The ACC is committed to improving diversity and inclusion within the cardiovascular workforce and the College’s membership, and recognizes the success of its Mission is dependent  on including people, as members and as leaders, who provide a diversity of background, experience, ideas and perspectives. The College’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is embodied in many different activities, including ACC’s recently updated Core Values.

To augment the College’s charge to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health,  ACC’s Board of Trustees (BOT) approved the proposed vision and goals of the College's diversity and inclusion strategy, including the definition of underrepresented cardiovascular professions, at its January meeting. These include:

Proposed Diversity and Inclusion Vision:

ACC will harness the power of the diversity of its members to advance patient care, spur innovation, and improve health equity among individual patients and populations. In doing so, ACC will ensure opportunity for all cardiovascular providers by working towards a fully inclusive organization and profession.

Proposed Definition of the Under-Represented Cardiovascular professional (URC):
A significantly lower proportion of members and/or leaders, relative to the U.S. population and/or relative to the available source population (including parent specialty/residency program).

Proposed Diversity and Inclusion Goals:

1. To ensure that cardiovascular medicine in general, and the ACC in particular, benefits from a diversity of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives in leadership, cardiovascular health care delivery, business, education and science.
2. To ensure that cardiovascular medicine in general, and the ACC in particular, attracts and provides rewarding careers and leadership opportunities for the full range of talented individuals.
3. To ensure that the diverse health needs of cardiovascular patients and populations are met by cardiovascular clinicians sensitive to and prepared to meet the unique needs of their gender, cultural, racial and ethnic and other dimensions of diversity.

The BOT also approved three primary objectives of the College’s Task Force on Diversity to meet this vision. These are:

1. To enhance the culture within the cardiology profession and the perceptions of the field to be inclusive, professional, equitable and welcoming;
2. To realize and sustain the value of diversity over the long-term by implementing structures and continuous improvement programs within the ACC to ensure accountable execution;
3. To engage and leverage all available talent by attracting and providing value to under-represented groups in cardiology (URCs) across the ‘career life-span’, from ensuring a deep pipeline, to recruitment, retention and leadership development.’

The Board of Trustees is indebted to Pamela  Douglas, MD, MACC, and Kim Allan Williams, MD, MACC, for dedicating the past 18 months to reviewing the data, findings and research, and developing a strong, practical set of recommendations to meet the above objectives.  

You are invited to learn more about the College’s  diversity and inclusion strategy, at an interactive, town hall-style forum to be held, March 9 from 4 – 5 p.m. (updated time) at the Hyatt Regency Orlando in Regency Ballroom T. Led by Drs. Douglas and Williams of the ACC Task Force on Diversity, the forum will provide an opportunity to learn more about ACC’s recently Board-approved diversity and inclusion strategy, and attendees are invited to share ideas, ask questions, offer suggestions and become involved in ACC’s work to expand the role of diversity in the cardiovascular workforce, the College and the workforce pipeline. Pick up one of ACC’s new pins promoting #TheFaceOfCardiology during the session and plan to wear it throughout ACC.18 to show your support for ACC’s diversity strategy.  Register for the session here by Feb. 23 and contact Stephanie Mitchell with questions.

On social media? Incorporate #TheFaceOfCardiology in your Twitter bio and don’t forget to use the hashtag in photos or posts on diversity throughout ACC.18 and beyond.

Keywords: Social Media, Leadership, Internship and Residency, Goals, Learning, Ethnic Groups, Continental Population Groups, Research, Patient Care, Parents

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