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Support for Cardiovascular Professionals through COVID-19

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Kurt Jensen

Towards the beginning of this crisis, I wrote a message to our network regarding our response to COVID-19. Crucially, I want to remind everyone, again, that ACVP has maintained a remote staff infrastructure for many years, and our day-to-day operations and support for cardiovascular professionals has not changed despite COVID-19.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to update our members on how ACVP continues to provide outstanding support for cardiovascular professionals through COVID-19, and how we've been spending our time to continue to support our members and our profession.

1. Facilitating Virtual Continuing Education

The Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals hasn't stopped developing and delivering quality continuing education in a virtual capacity. So far, in March and April alone, we've served hundreds of hours of continuing education to non-physician cardiovascular professionals through our new CVCEU on-demand education platform, which offers more than seven hours of educational modules absolutely free of charge.

We're working diligently behind the scenes to expand those offerings with all-new content, as well as secure sponsorship so that we can continue to deliver these new modules to professionals for free!

2. Facilitating Discussion & Collaboration in a Critical Time

Through this crisis, we've been blessed to have the active and engaged leadership of outstanding professionals and administrators in cardiovascular care to facilitate discussion and the sharing of best practices in real time.

We also continue to connect professionals, directly, with ACVP's CONNETWORK program. Thank you to our fellows and our leaders for going the extra mile despite the increased demands on their time.

1&2(b): Pre-Announcing Our Live Webinar Series in May

To facilitate both excellent virtual education and collaborative discussion, we're very excited to announce a LIVE webinar series in May which will feature outstanding cardiovascular service line administrators and directors and non-physician cardiovascular professionals sharing their experiences and insight into clinical care during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as looking forward to the new normal in cardiology services as the world slowly reopens.

These moderated panel discussions will provide excellent, real-time clinical education and CEs for attendees, free of charge. Stay tuned for more information - and make sure you're getting our emails by signing up, here.

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How COVID-19 is affecting work for cardiovascular professionals

Posted on March 30, 2020March 30, 2020 by Kurt Jensen

It's an overwhelming and busy time for every one—especially for our cardiovascular professionals who are doing their best to provide high quality care as hospital resources are diverted to containing the COVID-19 pandemic. At the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals, we reached out to some of our fellows and leaders to offer insight into how COVID-19 is affecting work for cardiovascular professionals, how different organizations are handling the crisis, and what the future holds for cardiovascular professionals.

If you'd like to know about ACVP's own response to COVID-19, you can find that here.

We are particularly thankful to new fellow Jeff Richards, MBA, RCIS, FACVP, who made the time to provide us with the following, detailed response to kick off discussion among our entire network about how COVID-19 is affecting work for cardiovascular professionals.

If you have a spare moment, please tell us how COVID-19 is affecting your work!

Leave a comment, below »

As an RCIS in a very busy Cath Lab, my workflow has changed dramatically. Our lab went from doing twenty-five to thirty cases a day to less than five procedures. The Cardiology team has been diligently working to comb through patients and are only bringing to the lab individuals who are deemed urgent or emergent. The cardiac team is relying more heavily on coronary CTA than they may have in the past as it is generally quicker and exposes fewer staff members. That being said, we are still conducting outpatient, endomyocardial biopsies for post cardiac transplant patients as timely medication adjustments in the event of rejection are still crucial.

Our staffing model has changed drastically as well over the past few weeks. We are only bringing in one to two teams and are letting staff go home as quickly as possible throughout the shift. In the past, we have generally worked on three person teams consisting of a combination of nurses and technologists. Our workflow typically has one nurse sedating and one or two technologists driving the table and circulating. However, with our goal of reducing exposure, we have dropped the in-room team down to one nurse and one technologist, with a third team member outside the room to aid in fetching products, imaging consoles, and anything that may be outside of the procedure room.

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A Day in the Life of a Cardiovascular Technologist

Posted on March 20, 2020July 26, 2021 by Kurt Jensen

The Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals produced a new feature on Cardiovascular Technology and the career of a Cardiovascular Technologist on the Health Professions Network website, hpnonline.org.

In the current health crisis, every one is reminded of the crucial importance and value of health care professionals and health careers. But shortages of professionals still affect many States, and some students who might be interested in health careers just aren't quite sure what to expect from the educational requirements to the day-to-day life of a professional.

To help address these issues and to raise the profile of the cardiovascular profession, we're participating in a Health Professions Network initiative designed to promote practical and personal perspectives on health education and work in non-physician careers.

Goals and Rewards of Being a Cardiovascular Technologist

Please note, the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals represents individuals from a variety of professional backgrounds, but this feature focused on cardiovascular technology and the cardiovascular technologist as other HPN members will cover nursing and radiologic technology as pathways to health careers in a number of specialties.

The feature still has takeaways for radiologic technologists and registered nurses interested in particular cardiovascular work environments, and emphasizes the crucial importance of teamwork and diverse professional backgrounds in the cardiac care team.

We surveyed a number of professional and student ACVP members to compile our perspectives, and we thank all of the individuals who helped us create this resource for the next generation of cardiovascular professionals!

The resource is also far from set in stone, and we invite your feedback on how it might be improved in the future. And please, share this resource!

Read "A Day in the Life of a Cardiovascular Technologist" on hpnonline.org »

The Value of an Association of Cardiovascular Professionals

Posted on March 6, 2020March 6, 2020 by Kurt Jensen

the value of an association of cardiovscular professionals

My boss, Peggy McElgunn, is a truly excellent mentor and advocate. She has decades of experience serving as the Executive Director of the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals as well as with other professional associations and non-profit organizations across healthcare and other industries. Her wealth of knowledge and expertise is no small part of the value ACVP members receive for their dues investment. And in thinking about continuing the spirit of Cardiovascular Professionals Week year-round, I asked her to share with us some of her thoughts on the value of an association of cardiovascular professionals, what supporting an association like ACVP really does both for individuals and for the profession as a whole. - Kurt Jensen

Professional associations have existed for as long as people have gathered and there have been trades, crafts and professions. It is apparent we have a basic need to form communities with people who share similar interests. There is no doubt that, together, we are able to professionally accomplish more than any one of us can do independently.

Social Networks Can't Replace an Association of Cardiovascular Professionals

In an era of the internet and social communities, the value of professional associations have been questioned, particularly by younger entrants into a field. But the internet does not curate our professional connections. The internet does not promote professional recognition as a verified expert or qualified voice. The internet does not catalog the wealth of professional information and provide us with specific support to enable us to maximize our time and potential.

Online social networks, alone, are a poor substitute for an association of cardiovascular professionals. Only an association with a history of commitment and dedication to its members can do this effectively.

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