(Press-News.org) Effective today, David E. Winchester, MD, MS, FACC, will serve as chair of the American College of Cardiology Board of Governors (BOG) and secretary of the Board of Trustees. His term will run one year from 2025-2026.
Winchester will lead governors from chapters representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and representatives from the U.S. health services. The BOG serves as the grassroots governing body of the ACC, a leading cardiovascular organization representing over 56,000 cardiovascular care team members around the world.
“Being Chair of the Board of Governors is a unique challenge within the American College of Cardiology. Our chapters are incredibly diverse, and I am looking forward to helping them to accomplish their goals of improving heart health in their communities and making an excellent professional home for their members,” he said.
Involvement in the ACC has been a hallmark of Winchester’s career. Prior to his new role as BOG chair, Winchester started his ACC leadership journey as a member of this ACC Fellow-in-Training Council. He has served in multiple leadership roles within the ACC Florida chapter, most recently as the chapter governor. Winchester credits the ACC Emerging Faculty program, including Rick A. Nishimura, MD, MACC, and Patrick T. O’Gara, MD, MACC, for helping him grow as an educator. According to Winchester, one of the most rewarding experiences he has had with the ACC that improved him as both a clinician and a leader was chairing the writing group for the appropriate use criteria for imaging in chronic coronary disease.
“The biggest challenge that most clinicians are facing today is the struggle to keep their practice open. Whether that's in an academic setting, an ownership model or private equity, the lack of adequate reimbursement updates, uncertainty about prior authorization and other administrative headaches makes it difficult to run a practice smoothly. The ACC continues to advocate for reform of those issues at a national level, and our chapters play a crucial role in facilitating change at a state level,” Winchester said. “The chapters play a critical role in local representation for members and achieving the ACC'S strategic plan at a grassroots level. A strong chapter system is the only way that we can accomplish advocacy across all 50 states effectively.”
Mentorship has been a defining part of Winchester’s experience as an ACC member, starting in fellowship training with successful ACC leaders, including past presidents C. Richard Conti, MD, MACC, and Carl J. Pepine, MD, MACC. The ACC Florida Chapter also gave him the opportunity to grow as a leader through the support of past chapter governors like A. Allen Seals, MD, FACC, and ACC Past President Richard A. Chazal, MD, MACC. Winchester said he owes all these leaders, and many others, his sincere and profound thanks. These experiences drive his excitement to “provide mentorship for our incoming ACC governors and help them get off to a great start of their three-year terms.”
Winchester is a Professor of Medicine and Radiology at the University of Florida College of Medicine, Assistant Chief of Cardiology at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center and Senior Medical Adviser for the VA Office of Integrated Veterans Care. His work focuses on clinical cardiology, noninvasive imaging, quality improvement, health services research and appropriateness of care.
He attended medical school at the University of South Florida, internal medicine residency at the University of Virginia and cardiology fellowship at the University of Florida.
Other new officers for 2025-26 are President Christopher Kramer, MD, FACC; Vice President Roxana Mehran, MD, FACC; Board of Trustees Members Samuel O. Jones, IV, MD, MPH, FACC, and Geoffrey A. Rose, MD, FACC; and Board of Governors Chair-elect Renuka Jain, MD, FACC.
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all. As the preeminent source of professional medical education for the entire cardiovascular care team since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular professionals in over 140 countries who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. Through its world-renowned family of JACC Journals, NCDR registries, ACC Accreditation Services, global network of Member Sections, CardioSmart patient resources and more, the College is committed to ensuring a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. Learn more at www.ACC.org.
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