The ASE Foundation (ASEF) is very proud to announce that it has partnered with WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, to provide women with important information to help them better navigate the often complicated process of living with heart disease. ASEF has become a sponsor of WomenHeart’s Red Bag of Courage^® educational program that delivers heart health materials directly into the hands of women who need it most. Read more here.

On October 20, the American Society of Echocardiography Foundation (ASEF) is partnering with the West Virginia University (WVU) Heart and Vascular Institute to host a one-day cardiovascular testing and diagnostic event at four sites across North Central West Virginia. Led by Partho Sengupta, MBBS, MD, DM, FASE, WVU Heart & Vascular Institute, Morgantown, WV, and Sanjeev Bhavnani, MD, Scripps Clinic, San Diego, CA, a team of ASEF volunteers will conduct free heart health exams on adult patients. Read more here.

Durham, NC, February 26, 2018 – The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and its International Alliance Partners are joining efforts in the World Alliance of Societies of Echocardiography (WASE) Normal Values Study. This study is bringing together the scientific cardiovascular ultrasound community from around the world to better understand if the current recommended normal values for heart dimensions and function in subjects from different races and countries are similar or different. In addition, normal values for novel echocardiography modalities such as 3D and strain will be established. Read more here.

Nine ASE Foundation volunteers recently returned from a successful 3-day training event in Havana, Cuba. Held April 6-8, the educational training event took place at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, the premier hospital in Havana. More than 300 cardiologists from throughout Cuba participated, all of whom perform echocardiography as part of their practice. Cuban officials estimated we reached 91% of the echocardiographers in that country. The physicians located outside of Havana received support from the Cuban government for hotel accommodations as well as transportation to and from Havana to attend this event.

All talks, including those from our ASEF representatives, were presented in Spanish, and included advanced topics such as strain imaging/speckle tracking, cardio-oncology, congenital heart disease, the use of echocardiography in intervention, and advances in echocardiography. The talks were recorded for future dissemination throughout Spanish-speaking countries. A favorite giveaway at the event was USB drives loaded with ASE guideline documents, including Spanish translations, placing important ASE reference materials in the hands of each participant. This guideline dissemination is a key feature of ASEF’s missions, fostering standardized patient care throughout the global medical community. Working alongside the Cuban Society of Cardiology and the InterAmerican Association of Echocardiography resulted in a unique and historic collaboration. Read more here.

There is still time to purchase tables and individual tickets for the ASE Foundation Research Awards Gala, Saturday, June 3, 7-11 PM, at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. This event is the Foundation’s largest annual fundraising event to garner funding for cardiovascular ultrasound research. Please be sure to purchase your table or tickets soon as this event has sold out each year.  Tickets will not be available on site. Questions?  Contact gala@asecho.org.

“Our fellows are one of our greatest assets and are the future of our field. I have invited my imaging fellows to join my table at the ASEF gala to show my appreciation for their work and the benefits of being a member of ASE. Please join me by doing the same for your fellows!” – Vera Rigolin, MD, FASE, ASE President-Elect, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

Volunteer applications are now being accepted for two ASE Foundation global health initiatives and humanitarian events this fall – Central China in September and Northern Vietnam in October. Both physician and sonographer volunteers are needed. Visit ASEFoundation.org/volunteer to learn more about each event and its specific focus. If you can fulfill the requirements listed and are interested in applying to volunteer, please complete that event’s volunteer application form. Applications are requested by Sunday, April 16.

Due to the popularity and enthusiasm for this type of volunteer experience, there will likely be more volunteer applicants than needed and unfortunately not all applicants will be selected. ASEF will ensure that every application received will be given appropriate consideration for participation.

The ASE Foundation’s 2017 global health initiatives and humanitarian events are a direct result of our donors’ generous support to the Annual Appeal and a grant from Edwards Lifesciences’ Every Heartbeat Matters program. Visit ASEFoundation.org to learn more and to contribute to future global health and humanitarian efforts.

ASE Foundation volunteers truly make a world of difference! Visit ASEFoundation.org/volunteer to learn more.

In recent years, we have been inspired by photographs taken by ASE members while traveling the world to participate in various humanitarian events. As ASE members, there is no doubt that you excel at taking images of the heart. Now we would like to give you the opportunity to share the images you have taken from the heart. We invite you to share these heartfelt memories (and tell us what they mean to you) for a special photography exhibit to be held during ASE 2017 in Baltimore, June 2-6, 2017. Photo entries will be accepted electronically February 1 – March 31, 2017. Entries from the ASEF April 2017 event in Havana will have an extended deadline of April 30, 2017. All images must have been photographed no earlier than January 2012.

For complete information about this exhibition and to enter, please visit ASEFoundation.org/imagesfromtheheart. Give us your best shot!

Every spring, the ASE Foundation funds Council Travel Grants for trainees to support their attendance at the ASE Annual Scientific Sessions. These travel grants are part of an ongoing effort by the Foundation, in assistance with the Council Steering Committees, to encourage trainees to focus on sub-specialty practice. By facilitating their attendance at the annual meeting, these grants provide trainees with a deeper understanding of the imaging field, and cultivate the development of meaningful mentoring relationships with established imaging faculty.

Application is open to trainees in the following disciplines – Cardiovascular Sonography, Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, Perioperative Echocardiography, and Vascular Ultrasound. Previous recipients of an ASEF Travel Grant are not eligible to apply.

Visit the ASE Foundation Council Travel Grants page for application instructions. Deadline for submission is April 1, 2017.

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