The state of health care in the U.S., and cardiology in particular, are changing rapidly. In order to keep pace with evolving needs while remaining focused on long term goals, the American College of Cardiology has created a new position, the Chief Innovation Officer. That position is being filled by Kevin Fitzpatrick, who took a few minutes to speak with DOTmed News about the state of cardiology today, and how it may look tomorrow.

DOTmed News: What challenges have you made a priority of addressing in your position as Chief Innovation Officer?

Kevin Fitzpatrick: Our member leaders and senior staff have recently completed a strategic plan that informs all that we do. Central to this plan is the achievement of the "Triple Aim" of improving patient care, improving the health of public and reducing per capita costs. The ACC's innovation agenda is directly tied to the achievement of these strategic objectives.
One very important focus area will be health information technology (HIT). The ACC prides itself on the knowledge products, clinical guidelines and appropriate use criteria that it produces. It is imperative that we form business relationships that allow these knowledge resources to be embedded within the clinical workflow and thus more readily available at the point of medical decision making.

DOTmed News: Can you describe your vision for cardiology over the next five years?

KP: It's very clear that there is an accelerating worldwide epidemic of cardiometabolic disorders. The number of patients affected threatens to overwhelm healthcare delivery systems in North America and around the world. I believe that the next five years will usher in an era of unprecedented collaboration between governments, NGO's, payers, health systems, retailers and professional societies as we explore new models of care. Central to these new models will be the migration from "volume to value" as we work to use our healthcare resources more effectively. Finally, we cannot hope to confront the global non-communicable disease without "all hands on deck." The team approach to care will be ever more critical as we more effectively align our resources to improve care and reduce cost.

DOTmed News: Why has the role of Chief Innovation Officer been created?

KP: The Chief Innovation Officer role as created based upon a recognition that the pace of change in healthcare will continue to accelerate. We believe that in order to keep pace with this changing health landscape, we must dedicate resources to drive our innovation agenda.

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