Contact: Beth Casteel, bcasteel@acc.org, 202-375-6275

WASHINGTON (March 29, 2014) — From the discovery of penicillin to the development of open heart surgery, the drastic advancements in cardiovascular treatment and care are among the greatest medical innovations of this era. Such inventions, many of which could not have happened without the formation of the American College of Cardiology, are discussed in a book, “The Past is Prologue,” written by ACC President John G. Harold, M.D., and James S. Forrester, M.D., which will be unveiled at the ACC’s 63rd Annual Scientific Session.

The book commemorates the 65th anniversary of the ACC and the birth of modern cardiovascular medicine. A small number of hard copies will be distributed at ACC.14. Later this year, the book will be available via an app. Write media@acc.org with “65th Anniversary Book App” in the subject line if you would like to be notified when the app is available.

Harold is a clinical professor of medicine at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He received the American Heart Association Passion of the Heart Award and has been honored with the Master designation from both the ACC and the American College of Physicians. Harold completed his cardiology training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and his internal medicine training at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He also completed a fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he began his practice in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease.  

Forrester is the former chief of the division of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the emeritus Burns and Allen Professor of Cardiovascular Research, and professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Over the course of his career, Forrester developed a classification of hemodynamic subsets of acute myocardial infarction, pioneered the development of a probability analysis in diagnostic testing and led a team that developed coronary angioscopy.

The ACC’s Annual Scientific Session brings together cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists from around the world each year to share the newest discoveries in treatment and prevention. Follow @ACCMediaCenter and #ACC14 for the latest news from the meeting.

The American College of Cardiology is a nonprofit medical society comprised of 47,000 physicians, surgeons, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists and practice managers. The College is dedicated to transforming cardiovascular care, improving heart health and advancing quality improvement, patient-centered care, payment innovation and professionalism. The ACC also leads the formulation of important cardiovascular health policy, standards and guidelines. It bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists, provides professional education, supports and disseminates cardiovascular research, and operates national registries to measure and promote quality care. For more information, visit CardioSource.org.

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