Two cardiologists at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) published expert consensus articles on heart failure and the electrophysiology of the heart respectively, in the January 2018 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (ACC):
Alan Wasserman, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine and Eugene Meyer Professor of Medicine at SMHS, served as a senior author on the article “2017 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway for Optimization of Heart Failure Treatment: Answers to 10 Pivotal Issues About Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction.”
The article explored the current status of heart failure treatment and provides an updated approach to treatment. This article specifically identifies and answers 10 pivotal questions. It reviews steps to follow when introducing new therapies, ways to improve adherence, how to overcome treatment barriers, review contraindications for some medications, reviews special populations, and discusses when an how to make the transition to palliative care.
Wasserman is board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease. His clinical and research work has focused on the areas of cardiac imaging, ischemic heart disease, and preventative cardiology.
Cynthia Tracy, MD, associate director of the Division of Cardiology, director of electrophysiology, and professor of medicine at SMHS, was the senior author of the article, “2017 ACC/HRS Lifelong Learning Statement for Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialists.”
The article outlines the lifelong learning competencies for clinical cardiac electrophysiology determined by the ACC. The paper is the first lifelong learning competency specific to a subspecialty of cardiovascular medicine.
Tracy is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and cardiac electrophysiology. She is recognized as a leading electrophysiologist in the United States and is an expert in cardiac ablation and medical management of arrhythmia.
