Benefits of Applying for ASE’s FASE Designation

First 2024 FASE Deadline: February 1

Fellows of the American Society of Echocardiography (FASE) exemplify excellence in the field of cardiovascular ultrasound through education, research, leadership, and volunteerism. In addition to being ambassadors for ASE, the credential recognizes the many contributions of experts in the field. Physicians, sonographers/allied health professionals, and scientists/researchers each have requirements determining their eligibility to apply, but all recipients who achieve Fellowship status enjoy a variety of benefits.

The December 2023 issue of Echo magazine features an article titled, Sonographer Career Pathways to FASE: How Can FASE Help Achieve Career Goals and Open Opportunities?, and includes an interview with Chair of the FASE-Training and Certification Advisory Committee, Jennifer Warmsbecker, BS, RDCS, FASE, who offers tips, tools, and insight on the benefits of being a FASE sonographer and how to achieve this goal.



The 2024 application deadlines are the first day of February, April, June, August, October, and December. Questions? Contact FASE@ASEcho.org.

ASE Advocacy Update: CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule

ASE has been working to fight prior authorization on behalf of our members and joined several coalitions, including the Alliance of Specialty Medicine, to advance this issue.  There has been progress with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) action today! The CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule has been finalized. The rule sets requirements for Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) fee-for-service (FFS) programs, Medicaid managed care plans, CHIP managed care entities, and issuers of Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) offered on the Federally-Facilitated Exchanges (FFEs), to improve the electronic exchange of health information and prior authorization processes for medical items and services.  Most of these changes will take effect in 2026.

Please see the CMS press release for more information, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-finalizes-rule-expand-access-health-information-and-improve-prior-authorization-process

The fact sheet for this final rule is available here: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/cms-interoperability-and-prior-authorization-final-rule-cms-0057-f

January CASE: A Fresh Flurry of Reports

The latest issue of CASE is now available with intriguing reports, including “Heart Failure after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: Application of the Most Impactful Strain Imaging Techniquesby Burke et al. Author Gordon M. Burke, MD, remarked, “Strain imaging provides powerful prognostic value over routine echo measures. Quantitative strain assessments, such as global longitudinal strain and mechanical dispersion, as well as qualitative strain assessments, such as segmental strain curves, can yield meaningful clinical insight regarding underlying cardiac pathology. Our case report presents the clinical application of these techniques in determining the etiology of a patient’s acute decline following a transcatheter aortic valve implantation and in guiding subsequent clinical management.”

In a second Echo Innovation report, authors offer their approach to intracardiac echo as an alternative to TEE when guiding mitral valve edge-to-edge repair. This issue presents two cases in Congenital Heart Disease, including a rare finding of a small aortopulmonary window as the key to survival in a fetus with pulmonary atresia, and an infantile echo report on the cause of reverse differential cyanosis from suprasternal color flow Doppler images. Multimodality Imaging offers two reports, one highlighting advanced imaging techniques in a patient with Loeffler’s endocarditis, and another comparing the imaging findings of echo, CT, and CMR, with the actual surgical pathology of a large RA myxoma. Finally, Veterinary Clinical Cardiovascular Medicine contains a report on the pathology of a double-outlet right atrium in a cat, which is the same in animals as it is in humans.

Dr. Sorrell’s editorial is a continuation of his Sonographer Sound-Off series, recognizing the important contributions of sonographers to both CASE and the Society as a whole, while also addressing some of the insightful sonographer-submitted questions posed during his time as Editor-in-Chief.

Looking for a journal to submit your case report to? We want to hear from you! Email us with questions or submit your report today. Be sure to check out the latest Sonographer Sound-Off and Unlock the CASE features on the CASE Homepage to view more extraordinary work from your colleagues.

Become an ASE Member Ambassador!

ASE membership runs on a calendar year, so now is the perfect time to recruit new members to join the Society! Referring new members helps create a stronger community of collaboration and increases members’ networks. Become an ASE Ambassador and help strengthen the field of cardiovascular ultrasound!

Check out our Member Recruiting Toolkit with templates and tips to help you reach out to friends and colleagues. Twenty-one members received a complimentary ASE membership for 2023 by referring five or more new members! Contact Membership Recruitment Manager Christine Gil with questions.

New Year, New Content: Access the Latest Free CME/MOC JASE Article in the ASE Learning Hub

As a benefit of ASE membership, you have access to over 25 free CME/MOC activities in the ASE learning Hub! Our newest guideline published in the January 2024 issue of JASE, Guidelines for the Evaluation of Prosthetic Valve Function with Cardiovascular Imaging: A Report from ASE Developed in Collaboration with the SCMR and the SCCT, is the latest JASE CME article available in the ASE Learning Hub (ALH).

Members can access this article for free in the ALH and earn up to 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits

Present at ASE’s 35th Annual Scientific Sessions

Abstract Submission Deadline: January 24

Don’t miss the opportunity to present at the premier cardiovascular ultrasound educational event of the year, ASE 2024! The annual showcase of investigators from around the world presenting cutting-edge research on the latest advances in cardiovascular ultrasound and cases illustrating evolutions in patient care is a highlight of ASE’s Annual Scientific Sessions.

Visit the ASE 2024 Call for Science page to see the many benefits of abstract acceptance and to get started on your ASE 2024 Abstract Submission. The deadline to submit is 11:59 PM on January 24.

Less Than a Week Remains to Save Hundreds on 2024 SOTA Registration

Early Registration Ends January 16

Register by January 16 to receive the best price to attend ASE’s 36th Annual State-of-the-Art Echocardiography (SOTA)! Taking place in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona, SOTA’s 2024 program follows the themes of structural heart disease, myocardial and pericardial disease, coronary artery disease, and interventional echocardiography.

