Contact: Katie Glenn, kglenn@acc.org, 202-375-6472

WASHINGTON (Nov 13, 2019) -

American College of Cardiology President Richard J. Kovacs, MD, FACC, made the following statement on legislation introduced today by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to expand access to cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services:

"Last week over 500 members of the American College of Cardiology—spanning the entire cardiovascular care team—met with their legislators on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of expanding access to cardiac rehabilitation services. These important services help reduce heart disease-related mortality and readmissions following a cardiac event, like a heart attack, heart surgery or a hospital admission for heart failure. Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death and the leading driver of health care costs in the United States. The ACC is committed to not only owning this problem, but advancing solutions and allowing advanced practice providers to supervise and refer patients to cardiac rehab is one of those solutions. We are proud to support the Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2019, as we work to reduce the burden of heart disease in America."

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.

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