A Letter From Our President and CEO: ACHA's First Newsletter
Reposted from ACHA's October 2023 Heart Happenings e-newsletter:
As many of you know, we have been celebrating the Adult Congenital Heart Association‘s (ACHA) 25th Anniversary throughout 2023. Given that the actual date of ACHA’s incorporation is this month – October 27th to be exact – I thought we should use this edition of Heart Happenings to reminisce a bit about our first printed newsletter.
Called The Laurel Wreath, ACHA’s original newsletter was published in Fall 1998. Click here to take a look at this issue. It was a four-page newsletter that started out by explaining why it carried the banner of The Laurel Wreath (hint: the Laurel Wreath is an emblem of honor and achievement).
ACHA Announces 2023 Research Grants
With the latest round of Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) research grants, announced at our Virtual Research Symposium on September 23, 2023, we have now invested more than $500,000 over the past four years to fund 18 research investigations specifically focused on adult congenital heart disease (ACHD).
Since the launch of our emerging research program in 2019, ACHA has been the only national patient advocacy organization focusing solely on ACHD research. Through the research grants funded, we emphasize the importance of partnership between patients, their families and the medical field.
A Milestone for the Ages
With 50 ACHD Programs meeting criteria as ACHA ACHD Accredited Comprehensive Care Centers, we've reached a tremendous milestone in the care of patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) in the United States. The road and the process to get to this point had been forged and paved brick by brick, by many over several decades, and is worth noting.
Board of Directors 2023 Recruitment Period Opens
The Adult Congenital Heart Association is currently recruiting highly-qualified candidates to serve on the ACHA Board of Directors (BOD). To learn more about the roles, responsibilities, and qualifications for our BOD, please click here.
ACHA Welcomes Mary Jane Eazer to the Board of Directors
The Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) – whose mission is to empower the congenital heart disease (CHD) community by advancing access to resources and specialized care that improve patient-centered outcomes – has appointed Mary Jane Eazer to its Board of Directors.
Volunteer Spotlight: Michael Sipes
Patient and Family Advisory Board member Michael Sipes talks about the importance of spreading awareness through personal stories and how ACHA and the PFAB had reconnected him with medical care and a CHD community.
ACHA's Patient & Family Advisory Board Recruitment Opens
Thank you for your interest in joining the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) Patient & Family Advisory Board (PFAB).
ACHA is committed to creating a culture where patients and families across the country are empowered to communicate with Board and staff leadership in a collaborative effort to promote understanding and outcomes. The PFAB ensures the existence of an effective organizational mechanism for receiving and responding to diverse consumer perspectives on an ongoing basis. Members of the PFAB provide advice and support on current and proposed ACHA initiatives and help to ensure the effective delivery of those initiatives in their local communities. The PFAB functions as a standing advisory body to the ACHA Board of Directors (BOD).
ACHA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee Now Accepting Applications
Help us ensure that ACHA’s programs continue to be supportive and representative of all impacted by CHD by applying to join ACHA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.
ACHA Spotlight: Jason Williams, MD
As Black History Month comes to a close, we are sharing a Q&A with Jason Williams, MD. Dr. Williams is a Cardiothoracic Imaging Specialist and Pediatric Cardiologist at Duke Children’s in Durham, NC, and has shared his thoughts on the importance of diverse representation in medicine, how he is addressing health equity through his work with the congenital heart disease (CHD) community, and more.
ACHA in Action: Heart Month 2023 Awareness Roundup
We are so thankful to all of the volunteers and supporters, including members of the Board of Directors (BOD) and Patient & Family Advisory Board (PFAB), who have worked hard to spread awareness about both ACHA and the importance of lifelong care for adults with congenital heart disease (CHD).