Association of Black Cardiologists

The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) is an organization founded to bring special attention to the adverse impact of cardiovascular disease on African Americans.[1]

Association of Black Cardiologists
AbbreviationABC
Formation18 November 1974 (1974-11-18)
FounderRichard Allen Williams
Founded atDallas, Texas
Legal statusNon-profit
Location
Region
United States
Membership
1,800
Websiteabcardio.org

History

The ABC was founded in 1974 by Richard Allen Williams,[2] in association with Boisey O. Barnes, Paul Terry Batties, Walter M. Booker, Kermit L. Brown, Charles L. Curry, Major Geer, Richard F. Gillum, L. Julian Haywood, Hannibal E. Howell, Paul M. Jackson, Edith Irby Jones, Alphonso Jordan, Huerta C. Neals, Levi V. Perry, Felipe Robinson, Daniel D. Savage, and Elijah Saunders, at the American Heart Association conference.[3] The decision to create the organization was spontaneous and happened over a dinner meeting convened to discuss the cardiovascular problems faced by African Americans.[4]

After speaking with Williams, the American Heart Association assigned Glen Bennett to be executive director for the ABC and paid his salary in this role.[4] Williams served as the association's president for ten years.[2]

Work on health inequalities

According to research, fewer than 3% of cardiologists were African American as of 2015, yet it is important for patients to be able to identify with their doctors to build trust.[5]

In 2007, the ABC were invited to contribute to a Scientific American issue on controversies around race-based medicine.[6]

In 2019, a paper was published describing the creation of the ABC Cardiovascular Implementation Study (CVIS) which sought to facilitate robust participation of African Americans, other minorities and underserved populations in clinical trials.[7] At around the same time, a study was conducted on the potential use of ABC membership to recruit investigators who could lead clinical research to increase the enrollment of black patients.[8]

In 2020, the ABC shared resources on COVID-19's impact on black communities in response to the higher death rates seen in African Americans.[9] The ABC response to the Black Lives Matter campaign was highlighted by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety as an example of the need for systemic change to address healthcare inequalities.[10]

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References
  1. "Association of Black Cardiologists". National Health Council. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  2. "ABC History". Association of Black Cardiologists. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  3. Fergus, Icilma; Gillespie, Robert; Douglass, Paul; Williams, Kim; Yancy, Clyde W. (2015-11-10). "A Moment of Reflection on the Past and Future of the Association of Black Cardiologists: The History, Legacy, and Relevance of a Socially Conscious Organization Dedicated to Cardiovascular Health Equity". Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 66 (19): 2149–2151. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2015.09.028. ISSN 0735-1097.
  4. Williams, Richard Allen (2020). Blacks in Medicine: Clinical, Demographic, and Socioeconomic Correlations. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-41960-8.
  5. "Why black cardiologists are vital – and rare". www.heart.org. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  6. Yancy, Clyde W. (30 July 2007). "The Association of Black Cardiologists Responds to "Race In A Bottle"". Scientific American. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  7. Ofili, Elizabeth O.; Schanberg, Laura E.; Hutchinson, Barbara; Sogade, Felix; Fergus, Icilma; Duncan, Phillip; Hargrove, Joe; Artis, Andre; Onyekwere, Osita; Batchelor, Wayne; Williams, Marcus (10 May 2019). "The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) Cardiovascular Implementation Study (CVIS): A Research Registry Integrating Social Determinants to Support Care for Underserved Patients". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16 (9). doi:10.3390/ijerph16091631. ISSN 1661-7827. PMC 6539418. PMID 31083298.
  8. Egwim, Chidiebube C.; Rucker, Alvin J.; Madut, Deng C.; Chery, Goderfroy S.; Sullivan, Lonnie T.; Jackson, Larry R.; Batchelor, Wayne B.; Thomas, Kevin L. (2019-04-01). "Research Participation of a Professional Organization in Clinical Trials: The Association of Black cardiologists Clinical Trial Investigator Identification Project". Journal of the National Medical Association. 111 (2): 122–133. doi:10.1016/j.jnma.2018.07.004. ISSN 0027-9684.
  9. Walter, Michael (19 May 2020). "Association of Black Cardiologists shares COVID-19 resources for patients, providers". Cardiovascular Business. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  10. Wong, Michael (7 June 2020). "Black Lives Matter, Healthcare Inequalities, and the Need for Systemic Change". Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
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