ACC Georgia Chapter

Gayle Davies

TAVR Decision Aid Tools Now Available

By

The ACC’s CardioSmart Decision Aids hub recently expanded to include two new TAVR Decision Aid Tools that help patients understand what aortic stenosis (AS) is and what treatments are available. The first tool guides patients with intermediate or high surgical risk through the treatment options available for severe AS and helps them choose between TAVR and surgery. The second tool is dedicated to patients with prohibitive surgical risk/inoperable to help them evaluate the proper treatment and choose between TAVR and symptoms management. Visit CardioSmart.org/Decisions to find out more and download these tools for free.

Help Solve Prior Authorization Challenges

By

November is here and that means it’s time to submit your prior authorization data via ACC’s web-based prior authorization tool (PARTool). Do your PART to improve the prior authorization process by recording incorrectly denied or difficult requests through ACC’s PARTool for the entire month. The data collected helps the College determine overall prior authorization and test substitution trends and better understand problematic areas of the process including time burdens, test substitution and peer-to-peer reviews. The observed trends will be shared with insurers, vendors, state legislators and insurance officials to engage them in ACC’s efforts to reduce the burden of prior authorization and return attention to direct patient interaction. Practices can submit through a simple online form at ACC.org/PARTool.

To be successful on a larger scale to solve prior authorization challenges – we must all work together to find a solution that ultimately saves time, saves money, and—most importantly—saves lives. So please help and do your PART!

Meet Your Leadership Team

By

The following will serve our Chapter beginning January 1, 2018 (those in bold were elected this year):

 

President:  Charles Brown, MD FACC
Governor-Elect:   Jeff Marshall, MD, FACC
Secretary-Treasurer:  Arthur Reitman, MD, FACC
Councilors:
  • Marcus Brown, MD, FACC
  • Robert Campbell, MD, FACC
  • Cyrus Samai, MD, FACC
  • Gina Lundberg, MD, FACC
  • Joseph Miller, MD, FACC
  • Jennifer Yeh, MD, FACC
  • Mark Watkins, MD, FACC
  • Joseph Poku, MD, FACC
  • Prad Tummala, MD, FACC
  • Charles Jackson, MD, FACC
  • Barry Mangel, MD, FACC
  • Gordon Borgat, MD, FACC
  • Pascha Schafer, MD, FACC
  • Matthew Crim, MD
  • Tanveer Rab, MD, FACC
  • Vincent Robinson, MD, FACC
  • Andrew Kobylivker, MD, FACC
  • William Crosland, MD (FIT)
  • Abdullah Omar, MD (FIT)
  • Emily Taylor, ANP-BC (CVT Member)

 

Jerre F. Lutz, MD, FACC

By

Lifetime Achievement Award

Our Chapter’s Lifetime Achievement Award honors an adult or pediatric cardiologist or cardiovascular surgeon who has provided outstanding contributions to medicine through patient care, medical education, teaching, research or community service as a member of the Georgia Chapter of the American College of Cardiology and whose lifetime of service deserves special recognition.

Previous recipients include: Drs. Spencer King, William Plauth, Walker Beeson, Robert Ellison, Willis Hurst, Bruce Logue, Stephen Clements, Willis Williams, Nanette Wenger, John Douglas, Robert Franch, Stanley Sherman, Charles Wickliffe, Douglas Morris, Paul Douglass and Kenneth Dooley.

Jerre F. Lutz, MD, FACC

Dr. Jerre F. Lutz , a native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, attended Emory University, where he met his future wife Carlin, both graduating with honors (Phi Beta Kappa). He then entered Emory School of Medicine, graduating in 1972, again with honors. He completed a residency in internal medicine, also at Emory, followed by a fellowship in cardiology. He was Chief Resident at Grady Hospital in 1976-77.

Dr. Lutz joined the United States Navy as a lieutenant commander and was assigned as Chief of Noninvasive Cardiology at the Naval Regional Medical Center in San Diego, where he taught house staff while practicing cardiology at the Camp Pendleton Marine Base. There he received a call from Dr. J. Willis Hurst who asked him to join the Emory faculty as Medical Director of the Cardiac Catherization Lab at Grady Hospital. After a brief stint at Crawford Long, he moved back to Emory as an Associate Professor, opening multiple clinics and catherization labs across the state. He served as Medical Director of the CCU at Emory until 2011 and as Medical Director of the Emory Heart Transplant Program until 1992. He also initiated and supervised the transition of the patients with congenital heart disease from CHOA to Emory.

Dr. Lutz is credited with being one of the early leaders of our Chapter that established the framework for the success we now enjoy. His leadership as Chapter Governor and President from 2001-2004 helped us develop the support of industry necessary to draw the outstanding faculty and large crowds that are now the hallmarks of our annual meeting.

Dr. Lutz has also led our Chapter’s efforts on the national level through his leadership at the annual ACC Legislative Conference and ACCPAC. He served a member of the ACC Government Relations Committee and Advocacy Committee and as our representative for ten years to ACCPAC. He is one of the 25 charter members of ACCPAC. He was recently named to the first class of the ACCPAC Advisory Board. Dr. Lutz also served on the GA/AHA Board of Directors for nine years.

Jerre and Carlin have been married for 46 years and have three sons, Jason, Brian and Drew, and six grandchildren. Jerre has coached soccer for 27 years with multiple divisional and state championships, is an avid golfer and spends many hours working on his home and acreage in Stone Mountain.

Dr. Bo Walpole Elected ACC Treasurer

By

Gainesville cardiologist Dr. Howard (Bo) Walpole was elected to serve as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees from 2018-21. Bo follows Atlanta surgeon Dr. Robert Guyton who will be finishing his three year term this year.

Interestingly, Gainesville native Dr. Michael Valentine, who now practices in Virginia, will serve as ACC President in 2018-19.

Thanks to Dr. Guyton for his service and congratulations to Dr. Walpole on his election. Our Chapter is well-represented at the National level.