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Your ACC Advocacy team worked diligently alongside the broader Smart Heart Sports Coalition to advance this legislation, which includes components of the Access to AEDs Act, another ACC-supported bill. Our Advocacy efforts included:

• Over 1,200 messages sent from ACC members to their lawmakers through our grassroots alert system
  
• More than 250 meetings with lawmakers during ACC’s 2024 Legislative Conference
  
• Over 150 HeartPAC events with lawmakers, where education about the benefits of AEDs in schools was a prominent topic

As we celebrate this achievement, we want to thank you for your contributions in advancing this issue. We also remain committed to pushing our remaining priorities, such as Medicare payment cut relief and prior authorization reform, across the finish line before the conclusion of the 118th Congress.

How can you continue to support our Advocacy efforts?
ACC currently has two live federal action alerts, urging lawmakers to advance Medicare payment cut relief and prior authorization reform. If you haven’t participated yet, please take a moment to do so. It’s quick and easy to do – we have already provided a pre-written message, so all you need to do is add your information and click send!

• Urge Congress to Advance the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 10073)
• Urge Congress to Advance the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 8702/S. 4532)

We’ll keep you updated on any significant developments through email, social media, and our weekly newsletter, the Advocate. Thank you once again for your support of ACC Advocacy.

Dr. William Blincoe was born in Midland, Texas April 30, 1953. Raised in the midwest, primarily Wichita, Kansas, with 3 siblings and wonderful, loving parents. He grew up always wanting to be a physician if he could not be a professional athlete

He decided to “go away” for college at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, graduating in 1975. He tried to play football but again was reminded this was not going to make a career. He went to med school at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in
Kansas City, Kansas and graduated in 1979. He completed his first two years of Medicine residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas and his last year of Medicine residency at Emory Affiliated Hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia. He started a cardiology fellowship in 1982 at Emory under Dr. J. Willis Hurst. The fellowship program was one of the largest in the nation at the time with over 50 fellows. A truly exciting time to be “in training” with the advent of coronary angioplasty and other cardiovascular advances in the early 1980’s.

Dr. Blincoe joined a small cardiology practice based at Piedmont in 1985. Over time this group grew, morphed and merged with the culmination of the development of the Piedmont Heart Institute in 2007. He practiced general and interventional cardiology from the outset but retired from the cath lab in 2017. He has held a variety of clinical, governance and leadership positions at Piedmont Hospital and Piedmont Heart Institute. Currently, Bill is Chief of Staff of the Physician Enterprise for Piedmont Healthcare, supporting over 1000 physicians and 600 advanced practice providers. He still takes call and has clinic two times a week but spends majority of his time with administrative duties. Dr. Blincoe is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology since 1985. He is a proud founding member of the Georgia ACC Foundation. He will be happy to tell you about the Foundation!

Dr. Blincoe is happily married to Marti Blincoe for 43 years. He moved to Atlanta and was able to transfer to Emory “for love” in 1981. Marti and Bill have 3 daughters and now three son-in-law’s with five grandchildren, all living in Atlanta, Georgia.

This award will be presented Saturday evening at the President’s Reception and Dinner.

Stay Certified, Stay Ahead: Secure Your Transition to the Proposed New Board of CV Medicine!While we wait for a decision from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) regarding the joint application for the creation of a new, independent American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine, it is critical that all clinicians continue to maintain certification through the existing process using the Collaborative Maintenance Pathway (CMP), or other approved ABIM options. Maintaining certification is vital should ABMS approve the new board. Lapsed certifications will not transition, placing those individuals at a disadvantage that will likely result in the need to pass a certification exam again. By staying current, individuals will be well positioned for a seamless transition and fully prepared for whatever changes may come. Learn more about the proposed new Board at CVBoard.org. For more information on the CMP and other current MOC options, visit ACC.org/MOC.

Committee Nominations Now Open
Nominations for available positions on ACC, National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR), and Accreditation Services Committees are now being accepted until Friday, September 13. Interested applicants or nominators are encouraged to review the open positions and may self-nominate or nominate a colleague using the Committee Nominations Portal. Applicants will be notified of results by the end of 2024. ACC’s committee nomination process is an important opportunity to continue to increase diversity at the College and include various perspectives spanning across the entire profession. The Nominating Committee strongly encourages applicants from a diversity of backgrounds, cultures, specialties, practice settings, and career stages. For a list of frequently asked questions and application tips please visit the Committee Nominations FAQs. For additional information, email committees@acc.org.

