Please contact the ACC Press Office to arrange interviews with the following experts:
David R. Holmes, Jr., MD, FACC
President
2011-2012
Dr. Holmes is the Edward W. and Betty Knight Scripps Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and an interventional cardiologist in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He earned a B.S. from Princeton University in 1967 and a medical degree from Marquette University in 1971. He completed his internship at the Virginia Mason Hospital & Medical Center in Seattle and pursued a fellowship in both internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases at the Mayo Clinic. After completing active duty in the Navy at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Dr. Holmes returned to the Mayo Clinic as a consultant.
As an active member of the ACC Board of Trustees, Dr. Holmes has chaired the i2 Summit Programming Committee and played a major role in the development of all i2 Summit Meetings. He has served as the ACC governor for Minnesota from 2002 to 2003 and co-chaired the 2003 ACC Scientific Session. He has served as head of an initial Procedures Training Work Group for the ACC. In that capacity, he helped to develop the combined training program in renal and iliac stenting in conjunction with the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and the Society for Vascular Surgery. He served on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Interventional Cardiology Test Writing Committee as one of its original members and continues to write questions for them.
Dr. Holmes’ special areas of interest include acute coronary syndromes, interventional cardiology, restenosis, vascular biology, risk outcomes analysis, telemedicine and simulator technology. Dr. Holmes has participated in the development of a new catheter design and new approaches for the treatment of patients with coronary artery and vein graft disease, atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease. He has been recognized for his achievements with numerous awards, including the ACC Distinguished Scientist Award (Clinical Domain) in 2006. In 2007, Dr. Holmes was given the James B. Herrick Award of the American Heart Association (AHA) Council on Clinical Cardiology, and he was awarded the Carl Wiggers Award in 2010. He is past president of SCAI. In addition to having contributed to more than 1,000 peer-reviewed original publications, he serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), ACCEL (the ACC’s audio journal), Circulation and Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions and is an associate editor for JACC Cardiovascular Interventions. His dedication to cardiovascular care has been recognized with several awards, including Cardiovascular Teacher of the Year by the Department of Cardiology Fellows at Mayo Clinic.
John G. Harold, MD, MACC
Vice President
2011-2012
Dr. Harold holds a seat on both the ACC Executive Committee and the American Board of Internal Medicine Executive Committee. A graduate of New York City's Stuyvesant High School, Dr. Harold received a BS in biomedical sciences from the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at the City College of New York. After earning his medical degree from the Stony Brook University School of Medicine, he performed his residency in internal medicine at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He completed a fellowship in cardiology in 1985 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he began his practice in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Harold is interested in state and national issues affecting the management of cardiovascular disease. He filled the position of ACC governor from Southern California, chaired the ACC Board of Governors, and was recognized with the ACC California Chapter's Leadership Award in 2009 after serving as the chapter's president. By collaborating with the ACC California Chapter and the British Cardiovascular Society, Dr. Harold facilitated the development of the International Twinning program, which is now being expanded to additional chapters along with other International societies. He was actively engaged in the Board of Governors and Chapter Governor Nominating Dr. Harold has also worked tirelessly to raise funds for the ACC and has been involved in the organization for the past three decades.
Dr. Harold sits on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Executive Committee. His involvement in both the ACC and the ABIM has allowed him to facilitate an expanded collaborative relationship between the two organizations on numerous fronts, including International activities. Dr. Harold serves on the board of directors of a variety of other organizations, including the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Save-A-Heart Foundation, the Bicuspid Aortic Foundation, the Heart Foundation at Cedars-Sinai and the UCLA Clinical Faculty Association. He is immediate past-president of the Los Angeles County Division of the American Heart Association (AHA), which he has actively supported for the past two decades. He contributes to the advancement of cardiovascular medicine by hosting and co-hosting fundraising events, such as the 2009 Los Angeles AHA Heart Awards Galas, and he was presented with the AHA Passion of the Heart Award in 2007. Dr. Harold was honored with the Master designation from both the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians and was named Stony Brook School of Medicine Alumnus of the Year in 2007.
William A. Zoghbi, MD, FACC
President-Elect
2011-2012
Dr. Zoghbi is the William L. Winters endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Imaging at The Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and director of the Cardiovascular Imaging Institute at the Methodist Hospital in Houston.
