91st AATS President Irving L. Kron, MD President, AATS University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia

AATS Incoming President Looks to the Future

Shortly after becoming a member of AATS, I vividly recall sitting in the back of the Plenary Session at the Annual Meeting in Washington, DC listening to Dr.  Keith Reemtsma’s Presidential Address. Dr. Reemtsma outlined in detail how membership in AATS had changed his life by making him a better physician and a better leader. That address was in 1991, and for the past 20 years I have made it my goal to experience that same metamorphosis.

Since its founding over nine decades ago, AATS has been at the forefront in developing  academic leaders and assuring that new, cutting-edge science was made available worldwide to improve the care of cardiothoracic surgical patients. As I assume the Presidency of the association, I pledge to continually address and support these critical areas.

In recent years my predecessors have developed innovative means to support the role of the AATS in assuring that the future leadership of our specialty will have the tools and expertise to address the ever-changing demands of the CT surgeon. Programs such as “Developing the Academic Surgeon” and the “AATS Academy” have attracted some of the best and the brightest in our field who will become the academic leaders of tomorrow.  And we are now participating in efforts to improve and update the methods we implement to teach our younger colleagues the art and science of cardiothoracic surgery.

The association, through its Annual Meeting, its four scientific publications (The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Operative Techniques, and the Pediatric Annual) and its participation in continuing education activities in both Europe and Asia, fulfills its mission “To Promote Scholarship in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery”. We have also reached out to our medical colleagues by cooperating in educational activities with organizations such as the American College of Cardiology and the Heart Rhythm Society. We distinguish ourselves as physicians, and distance ourselves from the corporate world which protects its latest ideas and methodologies from their competition, by sharing these data and experiences with our colleagues.

AATS added new innovative programs added in 2010 that addressed the areas of “Professionalism”, “Robotics”, “Critical Care”, “EBUS” and expanded “Skills” courses which demonstrates graphically the association’s commitment to respond to the needs of our specialty.  As we move forward during the coming year, it is my intention to focus on the ongoing expansion of the association’s efforts in supporting the development of academic leaders for our specialty and the sharing of new scientific knowledge with our peers.

Past Presidents