Outgoing SCAI president reflects on a busy year full of partnerships and advocacy
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) has expanded its influence in the field of interventional cardiology, according to Srihari S. Naidu, MD, the group's outgoing president.
Naidu reflected on his presidency during a video interview with Cardiovascular Business. He emphasized efforts to elevate the organization’s visibility and collaborate with other groups in the cardiovascular community.
“I think one of the main goals I had was to really rally people around SCAI and get the whole field behind us. To do that, we had to really increase our visibility,” Naidu said.
A cornerstone of that strategy was forming new partnerships, including one with the Cardiovascular Research Technologies (CRT) meeting. The partnership focuses on education, advocacy and research, including the establishment of a formal advocacy day in Washington, D.C., where CRT is held each year.
Naidu noted that increasing engagement with policymakers is critical as interventional cardiology becomes more specialized.
“We need to be able to get visibility with our congressmen to understand what are the big challenges to our field,” he said. “If we have a direct access to Congress and the politicians around some of these issues, we can really kind of punch above our weight class.”
SCAI also announced a strengthened relationship with the American Heart Association (AHA), particularly in the area of cardiogenic shock. The collaboration includes integrating SCAI expertise into AHA registry efforts and expanding joint research opportunities.
“It's very important to me that in the field of shock—which includes SCAI, AHA, the Cardiogenic Shock Working Group, the FDA—everybody has a role to move shock and improve outcomes,” Naidu said.
Beyond partnerships, Naidu highlighted a broader push into research, including plans to develop registry-based studies to guide the field and answer key questions on the best approaches to care.
On the clinical front, SCAI advanced initiatives to improve cardiogenic shock outcomes and enhance radiation safety in the cath lab.
Naidu pointed to growing adoption of the door-to-lactate clearance concept, which emphasizes rapid lactate reduction in shock patients to help better guide therapy and cut mortality. He added that clinicians are increasingly incorporating lactate monitoring into daily practice to guide care.
“I do see it when I travel around giving grand rounds at different places that people are using lactate daily and using this to expedite care,” Naidu said.
SCAI also led a multi-society effort aimed at reducing long-term risks for cath lab staff. Multiple groups worked together, meeting in person and then putting together an in-depth document on the subject.
“It's a blueprint for how the field should protect us by making our cath labs radiation free and lead free so that we can stand up straight, we can be healthy and we can have a longer lifespan of our career,” he said.
The document is intended to influence hospital decision-making and public policy.
Looking ahead, Naidu said SCAI is also launching a philanthropic arm to support innovation and workforce development beyond traditional industry funding. To have a vibrant SCAI that can has the resources to go in directions, he said the society needs additional funds.
As his term concludes at the annual SCAI meeting April 23-25 in Montreal, Naidu credited the organization’s leadership and members for advancing its mission, while signaling continued momentum under incoming president Dawn Abbott, MD.
“I want people to understand that the people working for SCAI have been really dedicated,” he said. “We want all our members to feel that they're represented at a high level and that we understand what's going on at the ground floor and we're going to push all those directions.”
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: [email protected]