Dr. Zoghbi was born in Beirut, Lebanon. After receiving his B.Sc. in biology and chemistry from the American University of Beirut, he entered medical school there only to have his plans interrupted by the outbreak of war. He completed medical school in the United States, trained in internal medicine and cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine and joined the faculty in 1985. His tenure at Baylor was from 1985 to 2005. He was the John S. Dunn Professor of Medicine and served as director of the chocardiography laboratory and echocardiography research at the Methodist Hospital. In 2005, he was appointed as director of the Cardiovascular Imaging Institute and received the William L. Winters endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Imaging at the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, now affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Zoghbi is a leader in the field of echocardiography and Doppler ultrasound for heart disease. He has developed new techniques to evaluate valvular disorders and cardiac function. Studies in Zoghbi’s laboratory improved the non-invasive evaluation of diastolic function with Doppler and refined the use of stress and contrast echocardiography for detection of ischemic heart disease. Dr. Zoghbi also is known for his research on myocardial hibernation and his development of 3D Doppler techniques to measure valvular regurgitation. He has authored more than 200 original publications in the field of cardiovascular imaging and has been invited to lecture on his work at every major cardiology conference around the globe. He chaired the development of national guidelines for evaluating native and artificial heart valves with cardiac ultrasound which have also been endorsed internationally; he also co-chaired the ACC committee that wrote a monograph on how to best to train the new generation of cardiologists in cardiovascular imaging. He is credited for having established the first Cardiovascular Imaging Institute in the U.S., where all cardiovascular imaging modalities are co-located and integrated for enhanced patient care, education and research.
Dr. Zoghbi has been actively involved with the ACC and the American Heart Association for more than two decades. Dr. Zoghbi has served as chair of the ACC Annual Scientific Session Program Committee, served on the ACC Board of trustees and was until recently the treasurer of the ACC. He also has exerted considerable influence in recent years in the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) through many educational endeavors, committees and leadership roles, not the least of which was his recent tenure as ASE president. He has served on the board of directors of the ASE and chaired the Annual Scientific Sessions in 2005. Dr. Zoghbi has served on the editorial board of many prestigious medical journals including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC); he was associate editor of Circulation and is associate editor of JACC Cardiovascular Imaging.
Thad F. Waites, MD, FACC
BOG Chair, BOG Secretary
2011-2012
Dr. Waites practices clinical cardiology with an emphasis on interventional cardiology. His practice is with the Hattiesburg Clinic in Mississippi.
Dr. Waites graduated from University of Mississippi Medical School. After active duty as a flight surgeon with the U.S. Navy Reserve, he completed an internship at Emory University, Grady Hospital, and an internal medical residency at University of Colorado. After practicing internal medicine for two years at Ochsner Clinic, he became chief resident and performed a fellowship at Emory University under Dr. J. Willis Hurst. He served on the cardiology staff at Ochsner for eight years, during which time he was recognized as Teacher of the Year. He moved to Hattiesburg and the Hattiesburg Clinic in 1987.
While in Hattiesburg, he has been president of the medical staff for two terms. He was president of the Mississippi Affiliate and Southeastern Affiliate of the American Heart Association (AHA). A past-vice president of the Hattiesburg Clinic, he is director of the cath lab of Forrest General Hospital. His clinical research interest is currently in the field of CT Imaging.
Richard A. Chazal, MD, FACC
Treasurer
2009-2012
Born in Ocala, Fla., Dr. Chazal, MD, FACC, earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and a medical degree in 1977 from the University of South Florida, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. His cardiology training was accomplished at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Krannert Institute of Cardiology, including a one-year fellowship in echocardiography.
Dr. Chazal is the chair of the Budget, Finance and Investment Committee (BFIC) and treasurer of the College. During his time as a member of the College, he has served in multiple capacities, including roles as secretary of the College, chair of the Board of Governors, ACC Florida Chapter president and governor from 2002 to 2005, as well as member and chair of multiple committees. In addition to service on the ACC Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, he serves on the Balance Scorecard Work Group, as well as the Executive Committee.
