News Release

SCAI awards 46 grants for interventional cardiology training fellowships

Program aims to fill open fellowship positions and help medical centers meet increasing demand for interventional cardiologists

Grant and Award Announcement

Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 29, 2008) – The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) this week announced grant awards to 46 institutions through the SCAI Interventional Cardiology Fellows-in-Training Grant Program. The multi-year, multi-million dollar program, launched in late 2007, awards grants to medical centers to help pay the salary and benefits for physicians training in interventional cardiology.

Currently, approximately 15 percent of interventional cardiology training spots at accredited U.S. academic training programs go unfilled each year, because many programs lack the financial resources to fill all positions approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). As the population ages and rates of cardiovascular disease continue to increase, the demand for interventional cardiologists is expected to increase. The Fellows-in-Training program, developed with generous support of the Boston Scientific Foundation and the Cordis Cardiac and Vascular Institute, aims to close this gap by providing financial assistance to selected training programs to fill open positions.

“The field of interventional cardiology continues to expand with new, minimally invasive treatments. At the same time, the number of Americans living with heart disease continues to increase,” says Dr. Joseph Babb, an SCAI past president and chair of the Fellows-in-Training committee. “The Fellows-in-Training program helps medical centers meet the growing demand for skilled interventional cardiologists by providing funding to institutions with a proven track record for high-quality interventional cardiology education.”

Grant recipients were chosen by an SCAI committee of interventional cardiology leaders, who evaluated applications based on the centers’ record for producing high-quality interventional cardiologists and demonstrated need for financial support. Institutions were assessed based on a set of metrics that includes optimal faculty-to-fellow ratios, appropriately credentialed faculty, and a balance between clinical training, mentorship and research training.

Medical centers receiving grants in 2008 include:

Aurora Health Care; Baylor University, Dallas; Baystate Medical Center; Bridgeport Hospital; Cleveland Clinic Foundation; Cooper University Hospital; Creighton University; Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center; Duke University; East Carolina University; Emory University; George Washington University; Indiana Heart Institute; Indiana University; Johns Hopkins University; Lenox Hill; Loyola University Medical Center; Main Line Heart Health Center; New York Medical College; Northwestern University; New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center; Ohio State University; Rush University Medical Center; Scripps Clinic; Stanford University; University Hospitals - Case Medical Center; University of Alabama at Birmingham; University of Arizona; University of California – Davis; University of California – Irvine; University of California - San Francisco; University of Chicago; University of Florida; University of Kansas; University of Kentucky; University of Mississippi; University of Missouri - Kansas City; University of Rochester; University of Texas - San Antonio; University of Utah; University of Vermont; Vanderbilt University; Virginia Commonwealth University; Washington Hospital Center; Washington University, St. Louis; William Beaumont Hospital

“Boston Scientific congratulates the grant recipients and applauds this medical education and training program in the critical field of interventional cardiology,” says Dr. Donald S. Baim, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Boston Scientific Corporation. “Boston Scientific Foundation is proud to support SCAI’s efforts to arm a new generation of interventionalists with the experience to help manage the ever-growing problem of cardiovascular disease.”

According to Frank Lyman, Vice President of the Cordis Cardiac and Vascular Institute (CCVI), “Support for education and training of our next generation of Interventional Cardiologist has been a long-standing commitment for Cordis. We are especially pleased that the Cordis Cardiac and Vascular Institute (CCVI) has an opportunity to invest in this program, led by SCAI. We believe that a medical society like SCAI is in an ideal position to evaluate and provide guardianship for these important programs. We congratulate this year’s fellowship recipients.”

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About SCAI

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions is a 4,000-member professional organization representing invasive and interventional cardiologists in 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 annual meeting has become the leading venue for education, discussion, and debate about the latest developments in this dynamic medical specialty.


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