As 2020 has just begun we wanted to share some highlights and celebrate achievements that occurred in the past year.
The 2019 Annual Scientific Sessions in Seattle were a great success with over 1,400 attendees, a record number of abstracts, and many innovative sessions. Program Chair Allison Hays did remarkable work and we all left Seattle with a more knowledge, new friends, and fond memories.
We deeply appreciate the work of all the SCMR volunteers to enhance the Society, offer value for our members, and promote the role of CMR in cardiovascular health globally. Just a few of the many highlights follow. The Education Committee (chair: Patricia Bandettini) launched the Physics Webinars which are a great success. The Advocacy Committee (chair: Sebastian Kelle) continues to work relentlessly on cost-effectiveness of the CMR and the international CMR cost-calculator. The new SCMR Registry (chair: Lon Simonetti) reached a milestone by enrolling its first centers. Those interested in also joining should attend the SCMR Registry hands-on tutorial session in at our upcoming Annual Scientific Sessions in Orlando. The first study generated from the SCMR Registry was the SPINS trial recently published in JACC.
Our SCMR level 1 courses in Columbus, Ohio, and New York City were a great success and taught many physicians about the power of CMR.
SCMR leadership has been aggressively pursuing advocacy efforts around the globe throughout the year. This included a successful campaign to have our US physician members join the American Medical Association (AMA) which led to an SCMR seat in the AMA Specialty and Service Society Caucus (represented by Ted Martin, SCMR US advocacy chair). SCMR has now joined the American College of Cardiology and other specialty societies as they debate and inform health care policies that will shape the future of medicine. We would also like to thank our industry partners on the Corporate Advisory Board for their support of several major new advocacy initiatives. The Heart MRI awareness campaign (www.heartMRI.org) has led to a significant increase in our social media and TV presence, along with coverage in national and local press. Our social media presence continues to also grow both on Twitter (@scmr.org), Linkedin and Facebook. Follow and join for the latest SCMR opportunities and CMR news. If you want to learn how to use social media and open an account, come to our Social Media Clinic at our upcoming Annual Scientific Sessions in Orlando. Do you want another way to show your support? Visit our online shop, SCMR K-Space, where you can order your favorite SCMR swag like T-shirts, mugs, hats, mouse pads, and many others.
Following our recent election, SCMR is delighted to welcome its new Board of Trustee members (2020-2022): Marianna Fontana (non-US Cardiologist), Jennifer Bryant (Technologist), Claudia Prieto (non-US Scientist), and Paul Finn (US Radiologist). Subha Raman was elected as Vice-President, and Karen Ordovas as the Vice Secretary Treasurer. We would like to warmly thank the outgoing board members for their commitment and dedication to SCMR over the last few years: Alistair Young (non-US Scientist), Lilia Sierra Galan (non-US Cardiologist), Karen Ordovas (US Radiologist), Stephen Darty (Technologist), and Matthias Stuber (Past-President).
The past year saw several staff changes at SCMR. Lon Simonetti stepped down as CEO in March and, after a competitive search process, Chiara Bucciarelli-Ducci was selected as the new CEO. Shaunna Lee (Program Manager) departed from SCMR in October and has been replaced by Lauren Small. Pete Pomilio, our Chief Operation Officer since 2016, is currently transitioning out of his position following the Scientific Sessions. We thank Pete for his enormous contributions to SCMR and credit him with much of SCMR’s fantastic financial and membership growth.
We now look forward to seeing you all at the 2020 SCMR Annual Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida, on February 12-15. Lars Grosse-Wortmann (Program Chair) and his Program Committee have created a phenomenal meeting around the theme of Precision Cardiology. Expect world-class speakers, seamless links between clinical CMR and cutting-edge imaging developments, and outreach sessions that position CMR in the cardiology context. The program reflects our vibrant community, offering innovative session formats, hands-on learning, and more networking opportunities than ever before. There will be plenty of chances for you to get involved, including post processing workshops, social media 1×1, second opinion clinics, early career sessions, and much more. Christopher Francois (Abstract Chair) has led the effort to showcase the latest advances in CMR to keep you current. Remember to sign-up for our 1st SCMR 5K Fun Run and reserve Childcare Services (offered for the 1st time).
We expect 2020 to be filled with more SCMR initiatives and accomplishments so stay tuned. Best wishes for a rewarding and healthy new year.
Andrew Powell
SCMR President
Chiara Bucciarelli-Ducci
SCMR CEO
