From the moment the doors opened, the energy in the room set the tone for a meeting defined by innovation, mentorship and resilience. The session began with a vibrant second line procession ushering in ACC leaders and VIPs, bringing the spirit of the Big Easy directly into the convention hall.

Taking the stage, ACC Scientific Session Chair Katie Berlacher, MD, MS, FACC, welcomed attendees and thanked the many volunteers, faculty and staff who made the meeting possible. She highlighted the breadth of scientific discovery, education and connection ahead over the coming days, before turning the program over to ACC President Christopher M. Kramer, MD, FACC.

“It’s always inspiring to see the ways ACC members support each other along their career journeys,” Kramer said. “Over the next few days, we’ll have even more opportunities to learn from one another, to be inspired, and to continue moving our profession – and patient care – forward together.”

Reflecting on his presidential year, Kramer revisited the theme of a “Fantastic Voyage,” using it as a framework to explore how innovation, mentorship and resilience continue to shape the College. He emphasized ACC’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), including new partnerships, the formation of a Presidential AI Integration Task Force, and efforts to embed AI thoughtfully across education, guidelines and meetings.

Kramer also underscored ACC’s commitment to delivering timely, trustworthy clinical guidance through a range of formats – from Clinical Guidelines and Appropriate Use Criteria to Concise Clinical Guidance and Scientific Statements – while supporting implementation through education, quality initiatives and registries.

Mentorship remained a central theme, with Kramer highlighting ACC’s expanding portfolio of leadership and professional development programs, many supported through philanthropy. He also announced the launch of new initiatives, including the Thad and Gerry Waites Rural Cardiovascular Research Fellowship, the Fuster Prevention Forum, and a bold new public-private collaboration, starting with Merck and Amgen, that will help clinicians implement new guidelines and other evidence-based recommendations in day-to-day clinical practice.

Kramer also reflected on a year of engagement with policymakers, emphasizing the importance of staying grounded in science, data and patient-centered care amid a changing health policy landscape.

Additionally, the Opening Showcase honored and recognized ACC’s Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Zohair Y. Alhalees, MBBS, FACC, for his more than four decades of leadership in congenital heart surgery and transformative impact on cardiac care in Saudi Arabia and around the world.

The Presidential Citation was also presented to Thad F. Waites, MD, MACC, for a lifetime of leadership, advocacy, mentorship and philanthropy that has profoundly shaped the College and the cardiovascular profession.

Following the awards, Berlacher closed the session with a look at the not-to-miss highlights of the meeting – her last as chair. “This meeting is intentionally designed to pull you in at every turn...so that you can return home with knowledge that you can put into practice on Tuesday morning,” she said. “It has been a journey filled with innovation, transformation, challenge, creativity and so much joy. Standing here today, I could not be more proud of what we have accomplished.”

Keywords: Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications, ACC Annual Scientific Session, ACC26, Artificial Intelligence, Leadership