A Cleveland-area cardiologist who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for healthcare fraud, money laundering and subjecting patients to unnecessary testing is asking a judge to overturn his case, reports Cleveland.com.

Risk adjustment models for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) used by CMS suggest a diagnosis of atherosclerosis is associated with about a 40 percent reduction in 30-day mortality for Medicare beneficiaries. Researchers found hospitals that provide more extensive cardiac care are more likely to report the condition, thereby skewing the risk models.

The American College of Cardiology (ACC)’s new accreditation program, HeartCARE Center: National Distinction of Excellence, will be designated “forward thinking” hospitals and healthcare systems that demonstrate excellence in cardiovascular care and also “advance the cause of sustainable quality improvement.”

A new scientific statement issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) suggested limited health literacy is a major barrier that blocks many people from achieving good cardiovascular health or benefiting from effective treatment for myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. The statement was published on June 4 in Circulation.

Two viewpoint pieces published May 30 in JAMA Cardiology focused on the inequities women face in cardiology, both in terms of compensation and discrimination.

University of California, Los Angeles cardiologist Guillermo Andres Cortes, MD, had his medical license temporarily suspended by state officials after a female colleague accused him of sexual assault while they were working together at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. Since then, multiple women have come forward with additional accusations of misconduct.

Work-life balance is the chief determinant that leads internal medicine (IM) trainees to select cardiology as a career, according to a study published May 30 in JAMA Cardiology.

Homeless people remain at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) based on uncontrolled risk factors, poor access to healthcare and difficulties adhering to long-term management, according to the authors of a review published May 28 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.