Twelve Rising Interventional Cardiologists Selected for First-of-its-Kind Emerging Leader Mentorship Program

Distinctive Program from SCAI, ACC and CRF Trains Young Physician Leaders
to Be Advocates and Ambassadors

Today the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) announced the selection of 12 early-career interventional cardiologists to participate in the 2013-15 Emerging Leader Mentorship (ELM) Program, a collaborative program developed by SCAI in partnership with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). These physicians will participate in an intense, hands-on, two-year mentorship program to improve and refine their skills as leaders in medicine, ambassadors for their specialty and advocates for their patients.

“Today’s healthcare providers – and especially physician specialists – face challenges that are not addressed in medical school or during training,” said Srihari S. Naidu, MD, FSCAI, ELM program chair, SCAI Trustee, and director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, NY. “The ELM Program was launched in 2011 to nurture a new generation of leaders to confront these evolving challenges in health care, such as rapidly emerging technologies, stricter regulations, increased clinical demands, fewer resources and the proposed rebalancing between primary and specialty care services. Through ELM training, young physicians who are already excelling clinically learn national and regional leadership skills to help them chart a successful course and guide the field as the healthcare system continues to change.”

This year’s Emerging Leaders were carefully selected by a steering committee from a group of 135 applicants. They are a diverse group of adult and pediatric interventional cardiologists from academic and private practices in three countries. All were chosen for their leadership potential and motivation to excel both regionally and nationally in the areas of clinical care, scholarship, education and/or advocacy.

“In this rapidly changing field, it is absolutely essential to ensure promising young physicians have the opportunities and mentorship available to keep our specialty innovative and our pipeline filled with active and engaged leaders,” said Dr. Naidu.

ELM Fellows will meet throughout the program for training sessions designed to help them expand leadership skills, enhance presentation skills, foster relationships, keep up-to-date on emerging trends and develop their professional niche. In addition, they will be given responsibilities and opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the field of interventional cardiology. They will be assisted throughout the two years by a panel of mentors specifically chosen to match their interests, talent and aspirations.

“The ELM program has already demonstrated success in both identifying and nurturing the next generation of leaders to confront today's challenges and be prepared to excel in the future of medicine,” said J. Jeffrey Marshall, MD, FSCAI, 2012-13 SCAI president. “We look forward to working with this new group of young leaders as they forge their own innovative paths in interventional cardiology.”

  The 2013-15 ELM class includes: 

  • Herbert Aronow, M.D., M.P.H., FSCAI, Private Practice, Director, Peripheral Vascular Intervention & Peripheral Vascular Catheterization Laboratory, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ypsilanti, Mich.
  • Anita Asgar, M.D., Academic Practice, Director, Transcatheter Valve Therapy Clinic, Institut de Cardiologie de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  • John Breinholt, M.D., Academic Practice, Director, Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program and Director of Education, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Pediatrics (Cardiology), Indianapolis
  • Kevin Croce, M.D.,Ph.D., Academic Practice, Director, Brigham and Women's Hospital CTO Program, Brigham/Harvard, Cardiovascular Division, Boston
  • Dmitriy Feldman, M.D., FSCAI, Academic Practice, Director, Endovascular Services, Interventional Cardiac and Endovascular Laboratory, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Medicine, New York City
  • Stephen Hoole, M.B.Ch., M.R.C.P., D.M., Academic Practice, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
  • Farouc Jaffer, M.D., Academic Practice, Director, Vascular Imaging, Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
  • Marc Jolicoeur, M.D., M.Sc., M.H.S., Academic Practice, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Interventional Cardiology, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  • Jason Kovacic, M.D., Ph.D., FSCAI, Academic Practice, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Cardiology, New York City
  • Sahil Parikh, M.D., FSCAI, Academic Practice, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland
  • John Petersen, M.D., M.H.S., Private Practice, Medical Director of Cardiovascular Research and Chief Medical Officer, Seattle Science Foundation, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle
  • Jeffrey Schussler, M.D., FSCAI, Private Practice, Medical Director, Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital ICU, Baylor University Medical Center, Cardiology, Dallas

The SCAI ELM Program in Partnership with ACC and CRF, is supported by educational grants from Abbott Vascular; ABIOMED, Inc.; Boston Scientific; GE Healthcare Cardiovascular; and Guerbet.

For more information on the Emerging Leader Mentorship program, visit www.scai.org. To follow news from SCAI, follow @SCAINews on Twitter.

About SCAI
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions is a 4,000-member professional organization representing invasive and interventional cardiologists in approximately 70 nations. SCAI's mission is to promote excellence in invasive and interventional cardiovascular medicine through physician education and representation, and advancement of quality standards to enhance patient care. SCAI's patient and physician education program, Seconds Count, offers comprehensive information about cardiovascular disease. For more information about SCAI and Seconds Count, visit
www.scai.org or www.SecondsCount.org. Follow @SCAINews and @SecondsCountorg on Twitter for the latest heart health news.

Twelve Rising Interventional Cardiologists Selected for First-of-its-Kind Emerging Leader Mentorship Program

Distinctive Program from SCAI, ACC and CRF Trains Young Physician Leaders to Be Advocates and Ambassadors Today the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) announced the selection of 12 early career interventional cardiologists to participate in the 2013 15

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