While ACC’s mission to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health began domestically, the roots of the College and its mission now sprawl across the globe.

Huon Gray, MD, FACC, a past member of the ACC Board of Trustees and a past-chair of ACC’s Assembly of International Governors, will address ACC’s international growth and goals today in the 16th Annual Maseri-Florio International Lecture. Over the past decade, Gray has been a key figure in the development and progress of ACC’s international strategy. In the lecture, Gray will illustrate the idea that, though each international community is different, the challenges posed by cardiovascular disease are similar across all countries, and these challenges are most efficiently resolved by combined efforts from cardiovascular clinicians in the U.S. and abroad.

ACC members and leadership have been longtime champions of such international collaboration. Now boasting more than 16,000 members in 137 countries, international membership has consistently been one of the College’s fastest growing member sections. Gray will cover the inception of ACC’s International Chapter program and the tactics that propelled the program’s growth to the current number of 40 chapters.

"[T]here are great opportunities for cardiologists in the U.S. and overseas to collaborate on the science and practice of medicine with the common goal of fulfilling ACC’s international mission, to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease worldwide." — Huon Gray, MD, FACC

On the education front, Gray will touch on the College’s continued work with other international societies to deliver an increasingly wide range of valuable educational events and products to international members. For example, the ACC partnered with local societies for the upcoming 2017 International Regional Conferences taking place in Mexico City, Dubai and Shanghai. Additionally, ACC leadership and speakers will attend over 80 meetings outside the U.S. in 2017, further establishing the College’s international presence.

In the lecture, Gray will explore ways to tackle the primary obstacles facing the global community, such as the increasing contribution of non-communicable diseases to deaths worldwide. Gray will also discuss how changes and innovation in the College’s international approach have resulted in the re-evaluation and restructuring of governance in the ACC, and how ACC leadership, members and staff have adapted to rise to the challenge.

“ACC remains, first and foremost, a membership organization for U.S. cardiovascular professionals, but there are great opportunities for cardiologists in the U.S. and overseas to collaborate on the science and practice of medicine with the common goal of fulfilling ACC’s international mission, to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease worldwide,” said Gray. “Discussions of ACC’s international initiatives serve to encourage continued collaboration and relationship building between cardiovascular clinicians worldwide. The international community greatly values the College’s emphasis on providing opportunities to all members.”

The 16th Annual Maseri-Florio International Lecture will take place today from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. in Room 140 B.

Keywords: ACC Publications, ACC Scientific Session Newspaper, ACC Annual Scientific Session, Cardiovascular Diseases, Leadership, Trustees