NEW in 2024!

  • Expanded Learning Lab: New topics include advanced hemodynamics, myocardial strain, and structural heart disease. Participants will perform 3D cropping, measurements such as left ventricular and right ventricular strain, left atrial strain, critical measurements for TAVR, TMVR, TEER, and left atrial appendage occluder. (A separate registration and additional fee is required.)
  • Case-based Learning: The course will include a special focus on hemodynamics, structural heart disease, interventional echocardiography, 3D echocardiography, strain imaging, and advanced diastolic function.
  • More opportunities to directly interact with faculty during and after the meeting.
  • Glimpse of the Future: Learn about the impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the field of echocardiography.

Register for the conference first, and then don’t forget to book your hotel reservation.

ASE Publishes Updated Guideline for Evaluating PHVs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Angie Porter
919-297-7152
APorter@ASEcho.org

ASE Publishes Updated Guideline for Evaluating Prosthetic Heart Valves

The guideline focuses on the use of echocardiography and multimodality imaging in evaluating patients with significant cardiac valvular disease

(DURHAM, NC, January 8, 2024)—A new guideline from the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) aims to provide clinicians with a comprehensive resource for evaluating prosthetic heart valves (PHVs). Guidelines for the Evaluation of Prosthetic Valve Function with Cardiovascular Imaging: A Report from the American Society of Echocardiography Developed in Collaboration with the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography replaces the Society’s original guideline published in 2009.

While many principles and recommendations detailed in ASE’s original guideline on PHVs are still current and valid, the document was published prior to several important developments, including the function of percutaneous valves, the use of three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography, and the role of computed tomography (CT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in the evaluation of PHVs.

“This new guideline on prosthetic valves was very much needed, as the field has changed so much since 2009, with the introduction of percutaneous valves and improvements in 3D echocardiography and multimodality imaging,” says Chair of the Guideline Writing Group Dr. William A. Zoghbi, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Cardiology at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas. “It provides clinicians with a roadmap for evaluating PHVs, while aiming to improve patient care and outcomes in the field.”

Dr. Pei-Ni Jone, Co-Chair of the Guideline Writing Group and Director of the Echocardiography Laboratory at the Heart Center, as well as an Attending Physician in Cardiology at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, adds, “The new guideline provides the clinician with much-needed information on how to evaluate PHVs with cardiac ultrasound, particularly with the added value of 3D echocardiography, and when to use further imaging with cardiac CT or CMR.”

Echocardiography is the first-line modality used to assess prosthetic valve function in patients with significant cardiac valvular disease. However, recent advances in CT and CMR have enhanced their roles in evaluating valvular heart disease. This new guideline offers guidance on which imaging modality can be most helpful for each respective valve and includes the newest valves available.

Additionally, the guideline consolidates critical information gleaned from imaging into tables and key points, while also offering a review of the echocardiographic techniques used and providing recommendations and general guidelines for evaluating prosthetic valve structure, function and regurgitation.

The new guideline is published in the January 2024 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. All guidelines published by ASE are available at ASEcho.org/Guidelines.

About American Society of Echocardiography
The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is the Society for Cardiovascular Ultrasound Professionals™. ASE is the largest global organization for cardiovascular ultrasound imaging serving physicians, sonographers, nurses, veterinarians, and scientists and as such is the leader and advocate, setting practice standards and guidelines for the field. The Society is committed to advancing cardiovascular ultrasound to improve lives. For more information, visit the ASE website ASEcho.org or social media pages on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

 

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ASE is Seeking Co-Director and Co-Chair Applications for Its Live In-Person and Virtual Courses

Submit an Application by February 12

Along with Course Directors and Chairs, Course Co-Directors and Co-Chairs are instrumental in the implementation and success of live and virtual courses. All applications for available positions can be submitted now through February 12. The ASE Education Committee will review applications and make recommendations to the ASE Executive Committee, who will make the final selection.

ASE Course Co-Director Application

It is current policy that the Co-Director becomes the Course Director after two years and will then serve as the Course Director for two years. The application process for Course Co-Director beginning in 2026 and serving through 2027 is now open for the following ASE courses:

  • Echo Hawaii
  • State-of-the-Art Echocardiography
  • Review Course Virtual Experience
  • Echo Florida

ASE Virtual Co-Chair Application

It is current policy that the Co-Chair becomes the Course Chair after one year, and then will serve as the Course Chair for one year. The application process applies to the following ASE virtual Courses:

  • Advanced Imaging Techniques Virtual Experience
  • Echo in Pediatric & Congenital Heart Disease

NOW OPEN: 2024 Review Course Registration

Registration for the 2024 ASCeXAM Review Course is now open! This virtual course is specifically designed to help you gain the knowledge you need to pass the ASCeXAM exam administered by the National Board of Echocardiography, Inc (NBE). NOTE: In 2024, NBE is launching a new longitudinal learning assessment, Maintenance of Certification in Echocardiography (MOCE), which will replace its 10-year recertification process (ReASCE). Candidates who pass any initial examination(s) this year will maintain their Diplomate status annually through MOCE the year after passing their examination(s). Learn more about NBE’s MOCE here.

You can register for ASE’s Review Course now. Then, registrants will receive online access to all course content beginning Monday, May 6, 2024. This course offers comprehensive echocardiography education that includes 28.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. As an ASE member, you receive reduced registration rates. Log in to your Member Portal before registering in the ASE Learning Hub.