ACC Oregon Late Summer  2019 Newsletter
Upcoming Events
Hosted Oregon Heart Club Dinner - October 10th, 2019
MAC Club - Portland, OR
Women and Heart Disease AND Women in Cardiology


Dear ,

Hopefully each of you has had some downtime this summer and got to spend quality time with family, friends, or maybe just yourself. If you were lucky, you fully "unplugged". Studies have suggested that disconnecting from electronic devices calms the mind, promotes restful sleep, and fosters better communication.

If you're like me, however, you've re-entered the chaos and frenetic life of the real world. And if you've turned on the TV, listened to the radio, or surfed the internet, it's increasingly being consumed by the 2020 election.

While I'm smart enough to not inject politics in this newsletter, I do want to highlight the advocacy efforts of the ACC. Whether you lean red, blue, or somewhere in between, I encourage you to get involved. The healthcare community has historically not done a great job of advocating for its interests in policy circles. Join a group of us on a trip to Salem or D.C. to meet with policymakers - Youll be amazed at how much they value your input.

Going forward, I also plan to start sharing perspectives beyond my own. The ACC Board of Governors produces a weekly newsletter, covering a broad range of topics. I'll do my best to find the most valuable ones to pass along.

Finally, I'm really excited about our Women in Cardiology event that is planned for October 10th in Portland. Special thanks to Drs. Lori Tam and Sandy Lewis for organizing and leading this effort. I'd strongly encourage everyone to register using this link.

Wishing you all a great end to summer,

Ty J Gluckman, MD, FACC
Providence Heart Institute
Portland

Make Your Voice Heard:

While the ACC is well known for its guidelines, journals, and education, some of you may not know about all of the great, often "behind-the-scenes" advocacy work done by the College on behalf of its members. The ACC has worked to build relationships with federal government agencies, state legislative and regulatory bodies, private insurers and other policy groups to advance the College's mission of improving heart health. This is no more important today with all of the changes in how medicine is practiced.

Whether it's reducing administrative burdens, improving drug pricing and access for our patients, supporting expansion of health care coverage, or simplifying the digital health experience for clinicians and patients alike, the College is working hard to make everything you do day in and day out that much better. And if you care about how you get paid (and I suspect you do!!!), it's doing its best to distill policy decisions (e.g, CMS 2020 Fee Schedule https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/PhysicianFeeSched/PFS-Federal-Regulation-Notices-Items/CMS-1715-P.html) into forms that are easier to consume:

In addition, hundreds of cardiovascular clinicians from across the country travel each fall to D.C. to meet with policymakers as part of the ACC's Legislative Conference ( https://www.acc.org/tools-and-practice-support/advocacy-at-the-acc/acc-legislative-conference/about-the-conference). Anyone is welcome to attend and registration is now open-- https://www.cvent.com/events/2019-american-college-of-cardiology-legislative-conference/registration-f2209856104044659f9cb053873c4b89.aspx?fqp=true.

Finally, we're fortunate to have our own Dr. Sandy Lewis serving as Chair of the ACC's Political Action Committee (ACCPAC). This organization is non-partisan, member-driven and facilitates your voice being heard on Capitol Hill. All funds contributed to the PAC help to support federal candidates dedicated to providing affordable, effective, and high-quality cardiovascular care. I encourage all of you to further this effort by making a contribution today, as any amount makes a difference!

Welcome to ACCPAC

ACCPAC is a non-partisan, member driven organization formed by the College to protect and p romote the practice of cardiology on Capitol Hill. ACCPAC uses 100% of the personal funds contribute d by ACC members to support federal candidates who will partner with us to ensure all people have access to affordable, effective, quality cardiovascular care.

There is so much talk about politics these days it is easy to grow tired of the noise. I, like many of you, would prefer to focus my time and energy on the practice of medicine- not politics. But I have come to realize how often federal legislation and regulation can affect my ability to deliver the care my patients need and deserve.

It is for this reason that I am a member of ACCPAC. Through the work of ACCPAC, the American College of Cardiology has become the trusted resource on Capitol Hill for cardiovascular care issues. ACC is actively engaged and educating legislators on a daily basis, working to ensure they understand how their vote can impact those of us on the front lines treating patients, performing essential research, or training the next generation of clinicians.

