Patricia A. Pellikka, MD, FASE

In my presidential address at our annual business meeting held in conjunction with the Scientific Sessions, I outlined my vision for the year. My plan included input from the Board of Directors and from many members who have shared their interests and ideas with me. I have been asked for a written version of this information and will provide it here.

ASE’s top seven goals for the year are as follows:

1. Increase our membership . The larger our membership, the stronger our voice for advocacy and for garnering support for research. Although ASE’s membership has steadily grown, new initiatives this year will accelerate the rate of growth. We would like to attract more of the current users of echocardiography to join the ASE. Additionally, we hope to encourage early career members and international members to join. As a new venture, we will partner with new users of cardiovascular ultrasound who may have an interest in joining our society. Of course, we will continue efforts to retain current members.

2. Increase member engagement . Presently, about 14% of our members involved in committees, the Board, task forces or writing groups, recent application for fellowship, or attendance at our annual Scientific Sessions. Because there is so much to be done, it would help to have more people involved. To this end, we will increase the rotation on our committees, streamline online applications, and facilitate participation of new members. We will review our processes for application to committees and the instructions to make the process move toward leadership increasingly transparent. This year, we successfully placed everyone who applied on one of our committees or task forces. Consequently, some members who had previously served on multiple committees are serving on fewer. Continued engagement of senior leadership of the organization is essential to provide advice and counsel. Those who have previously served on the Board of Directors understand the organization well enough to know how they can help.

3. Increase member benefits . To grow and engage our membership, we must increase the value of belonging to ASE. Member benefits include our Web Site, JASE , and many educational benefits. We will build our online resources to give members improved practice management information, as this topic has become increasingly complex. We will provide a Webinar for members on reimbursement and coding. We are exploring creating maintenance of certification (MOC) modules as an educational benefit. Our Contrast Zone Web Site has been extremely helpful and well received for supporting the practice of contrast echocardiography. Similarly, we will build a 3D Zone Web Site to better support this practice area and have commissioned a 3D Editorial Board Task Force to develop this. JASE is regarded as a very important member benefit. This year, a task force will consider options for greater flexibility, as well as electronic alternatives, to our print subscription. Our New Practice Applications Task Force will determine how ASE may provide benefit to new users of cardiovascular ultrasound such as emergency departments and critical care physicians.

4. Promote research and innovation in cardiovascular ultrasound . Those of us who practice echocardiography are very familiar with the essential role that this technology provides in caring for patients. However, in many circumstances, firm evidence that it improves patient outcomes is limited. We must promote research that supports echo’s relevance and essential role in improving outcomes. Additionally, we must provide funding for innovative research to support our new technologies. We will seek opportunities to feature and support investigators in echocardiography and strengthen partnerships with NIH and other government agencies to promote and study applications of echocardiography. On November 3 ^rd we will hold our second technology summit, in which echocardiography investigators, engineers, and leaders in technology development will meet with representatives from NIH to develop a roadmap for research.

5. Promote quality in the practice of cardiovascular ultrasound . ASE will continue to define and standardize cardiovascular ultrasound practice and disseminate this information globally. ASE has many active guidelines, and 12 new guidelines documents are in progress. Several involve multimodality imaging as well as echocardiography in various disease states. Our guidelines are currently available in English, Mandarin, and Spanish. We hope to increase our dissemination of guidelines by providing them in additional languages including but not limited to Portuguese, French, and Arabic. This will lead to improved patient care world-wide. Towards this aim, we would like to involve members of various international echo societies in the development of new guidelines to ensure that the guidelines are globally relevant. Additionally, we plan to develop an international program for training sonographers and have commissioned an International Sonographer Training Task Force.

6. Expand global reach and service . Our first global service trip, held in India last January, was a resounding success. This year we will hold another mission trip in India. We are planning mission trips to Vietnam and Africa. Limited ultrasound examinations will be provided to patients who would not likely have had access to this life-saving technology. Concurrently, education and training will be provided to local practitioners of cardiovascular ultrasound so that our efforts have a greater and lasting local benefit. As president of ASE, I will ensure that public service and international outreach become permanent and sustainable missions of our society.

7. Continue advocacy . We must position echo as the most valuable cardiovascular imaging technique in the changing healthcare environment. To this aim, we will partner with other organizations who share our vision. We will continue to meet with legislators, key staff and agency personnel. We are close to securing a seat in the American Medical Association House of Delegates which will give us a greater voice. We will seek additional appropriate reimbursement for transesophageal echocardiograms performed for guidance of transcatheter interventions; these lengthy echocardiograms require special expertise. We will develop a strategy to ensure that echo continues to be viewed as a stand alone service.

Central to ASE’s mission is improving the quality of care for our patients. In a commencement address at Rush Medical College in 1910, Dr. William J. Mayo said, “The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered”. Let this guide our good work here and abroad!