President's messageThe year ahead

Abstract

It is an honor and privilege to assume the presidency of the American Society of Echocardiography and to thank, on your behalf, outgoing president Dr Randy Martin. Randy is, as the saying goes, a hard act to follow.As I take over the Society's leadership, I find it to be a strong, dynamic, and growing organization. It has superb staff, led by Executive Director, Robin Wiegerink, and a large number of dedicated and talented volunteer members. The pillars of the Society are its commitment to education, advocacy, research, innovation, and service to ASE members and the public. In the year ahead, expect growth and activity in each of these areas.EducationMeeting members' educational needs is one of the Society's highest priorities. The educational “jewel in the crown” continues to be the Society's annual meeting. As this goes to press, we are expecting record-breaking attendance in San Diego, thanks to the efforts of John Gorcsan III, MD, FASE, and his program committee. However, relatively few of the Society's members will have attended this meeting. In March, a strategic planning group was convened to consider future meetings. Many of the changes suggested are organizational and will be transparent to members and other meeting attendees. However, important changes under consideration include reorganization of the structure of the educational tracks to make it easier for attendees to find sessions appropriate to their level of expertise (beginner, intermediate, and advanced); modification of the way that the science of echocardiography is integrated into the program; expanding the concept of presenting echocardiography in the context of clinical disease management; and providing educational opportunities for new users of ultrasound, such as emergency room physicians. Look for the impact of these recommendations on next year's meeting in Boston. One long-term change we are also considering is moving our meeting to May so that it does not fall so close to summer vacations.Despite the importance of the annual meeting, we are also aware that many of our members have professional and personal constraints that make it impossible for them to attend. In the year ahead, you will also see changes to our regional offerings in the form of both new initiatives and modifications of existing programs. In 2002, we piloted a program of affordable regional sonographer education with the first of our Sonographer Updates. Based on the success of the initial program and a follow-up program last fall, the Sonographer Updates have been expanded. This spring a second program was introduced in Chicago, which also was very successful. In the coming year, look for the third New England Update on September 11, and the introduction of two additional programs on September 18, one in Baltimore, Md, and one in Portland, Ore. Although these programs, which include a comprehensive syllabus, are designed primarily for sonographers, the content is also suitable for junior cardiology fellows. Look for additional information and registration forms on the ASE Web site, www.asecho.org.On the physician education front, the Society, under Dr Susan Wiegers' leadership, is developing a series of PowerPoint lectures that cover the basics of echocardiography. These lectures, which are based on the physician core curriculum from the annual Scientific Sessions, will be available as a member benefit in the fall. They are intended to assist educators, who are responsible for teaching echocardiography to cardiology and anesthesiology fellows, and to introduce trainees to the educational offerings of the American Society of Echocardiography. For those planning on taking the ASCeXAM or simply desiring a review of the state-of-the-art of echocardiography, the ASCeXAM review course will be offered again next year and is now accompanied by a CD containing practice exam material. The CD is also available to purchase through the Web site.AdvocacyRecent events have underscored the importance of ASE's advocacy efforts. As many of you know, ASE has adopted a proactive position with regard to linking reimbursement for echocardiographic services to quality indicators, specifically laboratory accreditation, sonographer credentialing, and adequate physician training. The Society's Board approved a statement to this effect in the form of a draft Medicare Local Medical Review Policy which can be found on the Society's Web site. I am happy to report that the Society was successful in gaining the endorsement of the American College of Cardiology for this position in March. This coming year we will be working to promote this policy to local Medicare carriers as well as potentially to private sector payers. Although the Society has had direct discussions with CMS (the government agency that controls Medicare), it appears that there will not be any national policy on this subject.A second important advocacy development relates to physician outpatient reimbursement in the nonhospital setting. This is a complicated issue and one that I will discuss in greater detail in a subsequent President's Message. However, it is suffice to say that CMS is moving toward alterations in Medicare reimbursement based on revised practice expense data. Although it is too early to determine how this will play out, this appears to be an issue in which the well-being of the Society's members and the well-being of the cardiology community as a whole will diverge. ASE is very fortunate to be represented on this matter by advocacy committee leaders, Drs. Alan Pearlman and Tom Ryan and legal council Diane Millman, Esq. I am particularly indebted to Dr Pearlman who has agreed to continue to serve as the Advocacy Committee Chair. I am also grateful to the ongoing input from the sonography community on legislative and regulatory issues. One of ASE's strengths is that it represents multiple constituencies: physicians, sonographers and nurses. Thus, our advocacy agenda is driven to protect the