The 2024 ASE member renewal season is here! Did you know that ASE has an auto-renewal feature that is a convenient way to avoid a lapse in your membership and have uninterrupted access to all your ASE benefits? When you renew your membership this year, follow the steps below to sign up. Next year on November 1, 2024, ASE will charge your saved payment method with your membership renewal.*

First, add or update your payment method:

• Log in to your Member Portal, and click My Saved Payment Methods along the left-hand side.
• Select the + New Credit Card button, and enter your card information.
• Click Save.

Then, proceed to renewing your 2024 membership and sign up for auto-renewal:

• Select Renew Your Membership on the left navigation.
• Click the Renew button to renew your membership.
• Check the Sign-up for Auto Renewal box, and then click the Renew button.

All payment information is securely protected. Please contact ASE with questions regarding this process. You can also sign up for auto renewal by phone at 919-861-5574 or by email at ASE@ASEcho.org.

*To sign up for automatic renewal, you must complete the renewal process and renew your ASE membership for 2024. You can cancel auto-renewal at any time.

Now is your opportunity to become a leader in ASE! We are seeking the best and brightest members to move forward the mission and goals of the Society and the ASE Foundation. We are accepting nominations for available positions on the ASE Executive Committee, ASE Board of Directors, ASE Foundation Board of Directors, and ASE Council Steering Committees. If you are an active member and meet the criteria outlined for the position, ask a friend or colleague who is also an ASE member to submit a nomination on your behalf. The deadline for candidates to submit all required materials is November 30, 2023 (no exceptions).

All positions are open to any member regardless of their specialty, and ASE is looking for a diverse pool of nominees. Contact Nominations@ASEcho.org with questions.

The latest issue of CASE is now available with seven fascinating reports, including “Cysts Around the Heart: Differential Diagnosis and Multimodality Imaging Strategies for Paracardiac Cysts” by Maidman et al. CASE Editor-in-Chief, Vincent L. Sorrell, MD, FASE, remarked, “CASE specializes in providing readers with real-life CV imaging examples that can be used to help you better diagnose and manage your patients. Our goal, as we work with authors during the editorial review process to create educationally meaningful images, is to provide you with common presentations of uncommon diseases and uncommon presentations of common diseases. The CASE series by Maidman et al. fulfills this goal and offers readers a reference guide to be kept in their echo lab for future use. Paracardiac cysts are very common, but their differential is diverse, making them difficult to accurately diagnose. These authors did a fabulous job of including the echocardiographic findings of the most common paracardiac cysts. The accompanying correlative images demonstrate the value of ultrasound enhancing agents, 3D echo, and tomographic imaging. Additionally, the authors created a table of the most common discriminatory echo characteristics to guide your interpretation. This is yet another CASE report that should be added to your Echo Lab CASE Files!”

This issue contains a second case in Multimodality Imaging, featuring a variety of images and tissue characteristic patterns for the diagnosis of an underlying idiopathic etiology in a patient with an LV apical aneurysm. A stunning case of a spontaneous coronary sinus thrombosis in Cardiac Tumors and Pseudotumors accompanies two astute reports in each of the Atypical Presentations of Heart Disease and Just Another Day in the Echo Lab categories, including one on a patient with a classic clinical presentation of vasculitis who later obtains the unexpected diagnosis of infective endocarditis. Dr. Sorrell’s editorial serves as a reminder of the continued importance in considering hemodynamic setting at the time of echo acquisition.

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.

The September issue of JASE includes, “A Practical Approach to Echocardiographic Imaging in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.” Author Dermot Phelan, MD, PhD, FASE, remarks, “Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, often undetected or misdiagnosed, exhibits varied phenotypic expression. Echocardiography is pivotal for diagnosis, risk assessment, and management. Due to variable phenotypic manifestations and dynamic pathophysiology, specific imaging protocols are crucial; this article offers a practical guide, encompassing image optimization, measurement accuracy, clinical data inclusion, and how to address specialized clinical scenarios.”

This issue contains a multitude of clinical investigations on topics ranging from risk assessment with imaging in acute pulmonary embolism, to atrial mechanics for prediction of atrial fibrillation recurrence, to TEE imaging of the mitral valve, to the use of AI in the detection of RV dysfunction. Editorial comments accompany articles on biplane imaging and progress toward prognosis in patients with pulmonary embolism. Additionally, readers can look forward to two state-of-the-art reviews—one investigates key factors in the TEE diagnosis of PFO while another presents an echocardiographic evaluation of pulmonary embolism. Brief research communications include reports on prognosis predictors in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation undergoing mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair as well as a comparison of bedside automated function imaging and offline clinical workstation software in the biventricular deformation assessment of neonates.

Moreover, ASE has six core values that Dr. Eidem intends to expound upon in his future President’s Messages. Read along as he first examines the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in ASE’s efforts of bettering the field of cardiovascular ultrasound. Please see the September ASE Education Calendar for a listing of educational opportunities far and wide.

Planning is underway for the ASE’s 35th Annual Scientific Sessions (ASE 2024) which will be held in Portland, Oregon, from Friday, June 14 – Sunday, June 16, 2024. On behalf of the ASE 2024 Program Committee and ASE Leadership, we invite you to submit one session proposal for consideration for inclusion in this Annual Scientific Session program.

Please note that submissions must be received by Friday, September 1, 2023, to be eligible for consideration in the ASE 2024 Annual Scientific Sessions. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Submission Process

• Submit your proposal using the Session Proposal Form.
• Identify your organization / institution.
• State the learning gap that your session is addressing.
• Explain your vision for the session.

