Don’t Miss These Upcoming ASE Webinars in April

ASE has two live webinars planned this month that are free for ASE members. Log in to your ASE Member Portal and register by clicking the links below:

  • April 27, 5-6 PM ET: Comparative Echocardiography: Human and Nonhuman Primates. In this presentation, speakers Valérie Chetboul, MV, PhD, DECVIMIlana Kutinsky, DO, FACC; and Jonathan Lindner, MD, FACC, FASE; and moderator Philippe Pibarot, DVM, PhD, FASE, will discuss the several similarities and differences of echocardiographic methods applied to human and nonhuman primates. Earn 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Register Today for ASE’s 34th Annual Scientific Sessions

Join us in National Harbor, Maryland, June 23-26, 2023

ASE’s 34th Annual Scientific Sessions is just over two months away, and now is the time to register and reserve your hotel room! Both in-person and virtual attendees will benefit from a comprehensive program focused on cardiovascular ultrasound as a foundational diagnostic tool, while also examining the future of the field.

ASE 2023

Important Information and Quick Links

  • Click here to complete in-person or virtual registration. ASE members receive reduced registration fees as a benefit of membership (remember to log in to your ASE Member Portal to receive member pricing).
  • Additional early registration discounts expire on May 23, 2023.
  • Download the Schedule at a Glance. In addition to session pathways and topic-based presentations, this year there are special sessions for the in-person attendees to meet with faculty in small intimate settings for more individualized learning.
  • Reserve your discounted hotel room at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center and view overflow hotel options by visiting ASEScientificSessions.org/Housing. The room block will be held until June 2, 2023, or until the block is sold out.
  • Participate in ASE’s new Sonographer Career Day on Saturday, June 24. Sonographer students who are currently enrolled in a sonography school program are encouraged to attend ASE 2023 on Saturday free of charge. This special day allows students a unique opportunity to network with faculty and learn more about their chosen career.

ASE Names Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, MD, PhD, FASE, as the Recipient of $1.1 Million in Grant Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

ASE Names Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, MD, PhD, FASE, as the Recipient of a $1.1 Million Grant to Help Optimize Care for Patients Diagnosed with Severe Valvular Heart Disease

The grant will examine the role of a primary care provider and referral patterns for patients presenting with severe aortic stenosis and examine the effectiveness of an echocardiography-based intervention

(DURHAM, NC, April 13, 2023)—The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and the ASE Foundation (ASEF) have awarded $1.1 million in grant funding aimed at improving care for patients suffering from severe valvular heart disease (VHD). Funding support for this grant was provided by Edwards Lifesciences.

Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, MD, PhD, FASE, Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the Impact of Echocardiography Report Recommendations on Referral Patterns and Outcome in Patients with Severe Valvular Heart Disease grant and will serve as the study’s principal investigator. Her research will examine the referral patterns and treatment of patients presenting with echocardiographic evidence of aortic stenosis (AS). AS is a progressive disease that occurs when the opening of a heart valve narrows, typically due to age. Over 1.3 million Americans over age 65 have severe symptomatic AS.1 Echocardiography is the key tool for the diagnosis and evaluation of AS, and is the primary noninvasive imaging method for AS assessment.2 This research study may be applied to other forms of VHD research, such as mitral, tricuspid, and aortic regurgitation, that would benefit from appropriate referral to specialized care. 

“As principal investigator and together with the selected research team, we are ready to utilize the wide-reaching imaging modality of echocardiography to fill an existing gap in the care of patients with severe AS, which can lead to increased morbidity and mortality,” said Dr. Scherrer-Crosbie. “We aim to leverage the capabilities of patients’ electronic health records to improve this gap and to drive any needed changes in referral patterns with subsequent examination of impact on patient care and clinical outcomes.”

Current data depict that many VHD patients may have delayed or incomplete care because their diagnosis from a cardiovascular ultrasound examination does not result in an appropriate referral to a multidisciplinary heart valve team for treatment consideration.

“Considering the growth in the number of patients presenting with aortic stenosis, ASE believes the diagnosis, referral, and treatment for these patients needs to be optimized to improve patient outcomes and lower overall healthcare costs,” said Raymond Stainback, MD, FASE, Immediate Past President of ASE and Chair of ASE’s Research Oversight Committee.

The research will be funded over the next two years and will utilize a pre- and post-single arm study with a historic control aimed at testing a specific intervention’s impact on the care or management of patients with severe AS referred by a non-cardiologist for an echocardiogram.

