More than 57.5 million Americans are of Hispanic origin, representing 18 percent of the U.S. population, yet this growing population continues to be under-represented in the field of cardiology. Roughly only 2 percent of the nearly 44,000 Hispanic physicians trained and practicing in the U.S. are cardiologists.

Through its Diversity and Inclusion Initiative the ACC is working to change these statistics and ensure that the cardiovascular profession attracts and retains a diverse set of individuals who are best able to meet and support the health needs of patients and populations.

Learning from those who have come before – or "standing on the shoulders of giants" – is one of the mantras that I've long said can help with bringing the change we seek. On the heels of National Hispanic Heritage Month, this month's column honors some of the pioneering and contemporary individuals who have made and/or continue to make contributions to the field of cardiology – and on who's shoulders we can not only stand, but move forward together.

Ramón M. Suárez Calderón, MD (1895-1981): A prominent research scientist, educator and cardiologist in Puerto Rico, Calderón's impact was recognized in 1992 with the inauguration by the city of San Juan of the Dr. Ramón M. Suárez Calderón Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. It has since become the main medical and academic center in the region dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Antonio Fernós Isern, MD (1895-1965): Credited as the first Puerto Rican cardiologist, Isern also served as a professor at the Public School of Tropical Medicine of Puerto Rico, held various administrative positions within Puerto Rico's health services, including secretary of health, and served as resident commissioner to the U.S. Congress for 19 years.

Mario García Palmieri, MD, MACC (1927-2014): A native of Puerto Rico, Garcia Palmieri is the first ACC member of Hispanic decent to receive a Master of the American College of Cardiology (MACC). A graduate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he was the first cardiologist trained in Puerto Rico. His storied career includes serving as chair of internal medicine and director of cardiology at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, and as Secretary of Health for Puerto Rico. He also served on two Presidential Medical Commissions during the Nixon and Carter administrations.

Adriana M. Quiñones-García, MD, FACC: An advocate for women in cardiology, Quiñones-García is a cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. She is recognized for her work in health care disparities in the Hispanic population.

Ileana L. Piña, MD, MPH, FACC: Piña is a nationally renowned cardiologist known for her work in heart failure and development of multidisciplinary clinical interventions to improve patient rehabilitation outcomes. Her extraordinary contribution to the advancement of women's heart health in underserved communities was recognized in 2017 with the Wenger Award for Excellence in Research. She serves as associate chief for Academic Affairs at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart and Vascular Care in New York, where she's also a faculty member. At the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, she is professor of medicine, epidemiology and population health. Piña is also an advisor to the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health and the section of epidemiology.

Elena V. Rios, MD, MSPH, FACP: Rios, an internist, is president and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) which aims to empower Hispanic physicians and other health care professionals to improve the health of Hispanic populations. Rios has also served as advisor for regional and minority women's health at the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services and served on the advisory committee for health and science recruitment.

Miguel Quinones, MD, MACC: A pioneer in cardiac ultrasound over the past 40 years, Quinones has developed many methods for evaluating cardiac and valvular function. He played a pivotal role in the development and validation of stress echocardiography to evaluate coronary artery disease and the development of newer methods to evaluate diastolic function and estimate left ventricular filling pressures by echocardiography. Quinones has served on the ACC's Board of Trustees and chaired the writing group for the ACC/AHA Clinical Competence Statement on Echocardiography. In 2012, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Echocardiography.

Mario J. Garcia, MD, FACC: Garcia is an international leader in the development and clinical advancement of cardiac imaging. He serves as the chief of the division of cardiology and co-director at Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart and Vascular Care in Bronx, New York. Garcia has been awarded funding over the past two decades from the National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and industry to explore novel, noninvasive methods that improve our ability to evaluate the cardiovascular system.

Hector Ventura, MD, FACC: Ventura is section head of Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplantation and director of Cardiovascular Disease Training Program and Education at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. He served as governor of ACC's Louisiana Chapter and is chair of ACC's Awards Committee.

Carlos Jose Rodriguez-Reyes, MD, MPH, FACC: A prominent investigator at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC, Rodriguez-Reyes was born in the Dominican Republic. He is the principal investigator of the Echocardiographic Study of Latinos/Hispanics (ECHO-SOL), a multicenter study of cardiac structure and function in Latinos across the U.S. and funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Rodriquez chaired the American Heart Association writing group that developed the 2014 scientific advisory that has helped to highlight the impact of cardiovascular disease among Hispanic Americans.

Ivan F. Gonzalez-Cancel, MD: A cardiovascular and heart transplant surgeon, Gonzalez-Cancel is credited with performing the first heart transplant surgery in Puerto Rico in 1999 at the Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

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This list is by no means comprehensive. Celebrate all those who contribute to our Mission. Share your favorite photo on Twitter and use #TheFaceOfCardiology in your posts. Don't forget to tag @ACCInTouch.

Keywords: ACC Publications, Cardiology Magazine, Echocardiography, Stress, American Heart Association, Coronary Artery Disease, Healthcare Disparities, Research Personnel, United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Advisory Committees, United States Food and Drug Administration, Trustees, Protestantism, Tropical Medicine, Clinical Competence, Quinones, Hispanic Americans, Surgeons, Heart Transplantation, Cardiomyopathies, Heart Failure, Treatment Outcome, Cardiovascular System, Faculty, Radiologic Health, Writing, Awards and Prizes, National Institutes of Health (U.S.)

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