Structural Heart Disease Council

Chairs

Chair: James Hermiller, MD, MSCAI (2019–2021)
Co-chair: Steven Yakubov, MD, MSCAI (2019–2021)
Board Liaison: Ramesh Daggubati, MD, FSCAI
Staff Liaison:  Eric Grammer (egrammer@scai.org), Kristyn Sylvia (ksylvia@scai.org)

View List of U.S. Based Structural Training Programs

Mission

To provide an interactive forum to address unique issues facing the evolution of less-invasive, catheter-based and hybrid surgical techniques for treating congenital and structural heart disease. In particular, relevant issues pertaining to; physician training and credentialing, reimbursement, and the formation of meaningful relationships with industry and other societies will be emphasized in order to foster innovative research, enhance patient access, and achieve optimal patient care and safety. The Structural Heart Disease Council will coordinate activities with the other SCAI standing committees and will be the final common pathway for establishing and promulgating SCAI policies regarding all matters related to Structural Heart Disease.

Goals

• Development of policies regarding allocation of limited resources for structural heart disease procedures.
• Support the development of guidelines for training at the fellowship level and beyond, as well as, minimum standards for continued certification for the performance of structural heart disease interventions.
• Assist in developing quality assurance tools for multidisciplinary structural heart disease programs.
  • Provide guidance in establishing a multidisciplinary heart team
  • Defining requirements for a valve center of excellence
• Play a major role in interactions with the Advocacy Committee in negotiating with third-party payers and Medicare, as well as other professional societies, the FDA, CMS and industry garnering fair and adequate reimbursement and coverage to ensure patient access to structural heart disease procedures.
  • Establish plan to ensure reimbursement and patient access to percutaneous mitral valve repair technologies, left atrial appendage closure procedures and PFO closure procedures.
  • Optimizing patient selection, as well as pre and post care of TAVR patients.
  • Creating a position statement addressing patient selection for percutaneous pulmonic valve
  • To work closely with surgical societies to guarantee patients are properly educated regarding newer, transformational, less-invasive treatment options for structural heart disease.
• Assist the Congenital Heart Disease Council by directing SCAI experts and resources to support achieving their identified goals.
• Consider partnering with industry to establish regional training courses sponsored by SCAI focusing on advanced structural heart disease procedures.

Voting Members