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2025 SCA DEI Junior Resident Scholarship

Accepting Applications Beginning November 1, 2024

The Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEI) Junior Resident Scholar Program provides selected underrepresented minority (URM) anesthesiology residents (CA1) early exposure to cardiovascular anesthesiology by attending the SCA Annual Meeting, presenting a poster and interacting with SCA members and leaders.  Applications will be accepted November 1, 2024 through January 19, 2025. To submit an application, click here!

The goals of this scholarship are:

• To expose URM residents to the clinical practice of cardiothoracic anesthesiology by attending the SCA annual meeting.
• To give URM resident scholars early involvement in the SCA through interactions with and mentorshipby leaders of the sub-specialty and other cardiothoracic anesthesiologists.

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

Ten scholarships will be awarded in 2025!

Requirements

• Nomination of URM resident by the program director or cardiothoracic faculty.
• The nominee must be an academically promising URM CA1 resident in good standing in an ACGME-accredited residency program.
• Each nominee must submit an essay addressing the following(maximum 500 words):
• Diverse background of the nominee
• Nominee’s understanding of the issues of DEI in Cardiovascular medicine
• Nominee’s interest in CV anesthesia
• A letter of support from the program director and one additional letter of recommendation from a faculty member.
• The CV of the nominee.
• Recipients must be members of the SCA, or agree to become one, to accept the scholarship. Non-members will receive a complimentary, one-year resident/fellow membership to meet this requirement. 

FUNDING

$1,000 travel stipend; complimentary basic registration to the 2025 SCA Annual Meeting.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION

Scholarship applications will be reviewed and selected by the Scholarship Review & Selection Sub-Group of the DEI Committee at the SCA. Up to 10 scholarships will be awarded yearly.

Questions? Please write to us at dei-cmte@scahq.org
Application will be accepted November 1, 2024 through January 19, 2025. To submit an application, click here!

The Kaplan Leadership Development Award is sponsored by the SCA Endowment for SCA members. The mission of this award is to assist cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiologists in their careers by granting funding to further their focus on leadership opportunities and development through course work and leadership specific studies.

This is a $10,000 award: The Kaplan Leadership Award will be adjusted accordingly to offer an aggregate of $5,000 to either one recipient or divided among two.

• $5,000/$2,500 from the SCA Endowment, with a $5,000/$2,500 match from the applicant’s institution to fund a leadership-focused education strategy.

Applications for the 2025 Kaplan Leadership Development Award will be accepted September 13, 2024.  Please click here for application details.

Click here to apply!

Mission Statement:

The AI Taskforce in Cardiovascular Anesthesia is committed to advancing the practice of thoracic and cardiovascular anesthesiology through the strategic integration of artificial intelligence. Our mission is to enhance patient outcomes, personalize treatment, and support clinical decision-making by developing and implementing AI-driven tools that are grounded in robust data, ethical considerations, and clinical expertise. We aim to bridge the gap between emerging AI technologies and their practical application in anesthesia, ensuring that these innovations enhance, rather than replace, the critical judgment of healthcare professionals. Through collaboration, education, and ongoing research, we strive to overcome the challenges of AI in anesthesiology and pave the way for a future where technology and human expertise work in harmony to deliver superior patient care.

Members interested in applying to this task force may do so through the Call for Volunteers, open October 1 – 31, 2024.

Qualifications and criteria for task-force applicants:

1. Clinical Expertise

• Board-Certified Cardiovascular Anesthesiologist: Candidates should be board-certified in anesthesiology with subspecialty expertise in cardiovascular anesthesia.
• Experience in Perioperative Medicine: Extensive experience in managing perioperative care, with a focus on high-risk cardiovascular patients.
• Knowledge of Clinical Workflow: Deep understanding of the clinical workflows in cardiovascular anesthesia, including decision-making processes and patient management.

2. Research and Innovation

• Experience in AI/ML Research: Involvement in research related to artificial intelligence or machine learning desirable, particularly in healthcare applications.
• Publication Record: A record of peer-reviewed publications in relevant fields, such as anesthesiology, AI in healthcare, or biomedical engineering.
• Grant Funding: Previous success in obtaining research funding would be an asset but not required, particularly for projects involving AI or technology in medicine.

3. Technical Proficiency

• Understanding of AI/ML Concepts: Knowledge of AI/ML concepts, data analysis, and statistical methods, with the ability to engage in technical discussions with data scientists.
• Experience with Clinical Decision Support Systems: Familiarity with the development, implementation, or use of AI-driven clinical decision support tools.
• Data Management Skills: Knowledge of data collection, management, and interpretation, particularly in the context of electronic health records (EHRs) and large datasets.

4. Ethical and Regulatory Knowledge

• Familiarity with Healthcare Regulations: Understanding of healthcare regulations, including those related to data privacy, security, and the ethical use of AI in clinical settings.
• Ethical Considerations: Awareness of the ethical implications of AI in healthcare, particularly issues related to bias, transparency, and the physician-patient relationship.

5. Educational and Training Experience

• Teaching Experience: Experience in teaching or training others, particularly in the areas of AI, technology in healthcare, or advanced anesthesiology practices.
• Commitment to Ongoing Education: Commitment to staying updated on the latest advancements in AI and healthcare technology, and to disseminating this knowledge within the task force.

6. Vision and Innovation

• Forward-Thinking Attitude: A vision for the future of AI in cardiovascular anesthesia and a passion for driving innovation in this field.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and address potential challenges in the integration of AI into clinical practice.

2024 – 2025 Participant User File Research Grant

Letter of Intent Submission

The Call for Participant User File (PUF) Research Grant Letter of Intent (LOI) is NOW open. Each selected applicant will be awarded up to $15,000 to apply for and complete an STS Participant User File (PUF) application.

