ACC.16: Chazal becomes ACC President

Richard Chazal, MD, FACC, assumed the role as President of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) during the ACC’s annual scientific session in Chicago on April 4.

Chazal is a senior cardiologist and medical director of the Heart and Vascular Institute for Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, Florida. He replaces former President Kim Allan Williams, MD, chief of the division of cardiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Chazal, an ACC member since 1984, has an expertise in echocardiography, diagnostic catheterization and coronary computerized tomography angiography.

“As a clinical cardiologist, I remain convinced that the College best achieves its mission by continually focusing on what is the best for our patients and embedding that in everything that we do as an organization,” Chazal said in a news release.

The ACC’s officers for 2016-2017 are Chazal, Williams, President-Elect Mary Norine “Minnow” Walsh, MD, FACC; Vice President C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC; Secretary and Board of Governors Chair Allen Seals, MD, FACC; and Treasurer Robert Guyton, MD, FACC.

Tim Casey,

Executive Editor

Tim Casey joined TriMed Media Group in 2015 as Executive Editor. For the previous four years, he worked as an editor and writer for HMP Communications, primarily focused on covering managed care issues and reporting from medical and health care conferences. He was also a staff reporter at the Sacramento Bee for more than four years covering professional, college and high school sports. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA degree from Georgetown University.

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."