Thanks to ACCPAC, I can focus on what matters most, my patients. We may not all agree on party or platform, but we all agree on the need to provide our patients with the best possible care in the most effective and efficient environment.

Regardless of where or how we practice, congressional action impacts all of us in the cardiovascular community. It is imperative for us, as members of the American College of Cardiology, remain vocal and active in advocating for our profession, and most importantly, our patients.

Please join me in giving to ACCPACThank you for your support,

Sandra Lewis, MD, FACC
Chair, ACCPAC

Contributions to ACCPAC will be used in connection with federal elections and are subject to the prohibitions and limitations of the Federal Election Campaign Act. ACCPAC is a Political Action Committee established and operating pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act. My decision to contribute is voluntary and of my right to refuse to contribute without reprisal. Contributions to ACC Political Action Committee are not tax deductible.

The Importance of Reflection

This recent piece by Dr. Akshay Khandelwal, Board of Governors Chair (Michigan) really resonated with me and I hope it does for you as well.

A few weeks ago, we dropped our kids at Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, and my wife and I proceeded to enjoy a few days at a wonderful beach cottage on Florida's Emerald Coast. We relished the quiet time for a refresh, a recharge, and a reboot. We were amazed at how quickly the summer had flown by, and that we were already planning for the new school year and (gasp!) winter break/spring break plans. Nonetheless, it was important for us to have the downtime to reflect and relax.

Not only is reflection important for personal wellness, it is critical for professional performance. It provides a much-needed high-level view from which to lead effectively and strategically. As great leaders often do, I encourage you to find a quiet space to reflect upon the year thus far and the remaining months of 2019.

"Reflection is what links our performance to our potential. It is the process of properly unpacking ourselves as leaders for the good of others." - Colonel Eric Kail, West Point, 2015

Beyond self-reflection, it is equally critical to share feedback with your respective team / colleagues / organizational leadership. The ship won't steer itself, thus, a mid-year check-in is critical. This applies to your role as a cardiologist as well as your role as a College Governor.

For this month's article on leadership, I encourage you to consider the following exercise:

1) Make time! Reflection is about making time. A few ideas:
  • Remove the Noise: Turn off your electronics for four minutes. Sit in silence. Resist the urge to "do" something during this time. Just breathe; nothing more. Sometimes we need mental space, without an agenda, to create an opportunity for reflection.
  • Find the "Right" Time: Consider your most "self-aware" time of the day (morning/afternoon/evening before bed). Take that time to make a list of the areas that challenge and/or concern you. Think about your leadership/communication style evolution. Be honest with yourself. What remains challenging? Is there a trend?
  • Take a Stroll: Get out of your normal routine. Shake up your day. Take a walk instead of a drive. Use that time to think about others' needs. What affirmation might they wish they knew? Blind-spots that may be holding them back? See something; say something.

2) Ask Questions: Reflection is about thinking. Asking probing or discerning questions helps our mind get into action mode. Consider using the list below as your "starter set" of reflective questions to help you think about the recent past in terms of your leadership and communication efforts of late or a specific event.
  • What worked? Why?
  • What didn't work? Why?
  • How can you leverage this experience?
  • How does this experience relate to other situations you've encountered?
  • Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently next time?
  • What is currently trending in leadership or communication that you can employ?

3) Think More Broadly: Resist the urge to apply your thinking to how you would react to the same scenario, or how you might respond to a similar situation in the future. Our lives are too complex for that approach. Instead, think about what you can take from the respective event and apply it to other related, or perhaps even unrelated, situations. Look for generalizations, patterns and tendencies. When we think more broadly, we make our reflection time infinitely more beneficial.

As for us, our kids will be starting school after the Labor Day weekend, and my wife and I have already rejoined our daily routines. The beach cottage, filled with so many memories, is closing its doors for the summer. We reflect wistfully on a wonderful summer, but we look forward to an exciting autumn.


The  mission of the Oregon Chapter of the American College of Cardiology is to build a cohesive cardiovascular community  throughout the State of Oregon in order to locally promote cardiovascular education, research, quality care and influence healthcare policy.