We look forward to hearing from you!

As a member of ASE, you can nominate colleagues for the opportunity to receive a prestigious ASE Award. Winning an ASE Award is a significant honor, and recipients will be celebrated by the Society throughout the upcoming year—including during the 2024 Scientific Sessions. Email the ASE Awards Committee by September 15, 2023, to nominate a friend, colleague, peer, or mentor. We are currently seeking nominations for the following two awards:

• Richard Popp Excellence in Teaching Award (ASE Member nomination)
• ASE Mentorship Award (ASE Member nomination)

Additionally, ASE President Benjamin Eidem, MD, FASE, will select the recipients of the Physician Lifetime Achievement Award and the Meritorious Service Award, and the Sonographer Lifetime Achievement Award, Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Echocardiography, Founders’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in Echocardiography for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, and Circulation & Vascular Ultrasound Council (CAVUS) Luminary Award will be chosen by ASE Councils. Contact Awards@ASEcho.org with questions.

The August 2023 Echo magazine is now online! This issue contains interesting articles written by ASE members, including: 

• Opportunities for Participation at ASE: Tips for Success, page 4
• Sonographer Volunteer of the Month-August, Congratulations Megan Yamat, RDCS, RCS, ACS, FASE, page 7
• Find Your Voice: Communication Tools and Tips for the Interventional Echocardiographer, page 9
• Underrepresented Minorities in Pediatric Cardiology, page 13
• Strain and Perioperative Echocardiography, page 17
• The Transformative Impact of AI on Medical Imaging: Empowering Healthcare Providers, page 19

Echo magazine is a monthly publication offering an outlet for ASE members to contribute interesting articles or images related to cardiovascular ultrasound that are not research articles/images. The article submission deadline for the November 2023 issue is September 15. Review the author submission guideline requirements on formatting, word length, etc. on ASE’s website. Email Echo@ASEcho.org with questions and read past issues at ASEcho.org/EchoMagazine.

This month, ASE welcomed 21 distinguished Fellows of the American Society of Echocardiography (FASE) recipients! These members exemplify excellence in the field of cardiovascular ultrasound through education, research, leadership, and volunteerism. They are ambassadors for ASE and recognized experts in their field. Join us in congratulating the newest FASE recipients:

• Brian Alexander, DO, FASE
• Hakam Alzaeem, MD, FASE
• Alisa Arunamata, MD, FASE
• Jennifer Aten, BS, RDCS (AE,PE,FE), FASE
• Geetanjali Dang, MD, FASE
• Carlos El-Tallawi, MD, FASE
• Johnathan Henry, MD, FASE
• Windi Jones, MBA, MHA, RDCS, RVT, FASE
• Andreas Kyvernitakis, MD, FACC, FASE
• Simon Lee, MD, FASE
• Joseph Meyer, MD, FASE
• Sally Miller, RDCS, FASE
• Andrew Peters, MD, FASE
• Paul Poiyak, MD, FASE
• Satvik Ramakrishn, MD, FASE
• Zhanna Roytman, RDCS, FASE
• Colin Schwarzwal, DVM, PhD, Dipl ACVIM, Dipl ECEIM, FASE
• Ifeoma Ugonabo, MD, FASE
• Hunter Wilson, MD, FASE
• Joyce Woo, MD, FASE
• Mrinal Yadava, MD, FASE

A complete list of FASE members can be found at SeeMyHeart.org. If you are interested in applying for FASE, or would like more information, visit ASEcho.org/FASE. The next deadline to apply is October 1, 2023.

The 8^th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (WCPCCS) starts this weekend on Saturday, August 26, and lasts through September 1. During the Pre-Conference on Sunday, August 27, there will be a full day of sessions (8 AM – 4 PM) focused on Special Topics in Echocardiography (See page 14 of the WCPCCS program for session titles and times). This pre-conference was planned in conjunction with ASE and offers case-based presentations on unusual variants of complex CHD, review of the complexities encountered in patients with Double Outlet Right Ventricle, and a thorough review of imaging in the most common CHD: Ventricular Septal Defects.

ASE President Benjamin W. Eidem, MD, FASE, will be presenting and attending WCPCCS along with many other ASE members. The conference’s Echocardiography Track is Chaired by ASE’s Meryl Cohen, MD, MSEd, FASE, and Leo Lopez, MD, FASE, and the Fetal Cardiology Track is chaired by ASE’s Mary Donofrio, MD, FASE; Anita Moon-Gray, MD, FASE; and Jack Rychik, MD. ASE past board members Carolyn Altman, MD, FASE; Tal Geva, MD, FASE; and Piers Barker, MD, FASE; worked on the Scientific Committee planning the event. Additionally, ASE has joined nearly 50 individuals and 25 other organizations by endorsing the Washington, D.C. Call to Action on Addressing the Global Burden of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Diseases. This Call to Action highlights the global inequities in pediatric and congenital heart care and will be announced at WCPCCS.

Finally, make sure to visit ASE at Booth 1613 in the Exhibit Hall. Director of Membership, Dallas Lyons III, will be at ASE’s booth for the duration of the conference and can offer a refresher on your ASE membership benefits, help renew your membership for 2024, share the latest ASE educational products (save an additional 10% off member pricing), help you register for upcoming ASE courses, and more. We look forward to seeing you in Washington, D.C.!