Dr. Chazal’s practice focuses on clinical cardiology with particular interests in practice patterns and quality improvement. A Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography, he directs the diagnostic ultrasound program for his institution. Dr. Chazal is a senior partner in The Heart Group in Fort Myers.
Dr. Chazal and his wife, Linda, have three children. In his free time, he is an avid fisherman.
Ralph Brindis, MD, MPH, MACC
Immediate Past President
2011-2012
Dr. Brindis is the senior advisor for cardiovascular disease for Northern California Kaiser, clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and an affiliated faculty member of the UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. Dr. Brindis graduated MIT in 1970 and obtained a Master's degree in Public Health from UCLA in 1972. He graduated Emory Medical School summa cum laude in 1977. He completed his residency and was chief resident in internal medicine and a cardiology Fellow at UCSF.
Dr. Brindis is a practicing invasive cardiologist with an active practice of consultative cardiology. His major interest in process measures and outcomes assessment in cardiovascular disease has led him to assist in the creation and implementation of various cardiovascular guidelines for Northern California Kaiser.
Dr. Brindis has been active in ACC activities for over 15 years, serving previously as the ACC governor of Northern California and as president of the ACC California Chapter. Dr. Brindis was Chief Medical Officer and Chair of the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR®) Management Board and also chaired the ACC Appropriateness Oversight Task Force developing Appropriate Use Criteria for non-invasive testing and coronary revascularization procedures. He is the past chair of the ACC Quality Strategic Directions Committee. Dr. Brindis was the 2007 recipient of the national ACC Distinguished Fellow Award. He is an active volunteer in the American Heart Association (AHA) serving on the Western Affiliate Mission Lifeline Task Force. He previously served on the California Affiliate AHA Board and as the president of the AHA San Francisco Division.
Dr. Brindis sits on the Cardiac Advisory Board of the State of California Office of Statewide Health and Planning Development (OSHPD) initiative overseeing public reporting of hospital and physician specific Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) mortality. He also served on the National Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee for Cardiac Care for the Veteran’s Administration and the VA Hospital National CABG Quality Oversight Committee. Dr. Brindis has over 100 publications in national peer-reviewed cardiovascular journals.
John C. "Jack" Lewin, MD
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Lewin has been chief executive officer of the ACC since November 2006. The 39,000-member College represents American cardiologists, and a growing number of international members. Based in Washington, D.C., ACC has a distinguished reputation among professional societies for leadership in the monitoring of quality care and outcomes, and for making such results transparent. Publisher of the esteemed Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), ACC is also the world leader in cardiovascular clinical education and clinical guidelines development, operating the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR®) quality of care data registries in over 2,400 hospitals.
Under Dr. Lewin’s leadership, ACC has aspired to contribute greatly to national leadership in advocacy related to expanding access to care for uninsured persons, and in reforming Medicare, Medicaid, and the financing and delivery of quality health care. These efforts are part of ACC’s mission to promote "heart health" and reductions in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. ACC has over 300 employees and an annual budget of over $90 million.
Prior to coming to ACC, Dr. Lewin was CEO of the 35,000-member California Medical Association and its various subsidiary companies. Lewin was also formerly Hawaii’s Director of Health from 1986-1994, overseeing 6,500 employees and a $1 Billion budget. In this role, he helped Hawaii achieve near-universal access to health care and revitalize statewide public health systems. In Hawaii, he was also CEO of the statewide 13-facility Community Hospital System.
Before that, as a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), he was the founder and first director of the Navajo Nation Department of Health, serving the needs of America’s largest Native American tribe, straddling the three states of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
Trained in internal medicine, Dr. Lewin has also enjoyed many years of practicing primary care medicine during his career in Arizona, Hawaii, and California. He serves on numerous national boards and advisory bodies, including being founder and president of the Physicians’ Foundations, which are among the top ten health-related philanthropies in the nation, focused on promoting quality, patient safety, and health information technology adoption, and President of the national Patient Safety Institute. He was an advisor on health policy to President Clinton.
Dr. Lewin received his BA in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine, and his MD from the University of Southern California. His hobbies include composing for piano, skiing, biking, kayaking and long-distance running, having completed over 25 marathons. He and his wife Sandra have three children.
