Dr. Hadley Wilson and Dr. Nicole Lohr to Lead ACC for 2023-2024

March 6, 2023—The American College of Cardiology (ACC) announced its 2023-2024 leadership appointments. B. Hadley Wilson, MD, was named President of the ACC. Nicole L. Lohr, MD, will serve as Chair of the ACC Board of Governors and Secretary of the Board of Trustees for the 1-year term. Dr. Lohr will lead governors from chapters representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, and representatives from the United States health services.

Dr. Hadley Wilson and Dr. Nicole Lohr will lead The American College of Cardiology (ACC) for 2023-2024. Courtesy of ACC.

Dr. Wilson is an interventional cardiologist and Executive Vice Chair at Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute/Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

In 2022, Dr. Lohr was appointed Professor of Medicine and Division Director of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in Birmingham, Alabama, where she is also the Director of the Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center and the Mary G. Walters Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine.

Other new ACC officers for 2023-2024 are Vice President Cathleen Biga, MSN, RN; Board of Trustees member Sandra J. Lewis, MD; Finance Committee chair-elect Akshay K. Khandelwal, MD; and Board of Governors chair-elect Himabindu Vidula, MD.

According to the ACC, Dr. Wilson joined Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute as an interventional cardiologist and served as Director of the catheterization laboratory and Chief of Cardiology for 15 years.

Throughout almost 25 years as an ACC member, Dr. Wilson has held numerous leadership positions, including Governor of ACC’s North Carolina Chapter, Chair of the Board of Governors, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, and Chair-Elect of the Governance Committee. He also was Chair of the Membership Committee and served on the National Cardiovascular Data Registry Management Board.

Dr. Wilson has been extensively involved in international service through the ACC. Since 2019, he has been a senior adviser to the steering committee for the ACC Global Heart Attack Treatment Initiative, which was launched to improve heart attack outcomes in low- and middle-income countries by encouraging adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy.

Additionally, he has led numerous cardiology medical missions to other countries, including Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, and Honduras and is a past co-chair of ACC Latin America and past ACC ambassador to Mexico.

In the ACC press release, Dr. Wilson stated, “Some of the best qualities of the ACC and its members are the commitment to patient care and the shared vision of a world where science, innovation, and knowledge optimize and transform cardiovascular care and outcomes for all. I believe we all really practice what we preach.”

He continued, “I am honored to lead an organization dedicated to innovating best practices for a growing number of patients with cardiovascular disease, combating clinician burnout and supporting the cardiovascular workforce, and expanding and diversifying our cardiovascular team.”

“I have been fortunate to observe and learn a tremendous amount about the importance of the ACC around the world for education, leadership, and transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all,” concluded Dr. Wilson.

ACC highlighted Dr. Lohr’s involvement with the ACC and her career as a physician-scientist, which includes numerous active clinical trial studies as Primary Investigator.

Before joining UAB, Dr. Lohr was a member of the faculty of the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as an associate professor in the division of cardiovascular medicine. She also held leadership roles in clinical trials administration and in the Veterans Administration. She obtained her PhD and MD from MCW in 2004 and 2006, respectively, and completed her internal medicine residency and cardiovascular medicine fellowship at MCW.

Dr. Lohr currently serves on the ACC Academic Cardiology Leadership Council and the ACC Annual Scientific Session Program Committee. Previously she has served as governor of the ACC Wisconsin (ACC WI) Chapter and the ACC WI Leadership Council. She has been a member of a number of workgroups and committees regarding clinical and quality improvement in varying areas of cardiovascular practice.

In the ACC press release, Dr. Lohr commented, “I believe the mental and physical well-being of our members is a priority. We are confronted with managing and treating an older and sicker population with decreasing numbers of available clinicians. We are challenged by a shrinking workforce and increased demand for services. The ACC Board of Trustees and Board of Governors recognize the workforce of the future requires coordinated planning, education, and advocacy. I hope to work together with the Board of Governors to increase professional development, implement well-being initiatives, and enhance statewide advocacy.”

Dr. Lohr continued, “I have spent the last 11 years finding ways to get involved in my ACC state chapter and in various ACC councils, committees, and workgroups. The lessons I learned are to listen carefully, use your creativity, respect diverse opinions, and create a tangible outcome.”

She concluded, “During my year as Board of Governors Chair, I look forward to engaging our governors and members to use their creativity and drive to produce actionable change. I see my role as Board of Governors Chair as a facilitator of the member voice to harness their creativity to advance cardiovascular care and practice. Hearing the member voice is a privilege and a call to action.”