ACC.17 was a success, attended by a record number of ACPC members, with active participation of patients and families and opportunities for networking and sharing of research and clinical practice protocols. Joint sessions focused on longitudinal care of specific lesions across the lifespan, emphasizing advances in valve therapy, especially transcatheter percutaneous, surgical, and hybrid procedures.

Post surgical care of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) emphasized nutrition and neurodevelopmental risk, as well as debated the intricacies of sedation management. Discussions regarding exercise in CHD further addressed the holistic approach to management across the lifespan, with discourses on weightlifting, team sports participation, and military service.

Value, advocacy, and the future of adult congenital and pediatric cardiology brought together caregivers across the spectrum of ACPC subspecialties with the common goal of shaping the future of our practice and our patients' care experience. Audience involvement, both virtually online and live in person, allowed for stimulating and honest questions and discussions with administrators and thought leaders about the direction of health care and how we can (and need to) be involved in developing the new foundations of health care delivery.

There was much fun to be had as good sports from across the nation competed in the "Newlywed Game" at the Engage Theatre, sharing protocols and approaches to challenging patient management issues spanning from the neonate to the adult with CHD. Congratulations, Drs. Julie Vincent and Emile Bacha of Team New York!

The personalized skills center was utilized heavily throughout the conference by trainees and practitioners alike. The international session emphasized the challenges of care delivery abroad while reminding us of the similarities of health care needs and opportunities for sharing protocols as well as improving access to care. This dovetailed well with sessions on innovation in cardiology, focused on subspecialist assessment at a distance, mobile imaging, and potential to improve access to care both in the US and abroad.

Adult CHD had a banner year for poster presentations, sharing progress in the field while highlighting areas that may be modified by multicenter and registry based data. The IMPACT registry, which continues to be a source of meaningful data, was discussed in detail. Quality improvement programs are growing rapidly under our sections auspices at the ACC. Carrying on the thread of holistic care across the lifespan, poignant discussions about palliative care emphasized patient empowerment and recognizing the importance of language (i.e., patients no longer need to be "fighters" or "survivors," they just need to be).

The conference concluded with the McNamara Lecture that has evolved over past years. Dr. Gail D. Pearson, MD, ScD, FACC, discussed the past, present, and future of research in adult congenital and pediatric cardiology, highlighting a lifetime career that has mirrored the development of our field.

As we look forward to ACC.18, we hope to increase member involvement in submissions and presentations, with an emphasis on care across the lifespan, novel technologies, and advances in multidisciplinary care, while focusing on the many models of care which each best serve our diverse patients and communities. See you in Orlando!

Keywords: ACC17, ACC Annual Scientific Session, Heart Diseases, Palliative Care, Patient Care, Patient Participation, Quality Improvement, Registries, Pediatrics, Heart Defects, Congenital

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