“Patients impacted by valvular heart disease, and specifically severe aortic stenosis, continue to face significant challenges in receiving timely echo diagnosis and follow up,” said Todd Brinton, MD, FACC, Corporate Vice President, Advanced Technology, and Chief Scientific Officer at Edwards Lifesciences. “Without treatment, we know that, sadly, these patients face debilitating and deadly consequences as heart valve disease progresses. We are pleased to partner with ASE to further study and generate evidence for the clinical community to better understand the optimized referral and care pathway for these patients in need.”

Learn more about this grant by visiting ASEF’s website.

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 ASE’s website ASEcho.org or social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

About Edwards Lifesciences

Edwards Lifesciences is the global leader of patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring.  We are driven by a passion for patients, dedicated to improving and enhancing lives through partnerships with clinicians and stakeholders across the global healthcare landscape.  For more information, visit Edwards.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Edwards, Edwards Lifesciences, and the stylized E logo are trademarks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

1Owens DS, Bartz TM, Buzkova P, et al. Cumulative burden of clinically significant aortic stenosis in community-dwelling older adults. Heart. 2021;107:1493-1502.

2 Baumgartner H, Hung J, Bermejo J, et al. Recommendations on the Echocardiographic Assessment of Aortic Valve Stenosis: A Focused Update from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the American Society of Echocardiography. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2017;30(4):372-392. doi:10.1016/j.echo.2017.02.009

*NEW* Early-Career Development Grants Available for Echo Scientists

Apply Today!

ASE and the ASE Foundation are happy to announce a new funding opportunity available to early career scientists in cardiovascular imaging. The Early-Career Development Grant for Echo Scientists (EDGES) provides support and professional development opportunities for early career members in the Society and creates an avenue for the continued evolution of echocardiography through technical advancement and new applications.

The program will award three grants worth up to $25,000 USD to fund projects that address a clinical gap in cardiovascular ultrasound imaging through research led by an early career scientist. 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 now through July 1, 2023, 5 PM ET. The principal investigator must be an active ASE member.

Worth More Than a Mention: Focus on Structural Heart Disease Interventions

The April JASE focuses on SHD interventions and includes Recommendations for Special Competency in Echocardiographic Guidance of Structural Heart Disease Interventions: From the American Society of Echocardiography.” Lead authors Stephen H. Little, MD, FASE, and Vera H. Rigolin, MD, FASE, note that, “Transcatheter therapies have grown at a rapid pace in a very short period of time. This document outlines training standards for cardiology and anesthesiology fellows as well as those that have completed fellowship training and are learning interventional echocardiography via the experience pathway. The document outlines the requirements of the training institution, the duration of training, the core competencies of training, minimal procedural volume for competency in IE, and competencies for specific structural heart disease procedures.”

In her editorialPatricia A. Pellikka, MD, FASE, JASE Editor-in-Chief, discusses the prevalent trend in medical publications of including more graphical content, stating, “Visual aids can assist with clarification of content, increase attention, save time, and enhance motivation for learning. JASE is interested in increasing pictorial and graphic content to make concepts easier to understand, increase engagement with our audience, and augment interest in the content.”

Additionally, the state-of-the-art review highlights echocardiographic considerations for tricuspid valve TEER. Other clinical investigations explore safety of TEE during structural cardiac interventions, the significance of RV-PA coupling in mitral valve TEER, the impact of MR in bicuspid aortic valve, machine learning detection of AS, and MAC in mitral valve SAM. The brief research communications describe rates of oropharyngeal and esophageal complications during structural heart disease procedures, patients with bicuspid aortic valve and large aortic annular diameter, and insights from a 15-year institutional experience of TEE for cardiac surgery patients with prior esophagectomies. Editorials further delve into MAC in SAM and harm prevention in structural cardiac interventions. The letters to the editor examine the diagnostic role of color-flow and continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography as well as transprosthetic cuff leakage of a novel aortic bioprosthesis.

The President’s Message, “Interventional Echocardiography: The Emergence of a New Imaging Specialty,” from Stephen H. Little, MD, FASE, reflects on aspects of this rapidly expanding subspecialty that has some catching up to do.

ASE Publishes New Guideline Outlining Training Standards for Interventional Echocardiography

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

New ASE Guideline Outlines Training Standards for Interventional Echocardiography
The guideline provides comprehensive recommendations for training interventional echocardiographers and defines clear standards for training programs

(DURHAM, NC, April 4, 2023)—Interventional echocardiography (IE) is the primary imaging modality used to support and guide structural heart disease (SHD) interventions, such as heart valve replacements and other cardiac catheterization procedures. Successful medical outcomes are highly dependent upon the skill of the echocardiography team. A new guideline document from the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) outlines clear and uniform training standards to help increase the number of skilled interventional echocardiographers and improve patients’ access to quality care.