SAVE THE DATE: Championing Clinicians and Protecting Patients Through Advocacy
Join ACC President Cathleen Biga, MSN, FACC, along with MedAxiom President and CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC, and long-time advocacy leaders Samuel O. Jones IV, MD, MPH, FACC, and Geoffrey A. Rose, MD, FACC, on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. ET for the next “HeartTalk With Cathie” discussion on the power of advocacy to reduce hurdles that threaten high-quality cardiovascular care. The session will also touch on ACC’s and MedAxiom’s ongoing work toward long-term reforms, current practice structure, the impact of the 2025 proposed rules, including the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and more. Learn how to get involved and RSVP today. View past presidential discussions on the ACC President Series webpage. Additionally, it’s not too late to register for ACC’s 2024 Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. Learn more at ACC.org/Legislative Conference.

New AUC Address Multimodality Imaging in CV Evaluation of Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery

Multimodality imaging in cardiovascular evaluation of patients undergoing nonemergent, noncardiac surgery is the focus of new Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) developed by the ACC and 10 other cardiovascular societies. The new AUC document is divided into three sections and includes six tables with the goal of guiding clinicians in the preoperative evaluation of patients undergoing noncardiac surgery and preventing cardiovascular events in the perioperative period. Learn more.

New ACC, AHA Report Identifies Key Data Elements and Definitions For SDOH in Cardiology
New 2024 ACC/AHA Key Data Elements and Definitions for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in Cardiology aim to provide clarity around SDOH definitions with the goal of optimizing clinical care and research addressing health disparities. The document divides SDOH data elements into three primary levels addressing individual, interpersonal and community domains. Learn more. Looking for more on the topics of SDOH and Health Equity, check out the recent focused issue ofJACC: Advances.

New JACC Leadership Page: ACC Focused on Maximizing Member Engagement and Value
The College’s work to enhance and maximize member engagement is the focus of a new JACC Leadership Page from ACC President Cathleen Biga, MSN, FACC, and Juan Aranda, MD, FACC, a member of ACC’s Member Engagement Task Force. Biga and Aranda offer an overview of the key findings and recommendations from the Task Force’s year-long effort to better understand the needs of members around the world and highlight current efforts to move from listening to action. “As leaders, our job is to listen and act in the best interest of all members, recognizing the constantly changing global health care environment and the real challenges posed by workforce shortages, social determinants of health, and political conflict, and offering solutions to our daily challenges in the field,” they write. Read more. Looking for ways to get involved with the ACC? Explore the new Member Engagement page here.

During his time in the School of Medicine, Alan Amedi prioritized service and leadership while maintaining a demanding academic load and engaging in research and scholarship. Now, he’s been named the graduate student recipient of the Marion Luther Brittain Award, considered the highest honor presented to an Emory University student.

“I’m so grateful for everyone who has taken a chance on me. I want to pay it forward and give others the opportunities that I was given,” says Amedi. “I love seeing other students succeed and reach their goals.”

As a first-generation, low-income student, Amedi feared medical school was a distant dream, despite inspiration from his uncle who served as a medic during war, attending to and saving the lives of Kurds amid persecution and violence. Through mentorship from Heval Kelli, a physician and refugee himself (as well as a former Emory resident and cardiology fellow), Amedi saw there was a realistic, if difficult, path to medical school. After graduating from Georgia State University, Amedi worked for two years to support his family and fund his application process to medical school.

This fall, Amedi will head west to begin his residency in general surgery at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, California.

Read complete article

The ACC Georgia Chapter spearheaded legislation to establish sudden cardiac emergency response plans and require automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in all public schools, K-12. Read below GA ACC’s success in expanding the state’s AED laws to include all Georgia students beyond those in high school.

Quote from Dr. Kim:
“I truly think this will represent model legislation for the rest of the country,” said Dr. Jonathan Kim. “Not many states have these laws in place, and this is really something we can all be proud of.”

On Tuesday, April 23, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 874, which mandates automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in all public schools. 

READ: ACC HeartPAC Update
Spotlight on AED Access Legislation

Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiology Committee
Joshua Rosenblum, MD, FACC, Member: 3 yr

Cardiac Surgery Committee
Michael Halkos, MD, FACC, Member: 3 yr.
Allison Ward, MD, FACC, Member: 3 yr.

Cardiovascular Committee
Puja Mehta, MD, FACC, Member: 3 yr.
Amy Simone, PA-C, Chair Elect: 1 yr.
Kyle Fortman, MBA, PA-C, Member: 3 yr.

Critical Care Section Committee
Steven Hollenberg, MD, FACC, Member: 3 yr

Education Standards Committee
Priya Kohli, MD, FACC, Member: 3 yr

Health Affairs Committee
J. Jeffrey Marshall, MD, FACC, Member: 3 yr

Lifelong Learning Committee
Patricia Keegan, MD, FACC, Member: 3 yr

Membership Committee
Anekwe Onwuanyi, MD, FACC, Member: 3 yr

NCDR Clinical Committee
Vinod Thourani, MD, FACC, Member: 3 yr

NCDR EP Registry Committee
Faisal Merchant, MD, FACC, Chair Elect: 1 yr

Women in Cardiology Committee
Gina Lundberg, MD, FACC, Chair: 1 yr