interests of the ultrasound community as a whole, rather than simply a single faction.ResearchASE has a long commitment to research and funding physician and sonographer-initiated projects. One of the goals for the next year is a multi-center study exploring the utility of stress echocardiography in women with known or suspected coronary disease. Although the echo community has generated a substantial literature attesting to the utility of stress echocardiography in women, the evidence has not been viewed as strong enough to support a Level I indication in the most recent ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of patients with chronic stable angina. Given the importance of contrast echocardiography for both image optimization and delineation of myocardial perfusion, it is anticipated that the study will incorporate the use of contrast agents.InnovationASE is a dynamic organization. Look in the coming year for further innovations in our Web site as well as improved member benefits. We are also engaged in a dialogue with the American Society of Emergency Physicians in an effort to find common ground regarding education and appropriate utilization of hand-held ultrasound devices.The Society will also be convening a working group to develop a position paper on myocardial perfusion echocardiography. As FDA approval for this imaging modality is, we hope, just around the corner, the Society will be taking a leadership role in educating the echocardiography community in this important area.Service to members and the publicThe primary driver behind all of ASE's activities is to provide quality cardiovascular ultrasound. Until recently, the Society had not developed programs for patients. However, now available online is an excellent ASE patient Web site, www.SeeMyHeart.org. In addition, through the efforts of Dr Sharonne Hayes, Chair of the Women's Health Advisory Group, and Dr Vera Rigolin, Chair of the PR Committee, ASE will be reaching out to women. Please note that, at a time when heart disease in women is in the public eye, ASE has created a number of “Heart Disease in Women” initiatives linked to our Scientific Sessions and will be working through other channels to educate women about the important role of echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of heart disease.In closing, although summer is traditionally a time of taking it easy, ASE is very much at work serving you, its members, and the patients for whom we all provide care. In this electronic era, the Web site is an important link between you and the Society. Consider making www.asecho.org your home page and feel free to contact us with any questions and comments that you might have. It is an honor and privilege to assume the presidency of the American Society of Echocardiography and to thank, on your behalf, outgoing president Dr Randy Martin. Randy is, as the saying goes, a hard act to follow. As I take over the Society's leadership, I find it to be a strong, dynamic, and growing organization. It has superb staff, led by Executive Director, Robin Wiegerink, and a large number of dedicated and talented volunteer members. The pillars of the Society are its commitment to education, advocacy, research, innovation, and service to ASE members and the public. In the year ahead, expect growth and activity in each of these areas. EducationMeeting members' educational needs is one of the Society's highest priorities. The educational “jewel in the crown” continues to be the Society's annual meeting. As this goes to press, we are expecting record-breaking attendance in San Diego, thanks to the efforts of John Gorcsan III, MD, FASE, and his program committee. However, relatively few of the Society's members will have attended this meeting. In March, a strategic planning group was convened to consider future meetings. Many of the changes suggested are organizational and will be transparent to members and other meeting attendees. However, important changes under consideration include reorganization of the structure of the educational tracks to make it easier for attendees to find sessions appropriate to their level of expertise (beginner, intermediate, and advanced); modification of the way that the science of echocardiography is integrated into the program; expanding the concept of presenting echocardiography in the context of clinical disease management; and providing educational opportunities for new users of ultrasound, such as emergency room physicians. Look for the impact of these recommendations on next year's meeting in Boston. One long-term change we are also considering is moving our meeting to May so that it does not fall so close to summer vacations.Despite the importance of the annual meeting, we are also aware that many of our members have professional and personal constraints that make it impossible for them to attend. In the year ahead, you will also see changes to our regional offerings in the form of both new initiatives and modifications of existing programs. In 2002, we piloted a program of affordable regional sonographer education with the first of our Sonographer Updates. Based on the success of the initial program and a follow-up program last fall, the Sonographer Updates have been expanded. This spring a second program was introduced in Chicago, which also was very successful. In the coming year, look for the third New England Update on September 11, and the introduction of two additional programs on September 18, one in Baltimore, Md, and one in Portland, Ore. Although these programs, which include a comprehensive syllabus, are designed primarily for sonographers, the content is also suitable for junior cardiology fellows. Look for additional information and registration forms on the ASE Web site, www.asecho.org.On the physician education front, the Society, under Dr Susan Wiegers' leadership, is developing a series of PowerPoint lectures that cover the basics of echocardiography. These lectures, which are based on the physician core curriculum