Chapter Event Update
October 15, 2008

Upcoming Chapter Events

Summary of Past Chapter Meetings

Washington Chapter Meeting: September 20, 2008

"From Prevention To Intervention: 1st Annual Cardiovascular Medicine Conference" was held in Seattle September 20, 2008. The course was coordinated by the Washington Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. Course Directors were Daniel Fishbein, MD, FACC Constance Keibler, MSN, ARNP and Randi Leonetti, MSN, ARNP. Drawing more than 80 participants, the course was directed towards Cardiac Care Associates, but also was attended by Cardiovascular Physicians, Internists, and Family Physicians. This course was the first to offer CME/CE through the ACC Foundation, at 7.5 clock hours.

Michigan Chapter Meeting: September 26 – 28, 2008

The Michigan Chapter’s 20th Anniversary Conference was chaired by Eric Bates, MD.  More than 150 Fellows, CCAs and FITs attended.  In addition to two mornings of scientific sessions, registrants could attend preconference programs including a ½ day PAD Symposium, an issue forum entitled Interventional Cardiology at the Crossroads, or a CCA breakout session that included scientific sessions and a box lunch/discussion of CCA opportunities with ACC, the Chapter, and the Michigan Department of Community Health.  The Michigan Cardiology Fellows Society Case and Poster Competitions enhanced the conference program, providing 10 oral case presentations and 19 research posters.  The Chapter was pleased to have ACC president and Michigan Chapter member W. Douglas Weaver, MD speak about healthcare reform.  Conference goers enjoyed a special “anniversary” poster that showcased all 20 Michigan Chapter conference programs.  The conference was supported by eight educational grants and forty-five exhibits.

Arizona Chapter Meeting: September 26 – 28, 2008

Jay Alexander, M.D., F.A.C.C., was the ACC National representative and his presentations were practice oriented with a specific focus on EMR and Advocacy. Dr. Alexander noted that attendees were a “very interested group of physicians” and indicated that a majority of sessions were scientific and that the FIT presentations were excellent.

North Carolina/South Chapter Meeting: September 26 – 28, 2008
South Carolina hosted the 15^th Annual Joint North Carolina/South Carolina Chapter Meeting at the Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms in South Carolina. The meeting highlighted a mixture of clinical and socioeconomic topics related to cardiology practice and was divided into CHF, EP, Cardiac Imaging, and Interventional Cardiology. Molly Nicholson provided an ACC National update and focused her presentation and the Quality First Campaign, Health System Reform, and ACC National Advocacy Efforts.

New York Chapter Meeting: October 4, 2008

The 80th Annual Scientific Session of The New York Cardiological Society and the 18th

Annual Meeting of the New York State Chapter of the American College of Cardiology,

CARDIOLOGY 2008: THE SCIENCE OF QUALITY CARE, was held at the New York Athletic Club on Saturday, October 4, 2008.  Paul Kligfield, MD, FACC, downstate governor and president of The New York Cardiological Society; and Harry C. Odabashian, Jr., MD, FACC, upstate governor and president of the New York State Chapter welcomed the attendees. The program began with the presentation of the 2008 Young Investigators awards followed by a presentation by Janet Wright, MD, FACC entitled, ACC Perspective: Quality Issues for Cardiology.  A brief case presentation, A Patient with Pulmonary Hypertension, preceded a lecture by Nicholas S. Hill, MD, Evaluation and Management of Pulmonary Artery Hypertension.  The next lecturer was William E. Boden, MD, FACC, Lessons Learned from the COURAGE Trial, preceded by a brief case presentation, A Patient with Stable Angina Pectoris. Included in the program, again this year, was a section entitled, Emerging Insights in Cardiology: Short Presentations by New York State Fellows in Cardiology, which included three presentations: A 49 year old Woman with Palpitations and Syncope, A 53 Year Old Woman with Chest Discomfort and ST-Segment Elevation during Doobutamine Stress Testing and A 49 Year Old Woman with Syncope and a Positive Exercise ECG.  Time for discussion and questions followed each of the lectures.  The meeting concluded with a lecture, An Update on Recent Studies of Coronary Stenting in New York, presented by Edward L. Hannan, PhD, FACC.

Wisconsin Chapter Meeting: October 4, 2008
On Saturday, October 4th, the Wisconsin Chapter held its Annual Meeting at the Kalahari Resort Conference Center and Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The meeting was attended by 40+ participants who heard about Team Centered Approaches to Heart Failure from an academic standpoint  thanks to the opening presentation by William G. Cotts, M.D., F.A.C.C., Medical Director of the Heart Transplantation and Assist Device Program at the Center for Heart Failure, Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, Northwestern University (Chicago, IL), followed by the private practice perspective presented by Kristine Mannchen, MSN, R.N. C-NP, Program Director of the C.O.R.E. Clinic at Minnesota Heart Clinic (Edina, MN). Following those sessions, Randall Williams, M.D., F.A.C.C., CEO of Pharos Innovations spoke on Outpatient Monitoring Technology. Molly Nicholson discussed advocacy on behalf of the ACC before the attendees enjoyed lunch in the tradeshow. The exhibits were a combination of both large and small sized pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as a display table on ACC membership targeted specifically to CCA members.  Posters were on display throughout the entire meeting, and four were presented orally. There was a competitive clinical vignette case study competition among FIT programs in Wisconsin, six were presented on-site, and the top clinical vignette was selected from all meeting attendees. Congratulations to Miguel Leal, MD of University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics in (Madison, WI).