities for partnerships around innovation and care transformation – particularly in the areas of data registries and outcomes-based research.  He used the recent TASTE Trial as an example of ways registries can be used for clinical trials.

How does innovation translate on the Hill? ACC’s Advocacy Team participated in a great panel discussion focused on educating participants about likely health care priorities on the Hill this year. In the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, members are addressing reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, data transparency and reform of the chronic care system, while in the House and Ways and Means Committee a possible comprehensive hospital package is in the works. The House Energy and Commerce Committee continues with its series of “21^st Century Cures” hearings and stakeholder meetings intended to promote the discovery, development and delivery of new cures and therapies, with the goal of developing a legislative package next year. (O’Gara represented the ACC at one of these hearings earlier this year.) There are also ongoing discussions with medical societies, including the ACC, to bring a bill promoting development of data registries to the House floor. Regulatory issues were also highlighted, including upcoming 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System rules, the Meaningful Use Stage 3 proposed rule and a possible FDA “deeming” rule that would expand agency authority over e-cigs, cigars and other tobacco products. These topics were reflected in a subsequent session with congressional staff working directly with each of the committees.

Following the “View from the Hill” sessions, experts from across the cardiovascular spectrum shared their thoughts on everything from team-based care as the answer to the tsunami of chronic cardiac disease, to leadership development to the importance of advocacy. Mark Victor, MD, FACC, stressed that advocacy starts locally and that physicians and CV Team members should be advocating for their patients, practices and profession 365 days a year. Conference participants also participated in a series of breakout sessions focused on state advocacy in action, Medicare implementation of appropriate use criteria, and how to effectively meet with members of Congress. Attendees closed out the day with two separate presentations featuring FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, and Mark Miller, PhD, executive director of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Hamburg provided an informative look at the FDA’s role in promoting health care quality and innovation. She and NCDR Sr. Medical Advisor Ralph Brindis, MD, MPH, MACC, facilitated an enlightening discussion about the role the FDA plays in the care of cardiovascular patients, particularly in the areas of nutrition, tobacco and patient safety. Meanwhile, Miller provided MedPAC’s perspective on opportunities to improve quality of care and fielded questions from participants about physician payment for quality.

Check out the FITs on the GO video interview with James Carville and Mary Matalin: [youtuber youtube='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYaSP-WwRC0&feature=youtu.be']

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