from the annual Scientific Sessions, will be available as a member benefit in the fall. They are intended to assist educators, who are responsible for teaching echocardiography to cardiology and anesthesiology fellows, and to introduce trainees to the educational offerings of the American Society of Echocardiography. For those planning on taking the ASCeXAM or simply desiring a review of the state-of-the-art of echocardiography, the ASCeXAM review course will be offered again next year and is now accompanied by a CD containing practice exam material. The CD is also available to purchase through the Web site.AdvocacyRecent events have underscored the importance of ASE's advocacy efforts. As many of you know, ASE has adopted a proactive position with regard to linking reimbursement for echocardiographic services to quality indicators, specifically laboratory accreditation, sonographer credentialing, and adequate physician training. The Society's Board approved a statement to this effect in the form of a draft Medicare Local Medical Review Policy which can be found on the Society's Web site. I am happy to report that the Society was successful in gaining the endorsement of the American College of Cardiology for this position in March. This coming year we will be working to promote this policy to local Medicare carriers as well as potentially to private sector payers. Although the Society has had direct discussions with CMS (the government agency that controls Medicare), it appears that there will not be any national policy on this subject.A second important advocacy development relates to physician outpatient reimbursement in the nonhospital setting. This is a complicated issue and one that I will discuss in greater detail in a subsequent President's Message. However, it is suffice to say that CMS is moving toward alterations in Medicare reimbursement based on revised practice expense data. Although it is too early to determine how this will play out, this appears to be an issue in which the well-being of the Society's members and the well-being of the cardiology community as a whole will diverge. ASE is very fortunate to be represented on this matter by advocacy committee leaders, Drs. Alan Pearlman and Tom Ryan and legal council Diane Millman, Esq. I am particularly indebted to Dr Pearlman who has agreed to continue to serve as the Advocacy Committee Chair. I am also grateful to the ongoing input from the sonography community on legislative and regulatory issues. One of ASE's strengths is that it represents multiple constituencies: physicians, sonographers and nurses. Thus, our advocacy agenda is driven to protect the interests of the ultrasound community as a whole, rather than simply a single faction.ResearchASE has a long commitment to research and funding physician and sonographer-initiated projects. One of the goals for the next year is a multi-center study exploring the utility of stress echocardiography in women with known or suspected coronary disease. Although the echo community has generated a substantial literature attesting to the utility of stress echocardiography in women, the evidence has not been viewed as strong enough to support a Level I indication in the most recent ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of patients with chronic stable angina. Given the importance of contrast echocardiography for both image optimization and delineation of myocardial perfusion, it is anticipated that the study will incorporate the use of contrast agents.InnovationASE is a dynamic organization. Look in the coming year for further innovations in our Web site as well as improved member benefits. We are also engaged in a dialogue with the American Society of Emergency Physicians in an effort to find common ground regarding education and appropriate utilization of hand-held ultrasound devices.The Society will also be convening a working group to develop a position paper on myocardial perfusion echocardiography. As FDA approval for this imaging modality is, we hope, just around the corner, the Society will be taking a leadership role in educating the echocardiography community in this important area.Service to members and the publicThe primary driver behind all of ASE's activities is to provide quality cardiovascular ultrasound. Until recently, the Society had not developed programs for patients. However, now available online is an excellent ASE patient Web site, www.SeeMyHeart.org. In addition, through the efforts of Dr Sharonne Hayes, Chair of the Women's Health Advisory Group, and Dr Vera Rigolin, Chair of the PR Committee, ASE will be reaching out to women. Please note that, at a time when heart disease in women is in the public eye, ASE has created a number of “Heart Disease in Women” initiatives linked to our Scientific Sessions and will be working through other channels to educate women about the important role of echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of heart disease.In closing, although summer is traditionally a time of taking it easy, ASE is very much at work serving you, its members, and the patients for whom we all provide care. In this electronic era, the Web site is an important link between you and the Society. Consider making www.asecho.org your home page and feel free to contact us with any questions and comments that you might have. Meeting members' educational needs is one of the Society's highest priorities. The educational “jewel in the crown” continues to be the Society's annual meeting. As this goes to press, we are expecting record-breaking attendance in San Diego, thanks to the efforts of John Gorcsan III, MD, FASE, and his program committee. However, relatively few of the Society's members will have attended this meeting. In March, a strategic planning group was convened to consider future meetings. Many of the changes suggested are organizational and will be transparent to members and other meeting attendees. However, important changes under consideration include reorganization of