2024 marks the 10th year ASE members have contributed their images to the ASE Echo Image Calendar which has become a very popular member renewal gift. Members are encouraged to upload cardiovascular images for the 2024 Image Calendar Contest by Wednesday, August 9. Please include a brief description of your image. Voting for the favorite images to be included in the colorful, 12-month calendar will close on Wednesday, September 13. All members who renew by December 31, 2023, will receive the 2024 calendar in the mail*.

To upload your images, visit the ASE 2024 Calendar Contest Library on Connect@ASE:

1. Log in to Connect@ASE using your ASE username (email address) and password.
2. Using the left navigation, scroll to Libraries.
3. Click on Image Library.
4. Click on the folder called ASE 2024 Calendar Contest.
5. Click “Upload Resource” under Folder Contents and upload your image. Image file size cannot exceed 30 MB.
6. Upload as many images as you would like.
7. Please include a title and brief description of your image.

Please note that this competition is open to members only. If you have any questions, please contact Kayla Van Ormer at KVanOrmer@ASEcho.org.

*Not including members who live in locations that are not served by the USPS.

The July issue of JASE includes “Guidelines and Recommendations for Performance of the Fetal Echocardiogram: An Update from the American Society of Echocardiography.” Co-Chair Mary T. Donofrio, MD, FASE, remarks, “It has been almost two decades since ASE released its last guidelines on fetal echocardiography. Since then, advances in the field and increased collaboration have improved imaging and increased our understanding of fetal cardiac physiology and disease progression. These guidelines will provide updated information on indications for referral as well as recommendations on timing of initial and serial follow-up studies for patients with CHD to best care for babies in utero and at delivery. The document also addresses assessment of arrhythmias, cardiac function, and CHD that progresses in utero, and gives instruction on the approach to imaging single ventricles and CHD with AV valve, outflow, or arch abnormalities. This document is the first to offer detailed guidelines for imaging of the fetal heart beyond describing normal, but also to include recommendations when fetal cardiovascular disease is present.”

Clinical investigations in this issue include the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in rheumatic heart disease screening by novices, prognostic stratification of clinically stable patients with heart failure by an echocardiographic pressure/volume loop model, and features of infective endocarditis and bicuspid aortic valve through the lens of valve morphology. This issue further explores the focus topic of AI and echocardiography with articles on fully automated artificial intelligence assessment of aortic stenosis, unsupervised time-series clustering of left atrial strain for cardiovascular risk assessment, and a test-retest study on improved precision and reproducibility of LV strain. Readers can also look forward to an editorial discussing necessary changes to data design for echocardiography’s big data age.

In his inaugural President’s Message, Benjamin W. Eidem, MD, FASE, expands on the three membership-focused initiatives he will embark upon in this upcoming year.

Clarivate has released the 2022 Impact Factors, which for JASE is 6.5. JASE maintains its rank of 27 out of 142 cardiology journals, placing it in the top quartile.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

American Society of Echocardiography Appoints 2023-2024 Board President

(DURHAM, NC, June 30, 2023)—The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is pleased to announce the appointment of Benjamin W. Eidem, MD, FASE, as the organization’s new Board of Directors President, effective July 1, 2023.

During the 34^th Annual Scientific Sessions in National Harbor, Md., June 23-26, Dr. Eidem shared his vision as the 2023-2024 ASE President. ASE is the largest global organization for cardiovascular ultrasound professionals, enthusiasts, and multidisciplinary partners, and he explained that his presidency will primarily focus on the value of membership in the Society. As only the second pediatric cardiologist to lead ASE since it was founded in 1975, he plans to focus on three important initiatives he sums up as (1) ASE Matters, (2) ASE Mentors and (3) ASE Educates.

ASE Matters will help expand the organization’s opportunities for leadership and service, ASE Mentors will help foster engagement among new and longtime members and facilitate the training of future leaders in the field, and ASE Educates will address the ongoing need for education and training of adult sonographers in the area of adult congenital heart disease to better serve patients.

