What a year! Littered with phrases such as "unprecedented" and "new normal," we have come full circle. As the virtual ACC.20/WCC wrapped up, we had high hopes that we would be meeting in person in Atlanta, GA, for ACC.21. Despite the promising rollout of vaccines and declining COVID-19 cases, we again found ourselves logging into our computers for another virtual conference seeking camaraderie, education and collaboration. While COVID-19 remained an ever-present undertone of the event, there was a palpable feeling of hope in the air. Instead of discussions regarding uncertainty, fear and the imminent strain of health care systems, this was replaced with pride and reflection on triumphs in research and the resiliency of the cardiovascular workforce. We had changed the narrative of COVID-19 in just one year’s time.

COVID-19 unearthed systemic issues in health care such as racial disparities, social determinants of health and gender inequity, which the ACC has taken on full force to address over the coming years. The CV Team Section will play an integral part as the College advances into the future. The work of Jae Patton, MSN, CRNP, AACC,  with vaccination equity and education was featured in the opening remarks. Brittany Smith, PharmD, represented the CV Team Section and Diversity and Inclusion Committee by giving recommendations to build a collaborative culture in cardiovascular care. Kim Guibone, DNP, ACNP, FACC, demonstrated how advanced practice providers increase patients' access to care, especially in underserved and rural areas. The cardiovascular team was well represented throughout the conference presenting and on panels.

The CV Team Section extends a congratulations to Leslie Davis NP, PhD, FACC, for receiving the Distinguished Associate award. During convocation we welcomed four new Associates and eight Fellows of the ACC. There were over 30 posters presented by CV Team members which have been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

After the live wrap up of ACC.21, the CV Team Section committees continued to host webinars and poster sessions throughout the week. The PA Work Group hosted a webinar, The Value of PAs Where We Are, Where We're Going and the Transformative Effects of COVID. The Structural Heart Disease, APRN, and Pharmacy Work Groups all showcased their top abstracts which can be accessed in the links below.

SHD Poster Session

APRN Poster Session

The hard work and dedication of CV Team members is not only integral to cardiovascular care but to the ACC. As the world continues the journey back to normalcy, we return our focus to the CV Team and our contributions to the College and cardiovascular care, which were evident though out this year's conference. We hope to see everyone in person next year at ACC.22 in Washington, DC on April 2-4, 2022.

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