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Valentine: New measures crucial in national, global fight against CVD
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NEW ORLEANS — Preventing the growth of CVD risk factors and increasing the diversity of the cardiology community are major priorities, the president of the American College of Cardiology said to open the ACC Scientific Session.
ACC President C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC, reflected on the ACC’s 70th anniversary year that included the addition of two new open access journals and increased advocacy.
“When we looked in the mirror, we saw a professional home of 52,000 women and men dedicated to improving the lives of cardiovascular patients around the world,” Valentine, a cardiologist at Stroobants Cardiovascular Center at Centra Health in Lynchburg, Virginia, said. “We saw a knowledge organization built around the education of our members. We saw excellent governance, strong leadership from our boards, committees, and especially our chapters and our section.”
Challenges and concerns
Valentine said that despite these successes, there are challenges and concerns that need to be addressed.
“Our members, the foundation of the ACC, are not as diverse as the patients they serve,” he said.
Challenges Valentine addressed included the lack of face-to-face time cardiologists have with patients, the burdens of regulation and maintenance requirements that may lead to physician exhaustion.
“Six to 8 years of training to become transcriptionists and data entry clerks for health systems?” Valentine said. “We must be near a crisis point when every journal has an article on isolation and burnout.”
Among other concerns, Valentine said, are rising annual costs compared with the lack of improvement in quality care, the inability to engage with clinician leaders and patients’ lack of access to medication and other treatments.
“And, unfortunately as you see, they are dying,” Valentine said. “The 30-year decline in mortality from cardiovascular disease is now reversing, due to the growing epidemics of obesity and diabetes, for the first time. This is troubling for our domestic patients, but crippling for world health.”
Growth of CVD also had a global effect as data published from WHO identified 74% of Brazilians are overweight and 6% of total deaths are from diabetes alone, Valentine said.
There was a 55% obesity rate in women aged 20 years and older in Egypt. Tobacco use was 46% in males 15 years and older in Egypt as well.
“Look at the obesity and overweight numbers in Brazil and Egypt and you will see that these problems will overwhelm the resources of the developing world,” Valentine said. “Surely, cardiovascular disease has no borders, but who will help?”
New strategies
Valentine said the ACC turned to 400 members and stakeholders in order to develop new initiatives to combat the challenges.
Changes included the redefining of core values to focus on being patient-centered and member-driven. Initiatives for teamwork, collaboration and professionalism were also emphasized.
Valentine said the hiring of a new CEO with an expansive background in cardiac care was also beneficial in developing the new strategic plan.
Valentine announced the creation of an international stakeholders’ roundtable to advise the ACC in efforts to improve CV care globally.
“Our mission and our vision have no borders,” he said. – by Earl Holland Jr.
Reference:
Valentine CM. Opening Showcase Featuring the 2019 Simon Dack Keynote. Presented at: American College of Cardiology Scientific Session; March 16-18, 2019; New Orleans.
Disclosure: Valentine is president of the ACC.