“Cardiovascular ultrasound imaging is a challenging and rewarding field comprised of a diverse group of professions made up of many specialties and subspecialties,” said Dr. Eidem. “In my term as President, I want to balance the varied needs of individual members, while also addressing the needs of our entire field. Increased member involvement advances and grows ASE and cardiovascular ultrasound.”

Dr. Eidem has held numerous leadership and volunteer positions on committees, councils, task forces, and writing groups, and served as chair of the Finance and Education committees, among others. He has been a member of ASE since 1995 and achieved Fellowship status from the Society in 2003. He most recently served on the Executive Committee on ASE’s Board of Directors as the 2022-2023 President-Elect.

Originally from St. Paul, Minn., Dr. Eidem earned his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Mich. He completed his residency in Pediatrics from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, before moving back to his home state to complete his fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology from Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He is currently the Director of Pediatric and Congenital Echocardiography at Mayo Clinic and is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in the Departments of Pediatrics and Cardiology.

ASE membership also elected ten new Board members to serve the Society starting July 1, 2023. The ASE Executive Committee welcomes newly elected Vice President David H. Wiener, MD, FASE, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, who will serve a one-year term.

The following new Board members were elected to serve two-year terms: Craig Fleishman, MD, FASE, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, FL (Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Council); Enrique Garcia-Sayan, MD, FASE, FACC, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX (Member at Large); Allison Hays, MD, FASE, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, (Member at Large); Lanqi Hua, ACS, APCA, RDCS (AE, PE, FE) MS, FASE, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (Member at Large); Sheela Pai-Cole, MD, FASE, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA (Perioperative Echocardiography Council); Lucy Safi, DO, FASE, Mount Sinai, New York City, NY (Leadership Academy Representative); Seda Tierney, MD, FASE, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA (Member at Large); and Susan Wiegers, MD, FASE, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA (Past President Representative). Paul Mayo, MD, FASE, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY (Critical Care Echocardiography Council) will serve a one-year term.

Learn more about ASE by visiting, ASEcho.org.

About American Society of Echocardiography
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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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Join us for ASE’s 11th Annual Echo Florida course that will take place October 7-9, 2023, at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This course offers a comprehensive review of cardiovascular ultrasound and includes dedicated sessions on cardiomyopathies, coronary artery disease (including stress testing), valvular heart disease, pericardial disease, heart failure, emerging technologies, complex congenital heart disease and case-based demonstrations on the role of 2D, and real time 3D/4D echocardiography, as well as strain imaging. Attendees can earn up to 23.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Deadline to Apply is July 1, 2023

The deadline to apply for the ASE and the ASE Foundation’s Early-Career Development Grant for Echo Scientists (EDGES) is quickly approaching! Early-career echo scientists in cardiovascular imaging can submit their application until 5:00 PM ET on July 1, 2023.

This funding opportunity will award three grants worth up to $25,000 USD to early-career clinical, basic science, or engineering investigators who are conducting research projects that address a clinical gap in cardiovascular ultrasound imaging.

There are no specific research themes that will be prioritized, and clinical gaps may include, but are not limited to: new imaging technologies, novel approaches or populations for diagnostic imaging, ultrasound therapy, workflow automation, or patient/practitioner safety. Physicians, PhDs, veterinarians, sonographers, and other healthcare professionals who are within seven years from having completed training are eligible to apply. The principal investigator must be an active ASE member.

Key Dates

• Application Deadline: July 1, 2023, by 5:00 PM EST
• Scientific Review (anticipated): September 2023
• Earliest Start Date: October 1, 2023

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

• Reflection, Preparation, and Gratitude, page 4
• Sonographer Volunteer of the Month – June, Congratulations Megan Kraushaar, BS, RCS, FASE, page 7
• Become a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation with ASE’s New Online Review Course, page 9
• Viewpoint in Structural Echocardiography: Junior Faculty Spotlight, page 11
• Putting the Puzzle together: Reflections From a Master Teacher, page 13
• Pilot: The ASE Mentor Match Program, page 18

ASE members can write and submit articles to Echo magazine for publication. The article submission deadline for the September 2023 issue is July 15. Visit ASE’s website to review the author submission guideline requirements on formatting, word length, etc. Contact Echo@ASEcho.org with questions and view past issues at ASEcho.org/EchoMagazine.