David R. Holmes, Jr., MD, FACC
President
2011-2012
Dr. Holmes is the Edward W. and Betty Knight Scripps Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and an interventional cardiologist in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He earned a B.S. fr
om Princeton University in 1967 and a medical degree from Marquette University in 1971. He completed his internship at the Virginia Mason Hospital & Medical Center in Seattle and pursued a fellowship in both internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases at the Mayo Clinic. After completing active duty in the Navy at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Dr. Holmes returned to the Mayo Clinic as a consultant.
As an active member of the ACC Board of Trustees, Dr. Holmes has chaired the i2 Summit Programming Committee and played a major role in the development of all i2 Summit Meetings. He has served as the ACC governor for Minnesota from 2002 to 2003 and co-chaired the 2003 ACC Scientific Session. He has served as head of an initial Procedures Training Work Group for the ACC. In that capacity, he helped to develop the combined training program in renal and iliac stenting in conjunction with the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and the Society for Vascular Surgery. He served on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Interventional Cardiology Test Writing Committee as one of its original members and continues to write questions for them.
Dr. Holmes’ special areas of interest include acute coronary syndromes, interventional cardiology, restenosis, vascular biology, risk outcomes analysis, telemedicine and simulator technology. Dr. Holmes has participated in the development of a new catheter design and new approaches for the treatment of patients with coronary artery and vein graft disease, atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease. He has been recognized for his achievements with numerous awards, including the ACC Distinguished Scientist Award (Clinical Domain) in 2006. In 2007, Dr. Holmes was given the James B. Herrick Award of the American Heart Association (AHA) Council on Clinical Cardiology, and he was awarded the Carl Wiggers Award in 2010. He is past president of SCAI. In addition to having contributed to more than 1,000 peer-reviewed original publications, he serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), ACCEL (the ACC’s audio journal), Circulation and Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions and is an associate editor for JACC Cardiovascular Interventions. His dedication to cardiovascular care has been recognized with several awards, including Cardiovascular Teacher of the Year by the Department of Cardiology Fellows at Mayo Clinic.
John G. Harold, MD, MACC
Vice President
2011-2012
Dr. Harold holds a seat on both the ACC Executive Committee and the American Board of Internal Medicine Executive Committee. A graduate of New York City's Stuyvesant High School, Dr. Harold received a BS in biomedical sciences from the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at the City College of New York. After earning his medical degree from the Stony Brook University School of Medicine, he performed his residency in internal medicine at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He completed a fellowship in cardiology in 1985 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he began his practice in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases.Dr. Harold is interested in state and national issues affecting the management of cardiovascular disease. He filled the position of ACC governor from Southern California, chaired the ACC Board of Governors, and was recognized with the ACC California Chapter's Leadership Award in 2009 after serving as the chapter's president. By collaborating with the ACC California Chapter and the British Cardiovascular Society, Dr. Harold facilitated the development of the International Twinning program, which is now being expanded to additional chapters along with other International societies. He was actively engaged in the Board of Governors and Chapter Governor Nominating Dr. Harold has also worked tirelessly to raise funds for the ACC and has been involved in the organization for the past three decades.
Dr. Harold sits on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Executive Committee. His involvement in both the ACC and the ABIM has allowed him to facilitate an expanded collaborative relationship between the two organizations on numerous fronts, including International activities. Dr. Harold serves on the board of directors of a variety of other organizations, including the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Save-A-Heart Foundation, the Bicuspid Aortic Foundation, the Heart Foundation at Cedars-Sinai and the UCLA Clinical Faculty Association. He is immediate past-president of the Los Angeles County Division of the American Heart Association (AHA), which he has actively supported for the past two decades. He contributes to the advancement of cardiovascular medicine by hosting and co-hosting fundraising events, such as the 2009 Los Angeles AHA Heart Awards Galas, and he was presented with the AHA Passion of the Heart Award in 2007. Dr. Harold was honored with the Master designation from both the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians and was named Stony Brook School of Medicine Alumnus of the Year in 2007.
William A. Zoghbi, MD, FACC
President-Elect
2011-2012
Dr. Zoghbi is the William L. Winters endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Imaging at The Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and director of the Cardiovascular Imaging Institute at the Methodist Hospital in Houston.