the structure of the educational tracks to make it easier for attendees to find sessions appropriate to their level of expertise (beginner, intermediate, and advanced); modification of the way that the science of echocardiography is integrated into the program; expanding the concept of presenting echocardiography in the context of clinical disease management; and providing educational opportunities for new users of ultrasound, such as emergency room physicians. Look for the impact of these recommendations on next year's meeting in Boston. One long-term change we are also considering is moving our meeting to May so that it does not fall so close to summer vacations. Despite the importance of the annual meeting, we are also aware that many of our members have professional and personal constraints that make it impossible for them to attend. In the year ahead, you will also see changes to our regional offerings in the form of both new initiatives and modifications of existing programs. In 2002, we piloted a program of affordable regional sonographer education with the first of our Sonographer Updates. Based on the success of the initial program and a follow-up program last fall, the Sonographer Updates have been expanded. This spring a second program was introduced in Chicago, which also was very successful. In the coming year, look for the third New England Update on September 11, and the introduction of two additional programs on September 18, one in Baltimore, Md, and one in Portland, Ore. Although these programs, which include a comprehensive syllabus, are designed primarily for sonographers, the content is also suitable for junior cardiology fellows. Look for additional information and registration forms on the ASE Web site, www.asecho.org. On the physician education front, the Society, under Dr Susan Wiegers' leadership, is developing a series of PowerPoint lectures that cover the basics of echocardiography. These lectures, which are based on the physician core curriculum from the annual Scientific Sessions, will be available as a member benefit in the fall. They are intended to assist educators, who are responsible for teaching echocardiography to cardiology and anesthesiology fellows, and to introduce trainees to the educational offerings of the American Society of Echocardiography. For those planning on taking the ASCeXAM or simply desiring a review of the state-of-the-art of echocardiography, the ASCeXAM review course will be offered again next year and is now accompanied by a CD containing practice exam material. The CD is also available to purchase through the Web site. AdvocacyRecent events have underscored the importance of ASE's advocacy efforts. As many of you know, ASE has adopted a proactive position with regard to linking reimbursement for echocardiographic services to quality indicators, specifically laboratory accreditation, sonographer credentialing, and adequate physician training. The Society's Board approved a statement to this effect in the form of a draft Medicare Local Medical Review Policy which can be found on the Society's Web site. I am happy to report that the Society was successful in gaining the endorsement of the American College of Cardiology for this position in March. This coming year we will be working to promote this policy to local Medicare carriers as well as potentially to private sector payers. Although the Society has had direct discussions with CMS (the government agency that controls Medicare), it appears that there will not be any national policy on this subject.A second important advocacy development relates to physician outpatient reimbursement in the nonhospital setting. This is a complicated issue and one that I will discuss in greater detail in a subsequent President's Message. However, it is suffice to say that CMS is moving toward alterations in Medicare reimbursement based on revised practice expense data. Although it is too early to determine how this will play out, this appears to be an issue in which the well-being of the Society's members and the well-being of the cardiology community as a whole will diverge. ASE is very fortunate to be represented on this matter by advocacy committee leaders, Drs. Alan Pearlman and Tom Ryan and legal council Diane Millman, Esq. I am particularly indebted to Dr Pearlman who has agreed to continue to serve as the Advocacy Committee Chair. I am also grateful to the ongoing input from the sonography community on legislative and regulatory issues. One of ASE's strengths is that it represents multiple constituencies: physicians, sonographers and nurses. Thus, our advocacy agenda is driven to protect the interests of the ultrasound community as a whole, rather than simply a single faction. Recent events have underscored the importance of ASE's advocacy efforts. As many of you know, ASE has adopted a proactive position with regard to linking reimbursement for echocardiographic services to quality indicators, specifically laboratory accreditation, sonographer credentialing, and adequate physician training. The Society's Board approved a statement to this effect in the form of a draft Medicare Local Medical Review Policy which can be found on the Society's Web site. I am happy to report that the Society was successful in gaining the endorsement of the American College of Cardiology for this position in March. This coming year we will be working to promote this policy to local Medicare carriers as well as potentially to private sector payers. Although the Society has had direct discussions with CMS (the government agency that controls Medicare), it appears that there will not be any national policy on this subject. A second important advocacy development relates to physician outpatient reimbursement in the nonhospital setting. This is a complicated issue and one that I will discuss in greater detail in a subsequent President's Message. However, it is suffice to say that CMS is moving toward alterations in Medicare reimbursement based on revised practice