Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I hope that you are well in these difficult times. This past week, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to wreak havoc in our nation and the world. I want to express solidarity with our colleagues who are on the front lines, addressing the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians, nurses, and allied health care professionals in the emergency departments, intensive care units, and inpatient wards are dealing directly with the sickest patients and are, in turn, greatly exposed. We in the interventional and invasive cardiology world are immensely grateful for their efforts and are here to offer support and help.

As we face the COVID-19 pandemic, SCAI is committed to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our members, healthcare teams, and the patients they treat. With the immediate future uncertain, we have made the following decisions:

1. The SCAI 2020 Scientific Sessions which was scheduled to take place in Atlanta, Georgia from May 13–16 has been canceled. We will provide virtual content in various formats that you can access online via an on-demand platform or via live broadcast. These plans are currently in development. For those of you that have already registered for SCAI 2020 Scientific Sessions, SCAI will provide a full refund. Contact SCAI at [email protected].
2. We are launching a COVID-19 Resource Center relevant to invasive and interventional cardiovascular medicine on the SCAI Website on March 24, 2020. We will provide you with updated information regarding the practice and safety measures required for interventional practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. I have appointed Timothy D. Henry, MD, MSCAI, Medical Director, Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education at Christ Hospital, Cincinnati and SCAI Vice President to oversee the SCAI Research Taskforce pertaining to COVID-19 and its effects on cardiovascular outcomes. He has assembled a superb group and details will be shared shortly. Importantly, we are making every effort to investigate the cardiovascular effects of COVID-19 and bring updated information to our members as it becomes available from around the country.

As of today, our office in Washington, D.C. has been closed to reduce the transmission of the coronavirus and to contribute to ‘flattening the epidemic curve,’ but you should see no change in your connectivity and support as the SCAI team is working virtually.

We are committed to working together with those confronting the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that all patients can benefit from the expertise and experience of our members. We will continue to update you frequently with relevant information. In the meantime, please stay safe and feel free to contact me ([email protected]) or Francesca Dea, SCAI Chief Executive Officer ([email protected]) should you have any questions or comments to share.

Ehtisham Mahmud, MD, FSCAI
President, SCAI 2019–2020
Professor and Division Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine
University of California, San Diego