Dr. Zoghbi was born in Beirut, Lebanon. After receiving his B.Sc. in biology and chemistry from the American University of Beirut, he entered medical school there only to have his plans interrupted by the outbreak of war. He completed medical school in the United States, trained in internal medicine and cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine and joined the faculty in 1985. His tenure at Baylor was from 1985 to 2005. He was the John S. Dunn Professor of Medicine and served as director of the chocardiography laboratory and echocardiography research at the Methodist Hospital. In 2005, he was appointed as director of the Cardiovascular Imaging Institute and received the William L. Winters endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Imaging at the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, now affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Zoghbi is a leader in the field of echocardiography and Doppler ultrasound for heart disease. He has developed new techniques to evaluate valvular disorders and cardiac function. Studies in Zoghbi’s laboratory improved the non-invasive evaluation of diastolic function with Doppler and refined the use of stress and contrast echocardiography for detection of ischemic heart disease. Dr. Zoghbi also is known for his research on myocardial hibernation and his development of 3D Doppler techniques to measure valvular regurgitation. He has authored more than 200 original publications in the field of cardiovascular imaging and has been invited to lecture on his work at every major cardiology conference around the globe. He chaired the development of national guidelines for evaluating native and artificial heart valves with cardiac ultrasound which have also been endorsed internationally; he also co-chaired the ACC committee that wrote a monograph on how to best to train the new generation of cardiologists in cardiovascular imaging. He is credited for having established the first Cardiovascular Imaging Institute in the U.S., where all cardiovascular imaging modalities are co-located and integrated for enhanced patient care, education and research.
Dr. Zoghbi has been actively involved with the ACC and the American Heart Association for more than two decades. Dr. Zoghbi has served as chair of the ACC Annual Scientific Session Program Committee, served on the ACC Board of trustees and was until recently the treasurer of the ACC. He also has exerted considerable influence in recent years in the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) through many educational endeavors, committees and leadership roles, not the least of which was his recent tenure as ASE president. He has served on the board of directors of the ASE and chaired the Annual Scientific Sessions in 2005. Dr. Zoghbi has served on the editorial board of many prestigious medical journals including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC); he was associate editor of Circulation and is associate editor of the new JACC-Cardiovascular Imaging.
Thad F. Waites, MD, FACC
BOG Chair, BOG Secretary
2011-2012
Dr. Waites practices clinical cardiology with an emphasis on interventional cardiology. His practice is with the Hattiesburg Clinic in Mississippi.
Dr. Waites graduated from University of Mississippi Medical School. After active duty as a flight surgeon with the U.S. Navy Reserve, he completed an internship at Emory University, Grady Hospital, and an internal medical residency at University of Colorado. After practicing internal medicine for two years at Ochsner Clinic, he became chief resident and performed a fellowship at Emory University under Dr. J. Willis Hurst. He served on the cardiology staff at Ochsner for eight years, during which time he was recognized as Teacher of the Year. He moved to Hattiesburg and the Hattiesburg Clinic in 1987.
While in Hattiesburg, he has been president of the medical staff for two terms. He was president of the Mississippi Affiliate and Southeastern Affiliate of the American Heart Association (AHA). A past-vice president of the Hattiesburg Clinic, he is director of the cath lab of Forrest General Hospital. His clinical research interest is currently in the field of CT Imaging.
Richard A. Chazal, MD, FACC
Treasurer
2009-2012
Born in Ocala, Fla., Dr. Chazal, MD, FACC, earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and a medical degree in 1977 from the University of South Florida, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. His cardiology training was accomplished at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Krannert Institute of Cardiology, including a one-year fellowship in echocardiography.
Dr. Chazal is the chair of the Budget, Finance and Investment Committee (BFIC) and treasurer of the College. During his time as a member of the College, he has served in multiple capacities, including roles as secretary of the College, chair of the Board of Governors, ACC Florida Chapter president and governor from 2002 to 2005, as well as member and chair of multiple committees. In addition to service on the ACC Board of Governors and Board of Trustees, he serves on the Balance Scorecard Work Group, as well as the Executive Committee.
