Association of Black Cardiologists Announces New and Re-Appointed Leaders to Its Board of Directors

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May 07, 2019, 15:53 ET

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), an inclusive organization dedicated to the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases and the elimination of health disparities, is pleased to announce the election of new and returning members to its board of directors. Michelle A. Albert, MD, MPH, President-elect, and Elizabeth Ofili, MD, MPH, Chair-elect, will serve for one year before stepping into their role as president and board chair, respectively, in March 2020. Anthony Fletcher, MD began his two-year term on the board of directors in April.

Dr. Albert is a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and director of the CeNter for the StUdy of AdveRsiTy and CardiovascUlaR DiseasE (NURTURE). She maintains a clinical practice focused on preventive cardiology and the most critically ill heart disease patients at UCSF. She has a distinguished novel research career focused on adversity and cardiovascular disease and is the principal investigator for NIH RO1 funding, an American Heart Association (AHA) Merit Award and other foundation funding. She is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and the Association of University Cardiologists (AUC). She is President of the AHA's San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley Board of Directors. She has held multiple roles within the ABC, including most recently as Secretary of the Board of Directors. Dr. Albert also serves on the Sarnoff Foundation Board of Directors and the NHLBI Board of External Experts.

"At this critical time in the history of the ABC and of our nation, I am honored to be elected as the next president of the ABC," said Dr. Albert. "We are at an inflection point wherein efforts focused on growth and development of the membership for both women and men along the career life-course is essential. In addition to the latter, enhancement of our brand through strong fruitful collaborations and fiscal strengthening, expansion of our community health impact and magnification of the academic productivity of our organization and membership will be among key goals of my tenure."

Dr. Ofili is a professor of medicine (Cardiology) at Morehouse School of Medicine, and chief medical officer of the Morehouse Choice Accountable Care Organization. She is the founder of AccuHealth Technologies, "Empowering Patient-Centered Health and Wellness." She is the principal investigator of the NIH funded national consortium of the Research Centers at Minority Institutions (RCMI) which includes over 18 historically Black, Hispanic, and Minority Serving Institutions across the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. She is the multi principal investigator of the NIH funded statewide Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (GACTSA), and the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN). She also serves on the boards of: Georgia BIO, Georgia's Life Sciences Partner and Alliant Health Solutions. Dr. Ofili is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the AUC. Dr. Ofili was the eighth and first woman president of the ABC.

"I am pleased to serve the ABC at this moment in its history. The ABC has pioneered programs that have lasting impact on the diversity of the cardiovascular workforce and cardiovascular health equity," said Dr. Ofili. "However, much work remains. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to expand the ABC's national and global footprint on cardiovascular health."

Dr. Fletcher currently practices at the Cardiology and Medicine Clinic in Little Rock, Arkansas in association with Dr. Frances R. Harris and Dr. Joe L. Hargrove. He has practiced cardiology in the Little Rock community for the past 32 years. He is an active staff physician at Baptist Medical Center, Arkansas Heart Hospital, St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center and is a former clinical professor in the Department of Cardiology at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). He was past president of three different affiliates of the American Heart Association (AHA). He has served as president and CFO of the Arkansas Medical Dental and Pharmaceutical Association. He was a past member of the National Board of the AHA and has served on several national committees. Currently, he is a member of the Arkansas Commission for Healthcare Improvement (past chairman), and he sits on the Advisor Board of the UAMS College of Public Health.

"My vision for the ABC, is to use its resources and talents to be a strong voice for underserved communities, to address the many inequities in cardiovascular care in our nation and around the world," said Dr. Fletcher.

The following board members are returning to the board of directors for another term (2019-2021): Uzoma N. Ibebuogu, MD, Kevin Sneed, PharmD, CRPh, and Millicent Gorham, PhD (Hon), MBA. The ABC Board comprises a wide range of experience in various fields, including healthcare, organizational management and capacity building. To learn more, visit http://abcardio.org/board-of-directors.

About ABC
Founded in 1974, the ABC is a nonprofit organization with an international membership of more than 1,800 healthcare, lay professionals, corporate and institutional members. The ABC's mission is to promote the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, including stroke, in Blacks and other minorities and to achieve health equity for all through the elimination of disparities. For more information on the Association of Black Cardiologists, visit http://www.abcardio.org.

SOURCE Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc.