ACC's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.16) ended with the honoring of new Fellows of the ACC (FACC), Associates of the ACC (AACC), and other distinguished members at the annual Convocation ceremony. Eighteen new AACCs participated this year and lead the procession of inductees down the aisle. ACC Immediate Past President Kim Allan Williams Sr., MD, MACC, and ACC President Richard A. Chazal, MD, FACC, thanked members for their dedication and reiterated the need for team-based care.

Janet Wyman, DNP, RNCS, AACC, co-chair of the Cardiovascular Team Section and Leadership Council, sat at the head table amongst cardiology greats and our colleague, Margo Minissian, ACNP, CNS, MSN, AACC, received the distinguished associate award with a loud round of applause for her dedication and commitment.

As a new AACC and someone who participated in convocation, I urge all CV Team members to apply for the designation and participate in Convocation next year. In a time when we get bogged down by day-to-day workload or a "sea of red tape," Convocation is a moment to feel proud and accomplished. There was an aura of pride, dedication, and pure joy in the room that was palpable. It's ceremonies like these that heighten our spirits, ignite fervor for our field and send us home with a renewed cardiology spirit.

There were around 30 new AACCs this year. These are people who have worked in their field of cardiology for at least two years and are nurse practitioners, physician assistants, Society of Chest Pain Certification personnel, pharmacists and nurses. I encourage members of the CV Team Section to sponsor someone to become a CV Team member so that they too can have the opportunity to experience Convocation, ACC's Annual Scientific Session, and delight in the community of likeminded individuals.

Interested in becoming an AACC? Learn more about the designation on ACC.org.

This article was authored by Jolin Honas, ANP, AACC.