Dr. Chazal’s practice focuses on clinical cardiology with particular interests in practice patterns and quality improvement. A Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography, he directs the diagnostic ultrasound program for his institution. Dr. Chazal is a senior partner in The Heart Group in Fort Myers.
Dr. Chazal and his wife, Linda, have three children. In his free time, he is an avid fisherman.
Ralph Brindis, MD, MPH, MACC
Immediate Past President
2011-2012
Dr. Brindis is the senior advisor for cardiovascular disease for Northern California Kaiser, clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and an affiliated faculty member of the UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. Dr. Brindis graduated MIT in 1970 and obtained a Master's degree in Public Health from UCLA in 1972. He graduated Emory Medical School summa cum laude in 1977. He completed his residency and was chief resident in internal medicine and a cardiology Fellow at UCSF.
Dr. Brindis is a practicing invasive cardiologist with an active practice of consultative cardiology. His major interest in process measures and outcomes assessment in cardiovascular disease has led him to assist in the creation and implementation of various cardiovascular guidelines for Northern California Kaiser.
Dr. Brindis has been active in ACC activities for over 15 years, serving previously as the ACC governor of Northern California and as president of the ACC California Chapter. Dr. Brindis was Chief Medical Officer and Chair of the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR®) Management Board and also chaired the ACC Appropriateness Oversight Task Force developing Appropriate Use Criteria for non-invasive testing and coronary revascularization procedures. He is the past chair of the ACC Quality Strategic Directions Committee. Dr. Brindis was the 2007 recipient of the national ACC Distinguished Fellow Award. He is an active volunteer in the American Heart Association (AHA) serving on the Western Affiliate Mission Lifeline Task Force. He previously served on the California Affiliate AHA Board and as the president of the AHA San Francisco Division.
Dr. Brindis sits on the Cardiac Advisory Board of the State of California Office of Statewide Health and Planning Development (OSHPD) initiative overseeing public reporting of hospital and physician specific Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) mortality. He also served on the National Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee for Cardiac Care for the Veteran’s Administration and the VA Hospital National CABG Quality Oversight Committee. Dr. Brindis has over 100 publications in national peer-reviewed cardiovascular journals.
John C. "Jack" Lewin, MD
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Lewin has been chief executive officer of the ACC since November 2006. The 39,000-member College represents American cardiologists, and a growing number of international members. Based in Washington, D.C., ACC has a distinguished reputation among professional societies for leadership in the monitoring of quality care and outcomes, and for making such results transparent. Publisher of the esteemed Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), ACC is also the world leader in cardiovascular clinical education and clinical guidelines development, operating the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR®) quality of care data registries in over 2,400 hospitals.
Under Dr. Lewin’s leadership, ACC has aspired to contribute greatly to national leadership in advocacy related to expanding access to care for uninsured persons, and in reforming Medicare, Medicaid, and the financing and delivery of quality health care. These efforts are part of ACC’s mission to promote "heart health" and reductions in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. ACC has over 300 employees and an annual budget of over $90 million. Prior to coming to ACC, Dr. Lewin was CEO of the 35,000-member California Medical Association and its various subsidiary companies. Lewin was also formerly Hawaii’s Director of Health from 1986-1994, overseeing 6,500 employees and a $1 billion budget. In this role, he helped Hawaii achieve near-universal access to health care and revitalize statewide public health systems. In Hawaii, he was also CEO of the statewide 13-facility Community Hospital System.
Before that, as a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), he was the founder and first director of the Navajo Nation Department of Health, serving the needs of America’s largest Native American tribe, straddling the three states of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Trained in internal medicine, Dr. Lewin has also enjoyed many years of practicing primary care medicine during his career in Arizona, Hawaii, and California. He serves on numerous national boards and advisory bodies, including being founder and president of the Physicians’ Foundations, which are among the top ten health-related philanthropies in the nation, focused on promoting quality, patient safety, and health information technology adoption, and President of the national Patient Safety Institute. He was an advisor on health policy to President Clinton.
Dr. Lewin received his BA in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine, and his MD from the University of Southern California. His hobbies include composing for piano, skiing, biking, kayaking and long-distance running, having completed over 25 marathons. He and his wife Sandra have three children.