ACC’s Board of Trustees (BOT) meetings are essential to providing strategic guidance to our committees and work groups as they advance and implement priorities across education, science, membership, our registries and more. The recent May meeting was especially meaningful as my first official meeting as ACC President – and the Board was thrilled to welcome our three newest members: Dinesh Kalra, MD, FACC; Andrea L. Price, MS, CPHQ, FACC; and Fred M. Kusumoto, MD, FACC.

This month, we received important updates from the Workforce Culture and Engagement Committee that prompted candid discussion about perceptions of toxicity in the cardiovascular workforce, accountability, and ways to embed inclusive leadership as a core competency for cardiovascular clinicians. (Read more about the Committee’s work in this month’s issue of Cardiology magazine.) We also heard from the Health Equity Committee regarding its latest efforts to “create a culture of health equity in cardiovascular medicine; prioritize health equity in all ACC activities; and eliminate disparities by ensuring equitable cardiovascular care for all.” I encourage you to visit the revamped Health Equity Hub for links to policy documents, as well as on-demand webinars, leadership programs, community health efforts and the Health Equity Heat Map.

Our work in cardiovascular disease prevention continues to evolve. The Board approved a four-point plan to coordinate prevention efforts across content, advocacy, training/certification and long-term strategy presented by the Comprehensive CVD Prevention Task Force. Alongside this effort, we are excited to welcome the first cohort of Fuster Prevention Forum participants to Heart House in June to gain skills in community education. It was also a privilege to kick off our virtual PRIME Heart Roundtable on May 20, which brought together a multidisciplinary group of stakeholders to discuss reframing prevention around lifetime benefit vs. short-term risk. In my opening remarks, I highlighted how the gap in prevention is rarely evidence; but rather execution, particularly when risk is still taking shape, symptoms haven’t appeared and urgency is difficult for patients to feel.

We also heard about the great work being led by our NCDR Oversight Committee. Our NCDR leaders and staff continue to explore ways to leverage AI and grow the registry portfolio. Significant headway has been made on the new Renal Denervation Module slated for launch this summer, and a new CV Shock Designation is in the works that will expand ACC’s Chest Pain Center Accreditation program and align with upcoming Chest Pain – MI Registry data elements.

On the Science and Quality Committee front, we heard about several new clinical guidance documents that have already been published this year, with an Advanced Training Statement on Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology and an Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on the Optimization of Postpartum Care among the most recent. The Committee has also been point on several efforts aligned with the new Dyslipidemia Guideline, including the launch of the new CVD Risk Estimator Plus app, updates to the Guideline Clinical App and dedicated ACC.26 sessions (now available on ACC Anywhere). Additionally, our Driving Urgency in LDL-C Testing initiative is helping to deliver targeted messaging to specific patient populations through EHR platforms. Similar messaging campaigns related to vaccines, aortic stenosis and uACR are also underway. Coming soon, the Committee is working to create and execute a proactive AI environmental scan that takes into account late-breaking science at major scientific meetings; input from ACC members, Chapters and Sections; and crowdsourced questions being posed to OpenEvidence, DoximityAI and/or similar sources; to better understand major themes and potential impacts on clinical care.

Advocacy remains a bright spot, with several recent wins, including news that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has resumed processing visas for international physicians. We’ve also secured a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities and restored access to in-home cardiac rehab delivered virtually. Several issues remain ongoing, including Medicare physician payment, a final decision on TAVR coverage, prior authorization and noncompete legislation in the states, and continued need for clinician education around the upcoming Ambulatory Specialty Model for Heart Failure. Stay updated on these efforts and opportunities to get involved at ACC.org/Advocacy. Plus, save the date for ACC’s Annual Legislative Conference, Oct. 4-6.

In addition to strategic updates, this meeting also gave us space to think “Blue Sky” about AI and its implications for hospitals, patients and clinicians, potential new revenue opportunities, and ACC’s role in defining clear rules of engagement for use in practice. This will be a big topic of further discussion at our summer retreat in July, so stay tuned!

Before I close, I want to recognize the recent passing of Eugene Braunwald, MD, MACC, whose influence extended far beyond discoveries and publications to institutions, scientific culture, standards of excellence and generations of mentees. His legacy is a reminder to us all that leadership is ultimately not about prominence, but about leading with purpose, lifting others and carrying forward standards of excellence. I talk more about leadership with ACC CEO Cathy Gates and ACC Immediate Past President Christopher M. Kramer, MD, MACC, in my first “On the Rox” presidential discussion, which is now available here.

Keywords: Leadership, Trustees, ACC Advocacy