The ASE 2023 Scientific Sessions just wrapped up in National Harbor, Maryland, and it was a tremendous success. Chaired by James Kirkpatrick, MD, FASE, and Co-Chair, Madeline Jankowski, BS, RDCS, ACS, FASE, over 2,000 attendees from 38 countries enjoyed four days of learning in person that were also packed with exciting networking events. Over 500 people attended virtually and were able to participate in the Q&A sessions through the Whova app. The online library of the sessions presented in National Harbor will be available for purchase on ASELearningHub.org later this summer.

ASE 2023 also welcomed nearly 400 investigators from around the world who presented their original science during the meeting. Congratulations to the two investigator award competition winners on their excellent achievements.

• 2023 Arthur E. Weyman Young Investigator’s Award Competition Winner, Jeremy Slivnick, MD, FASE, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
• 2023 Brian Haluska Sonographer Research Award Competition Winner, Nicole Guerrera, RT(R), RDCS, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Thank you to all the investigators who contributed to this year’s scientific program! We hope to see your cutting-edge science at next year’s Scientific Sessions. Abstract submissions will open on October 5, 2023.

Plan now to join us for a more condensed Scientific Sessions in Portland, Oregon, next year Friday, June 14, through Sunday, June 16, 2024.  

Gemstones or “gems” are highly valuable, and similar to their namesake, ASE GEMs recognize valued members who Go the Extra Mile.

Join ASE in celebrating members who are making the world a better place by submitting a GEM nomination. Nominate a colleague for their dedication to the field of cardiovascular ultrasound, outstanding mentorship to students or fellows, commitment to quality patient care, or congratulate them on a major accomplishment or milestone service anniversary.

The deadline for submission is the 25th of each month to allow time for recognition the following month. View past ASE GEM recipients here.

Content is available now for the 24th Annual ASCeXAM/ReASCE Review Course. This course is specifically designed to help you gain the knowledge you need to pass the ASCeXAM® and ReASCE® exams, but even if you are not taking the exam this year, this course offers comprehensive cardiovascular ultrasound education. In addition to covering all aspects of cardiovascular ultrasound essential to these examinations, your registration also includes a virtual live component coming up on Saturday, July 8. The expert faculty will host two, two-hour Q & A sessions from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET and 12:30 – 2:30 PM ET. Register today, start studying, and earn 28.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (pending approval).

The latest issue of CASE, ASE’s open access case reports journal, is now available with some fascinating reports, including “A Sticky Situation: The Unfortunate Consequence of Chewing Gum” by Christopher Lee, MD et al. CASE Editor-in-Chief, Vincent L. Sorrell, MD, FASE, remarked, “This issue includes a rarity! Since assuming the role as EIC, I can honestly say that this has never occurred in the many hundreds of manuscripts I have reviewed. In this issue, there is one of the most clinically meaningful CASE reports we’ve published, and it did not include any high-quality images. In fact, there were no interpretable images whatsoever. And that is the point of their report. Lee et al. should be congratulated in their careful approach to a patient with grossly impaired acoustic transmission during a TEE procedure.” Read the full article in CASE to learn more!

Additionally, there are two reports in the Multimodality Imaging category and three in the Interventional Echocardiography category, including a case on the serial evaluation of the oldest living patient with asymptomatic severe apical variant hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A diverse range of reports fall into the Congenital Heart Disease category, including one from a 38-year-old with an untreated Gerbode defect who underwent coarctation stenting. In his editorial, Dr. Sorrell parallels his travels westward to the daily explorations of echocardiographers and the images that tell a story if one looks close enough.

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 captivating work from your colleagues.