Recommendations for Special Competency in Echocardiographic Guidance of Structural Heart Disease Interventions: From the American Society of Echocardiography provides guidance on all critical aspects of training for cardiology and anesthesiology trainees and post-graduate echocardiographers who plan to specialize in IE. The document outlines the requirements of the training institution, the duration and core competencies of training, minimal procedural volume for competency in IE, and knowledge of specific SHD procedures.

“SHD interventions rely on echocardiography before, during and after procedures,” says ASE’s President and Co-Chair of the guideline writing group, Stephen H. Little, MD, FASE. “IE techniques are unique since imaging is performed in real-time, it is highly dependent on 3D and non-standard views, and it has immediate and profound implications for patient management. Additionally, IE requires candid, accurate and timely communication with other members of the multidisciplinary SHD team.”

The document addresses core competencies common to all transcatheter therapies, as well as specific transcatheter procedures. A core principle is that the length of IE training and achieved procedure volumes are less important than the demonstration of procedure-specific competencies within the milestone domains of knowledge, skill and communication.

“Transcatheter therapies for SHD continue to grow at a rapid pace, which means that the demand for skilled interventional echocardiographers has steadily increased,” added Vera H. Rigolin, MD, FASE, Co-Chair of the guideline writing group. “Training standards are needed to ensure that interventional echocardiographers have the necessary expertise to provide fast, accurate and high-quality image acquisition and interpretation in real-time.”

This document is endorsed by 21 ASE International Alliance Partners and is published in the April 2023 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. View all ASE Guidelines by visiting 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 ASE’s website ASEcho.org or social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.


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Time is Running Out: Apply for an ASEF Council Travel Grant

Deadline: April 15, 2023

Are you planning to attend ASE’s 34th Annual Scientific Sessions? Apply for an ASEF Council Travel GrantThe application deadline is Saturday, April 15. 

Each spring, ASEF funds Council Travel Grants for trainees and others to support their attendance at ASE’s annual Scientific Sessions. These grants are part of an ongoing effort by ASEF and the Council Steering Committees to encourage individuals interested in cardiovascular specialties to focus on the respective echocardiography subspecialty and to recruit enthusiastic new members to the ASE Councils. 

The Council Travel Grant application is open for all six ASE Councils:

  • Cardiovascular Sonography Council
  • Circulation & Vascular Ultrasound Council
  • Critical Care Echocardiography Council
  • Interventional Echocardiography Council
  • Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Council
  • Perioperative Echocardiography Council

Check Out the March Echo Magazine

The March 2023 Echo magazine is now online! This issue contains an article honoring world-renowned clinician and ASE’s Past President Bijoy Khandheria, MD, FASE, and interesting articles written by ASE Members, including:

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

Last Chance to Participate in the ASE Foundation’s March Games

The ASE Foundation’s March Games ends on April 2, but there’s still time to support your team with a donation! We encourage you to also celebrate Women’s History Month by donating in honor of the important women in your life. Include a tribute message and send their picture to Foundation@ASEcho.org, and we’ll post it online!

Does your team have what it takes?! The Cardiovascular Sonography Council Steering Committee continues to increase its lead! As of March 27, they have raised $495. In second is the Interventional Echocardiography (IE) Council Steering Committee with $320. The Circulation & Vascular Ultrasound Council Steering Committee and Emerging Echo Enthusiast (E3) Specialty Interest Group have yet to make a basket. It’s not too late to get in on the action!

Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, MD, PhD, FASE, Named the Recipient of the ASE/ASEF’s Newly Diagnosed Severe Valvular Heart Disease Grant

ASE and the ASE Foundation are pleased to announce that Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, MD, PhD, FASE, Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the $1.1M USD Impact of Echocardiography Report Recommendations on Referral Patterns and Outcome in Patients with Severe Valvular Heart Disease (SVD) grant. The grant, which is awarded by ASE through its Foundation with funding support from Edwards Lifesciences, will examine the impact of embedded echocardiography report interventions on referral patterns and outcomes in patients newly diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis (AS) by echocardiography.

ASE made the decision to provide this funding opportunity as a result of the growth in numbers of patients presenting with AS. ASE believes that the diagnosis, referral, and treatment for these patients needs to be optimized to lower healthcare costs and increase positive patient outcomes. Dr. Scherrer-Crosbie’s research will examine the role of a primary care provider and referral patterns to a cardiac specialist for patients presenting with severe AS, though the study may be expanded to include other forms of SVD.