PUF applications being accepted for research projects based on data from the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database, General Thoracic Surgery Database, Congenital Heart Surgery Database, and the INTERMACS Database.

Please Note: SCA will not consider applications from primary investigators (PI’s) currently receiving SCA research funding. However, they may serve as a co-investigator on a PUF application.

All STS Database related documents are available after a free registration through the STS website: www.sts.org.

First Step – Letter of Intent Required Documents

(All documents will be required to be uploaded as a PDF):

• The Letter of Intent (LOI) should not be more than two pages.
• The LOI should detail the proposed title of the project and a statement that the PI/applicants checked and verified that their proposed work is not similar to a previously completed or presently active STS approved research proposal.
• List of active STS research proposals from all programs
• List of recently published STS research studies based on STS National Database data
• The LOI should describe the roles of the key personnel including PI, co-investigators, cardiac surgeon who are also an active STS member, and a PhD level biostatistician. Their backgrounds/connection to the topic area, the key personnel, and the unique skills or resources they and their institutions bring to the project.
• Details of the proposed study, including background, specific aims, the study design, and target patient population or disease process, along with a description of any translational/mechanistic components.
• Biosketch in the new NIH formatting for the PI.

Award details:

• Total award amount: $60,000 for a total up to 4 grants awarded at $15,000 each.
• Award duration: One time award.
• Letter of Intent (required) deadline: September 16, 2024.
• Notification of invitation for full application: October 31, 2024.
• Application deadline for invited applicants: November 25, 2024.
• Award recipients announced: February 2025.
• Click Here for full application requirements.

Click Here TO SUBMIT YOUR LETTER OF INTENT

2023 Winners:

Jiapeng Huang, MD, PhD – University of Louisville

Title: Deep Interpretable Neural Network-based Perioperative Cardiac Surgery Associated

Acute Kidney Injury Risk (CSA-AKI) Prediction and Markov Decision Process for Clinical

Treatment Recommendation from STS Database

Harikesh Subramanian, MBBS, MS – University of Pittsburgh

Title: Association Effects of Social Determinants of Health (Sdoh) On Complications After VAD

Implantation: Exploration of The ZIP Code and Outcomes

Issac Y. Wu, MD – University of Rochester

Title: Association Between Postoperative Cardiac Surgical Outcomes and the Familiarity of the Anesthesiologist-Surgeon Dyad and Composition of the Anesthesia Care Team

2022 Winners:

Anne Cherry, MD – Duke University Medical Center

Title: Training and Validation of Novel Cardiac Surgical Risk Models Incorporating

Right Ventricular Function from the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database

Amanda Kleiman, MD – University of Virginia

Title: Multimodal analgesia and outcomes after cardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort study

Emily MacKay, DO, MSHP – University of Pennsylvania

Title: Assessment of a Tree-Based, Machine Learning Algorithm to Optimize Intraoperative

Transesophageal Echocardiography Allocation for Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery –

A Precision Medicine Application

Jacob Raphael, MD, FAHA – Thomas Jefferson University

Title: Perioperative Acetaminophen and Decreased Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) After

Cardiac Surgery

The Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA) is an international organization of healthcare professionals whose mission is excellence and leadership in providing cardiovascular and thoracic patient care through education and research. SCA is not an advocacy organization. However, we support safe, equitable, and unobstructed access to all healthcare. SCA strongly objects to any interference in either the medical decision-making process or the physician-patient relationship.

ASA, in conjunction with the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, Society of Academic Associations of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia, Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists, Society for Education in Anesthesia, Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology, and the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, has issued the following statement strongly encouraging all health care personnel to get vaccinated against COVID-19:

Joint Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination of Health Care Personnel

The leadership of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and professional societies associated with the specialty offer our support and strong encouragement for COVID-19 vaccination of the nation’s health care workers and all eligible Americans.

The health and safety of our members, our colleagues in health care, and the patients we serve is our highest priority. We believe widespread vaccination is the most effective path to reduce illness and death, and to ameliorate the impact of the pandemic.

COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective at significantly reducing the risk of becoming infected, spreading the infection to others, and becoming severely ill or dying from the disease. For health care personnel, COVID-19 vaccination is particularly essential because it significantly reduces the likelihood of unintentionally spreading COVID-19 to our patients, including those who may have weakened immune systems.

We believe anesthesiologists and anesthesiology professionals who work closely with patients in operating rooms and procedural areas, in hospitals and ambulatory settings, and in critical care units should be especially vested in closing the vaccination gap. We stand with all of our medical colleagues to strongly promote these efforts.

You can access the Joint Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination of Health Care Personnel and an accompanying press release on the ASA website.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA) congratulate the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) on the recent approval of a subspecialty certificate in Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology (ACA) by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

SCA has documented a decade-long rise in demand for specialized cardiac anesthesiology care in the U.S., due to a growing prevalence of disease (48 percent in adults 20 years of age and older), and the growth of technological advancements enabling care.

With this rise in demand for specialized adult cardiac anesthesiology care in the U.S., the ACA subspecialty certification is timely and relevant.

“This is indeed a great day for everyone involved in cardiac anesthesiology – either as a provider or as a patient,” said SCA President, Andrew D. Shaw, MB, FCCM, FFICM, FRC.

According to the ABA, physicians with an ACA subspecialty certification will be acknowledged as experts in the imaging, diagnosis, physiology, pharmacology and management of care for adults whose cardiac disease requires leading-edge techniques, interventions and the latest treatment technology.

“Patients will be confident they are getting the very best, expert anesthesiology care at critical times”, said ASA president, Beverly K. Philip, MD, FACA, FASA.

The ASA and SCA congratulate ABA and look forward to a continued partnership that will elevate the specialty of anesthesia.