expense data. Although it is too early to determine how this will play out, this appears to be an issue in which the well-being of the Society's members and the well-being of the cardiology community as a whole will diverge. ASE is very fortunate to be represented on this matter by advocacy committee leaders, Drs. Alan Pearlman and Tom Ryan and legal council Diane Millman, Esq. I am particularly indebted to Dr Pearlman who has agreed to continue to serve as the Advocacy Committee Chair. I am also grateful to the ongoing input from the sonography community on legislative and regulatory issues. One of ASE's strengths is that it represents multiple constituencies: physicians, sonographers and nurses. Thus, our advocacy agenda is driven to protect the interests of the ultrasound community as a whole, rather than simply a single faction. ResearchASE has a long commitment to research and funding physician and sonographer-initiated projects. One of the goals for the next year is a multi-center study exploring the utility of stress echocardiography in women with known or suspected coronary disease. Although the echo community has generated a substantial literature attesting to the utility of stress echocardiography in women, the evidence has not been viewed as strong enough to support a Level I indication in the most recent ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of patients with chronic stable angina. Given the importance of contrast echocardiography for both image optimization and delineation of myocardial perfusion, it is anticipated that the study will incorporate the use of contrast agents. ASE has a long commitment to research and funding physician and sonographer-initiated projects. One of the goals for the next year is a multi-center study exploring the utility of stress echocardiography in women with known or suspected coronary disease. Although the echo community has generated a substantial literature attesting to the utility of stress echocardiography in women, the evidence has not been viewed as strong enough to support a Level I indication in the most recent ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of patients with chronic stable angina. Given the importance of contrast echocardiography for both image optimization and delineation of myocardial perfusion, it is anticipated that the study will incorporate the use of contrast agents. InnovationASE is a dynamic organization. Look in the coming year for further innovations in our Web site as well as improved member benefits. We are also engaged in a dialogue with the American Society of Emergency Physicians in an effort to find common ground regarding education and appropriate utilization of hand-held ultrasound devices.The Society will also be convening a working group to develop a position paper on myocardial perfusion echocardiography. As FDA approval for this imaging modality is, we hope, just around the corner, the Society will be taking a leadership role in educating the echocardiography community in this important area. ASE is a dynamic organization. Look in the coming year for further innovations in our Web site as well as improved member benefits. We are also engaged in a dialogue with the American Society of Emergency Physicians in an effort to find common ground regarding education and appropriate utilization of hand-held ultrasound devices. The Society will also be convening a working group to develop a position paper on myocardial perfusion echocardiography. As FDA approval for this imaging modality is, we hope, just around the corner, the Society will be taking a leadership role in educating the echocardiography community in this important area. Service to members and the publicThe primary driver behind all of ASE's activities is to provide quality cardiovascular ultrasound. Until recently, the Society had not developed programs for patients. However, now available online is an excellent ASE patient Web site, www.SeeMyHeart.org. In addition, through the efforts of Dr Sharonne Hayes, Chair of the Women's Health Advisory Group, and Dr Vera Rigolin, Chair of the PR Committee, ASE will be reaching out to women. Please note that, at a time when heart disease in women is in the public eye, ASE has created a number of “Heart Disease in Women” initiatives linked to our Scientific Sessions and will be working through other channels to educate women about the important role of echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of heart disease.In closing, although summer is traditionally a time of taking it easy, ASE is very much at work serving you, its members, and the patients for whom we all provide care. In this electronic era, the Web site is an important link between you and the Society. Consider making www.asecho.org your home page and feel free to contact us with any questions and comments that you might have. The primary driver behind all of ASE's activities is to provide quality cardiovascular ultrasound. Until recently, the Society had not developed programs for patients. However, now available online is an excellent ASE patient Web site, www.SeeMyHeart.org. In addition, through the efforts of Dr Sharonne Hayes, Chair of the Women's Health Advisory Group, and Dr Vera Rigolin, Chair of the PR Committee, ASE will be reaching out to women. Please note that, at a time when heart disease in women is in the public eye, ASE has created a number of “Heart Disease in Women” initiatives linked to our Scientific Sessions and will be working through other channels to educate women about the important role of echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of heart disease. In closing, although summer is traditionally a time of taking it easy, ASE is very much at work serving you, its members, and the patients for whom we all provide care. In this electronic era, the Web site is an important link between you and the Society. Consider making www.asecho.org your home page and feel free to contact us with any questions and comments that you might have.