In November, Dr. Athena Poppas was named chief of cardiology for Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals, and for the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Poppas, director of the Lifespan Cardiovascular Institute, has served as interim chief since June 2017.
Poppas, a nationally recognized physician and scientist, was also recently named vice president of the American College of Cardiology. A professor of medicine at Brown, Poppas has authored more than 100 articles in professional publications and frequently presents nationally and internationally.
Beyond Cash Donations: How New Forms of Giving Are Transforming Not-for-Profit Accounting
Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,…
Learn More
PBN: Please describe your work as chief of the division of cardiology for Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. What’s the mix of administration to medical/surgical practice?
POPPAS: My work in this role is incredibly rewarding. We are fortunate to have the highest-quality, bright, dedicated and caring physicians and administrators as part of the Lifespan Cardiovascular Institute, and this is coupled with a very strong academic mission to prepare future clinicians through Brown.
I’m a believer in the Quadruple Aim framework in health care. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement introduced the Triple Aim a decade ago – improving population health, enhancing the experience of care and reducing per capita costs. To this has more recently been added a fourth aim – the physician or clinician experience – making sure that the health and satisfaction of our workforce is aligned with the other measures. That’s critical.
I also maintain my practice as a physician. Seeing patients is what I trained for and what I truly love, and, importantly in my role as a leader, it gives me a critical perspective on the experience of patients, staff and physicians.
PBN: What has recruiting for the division been like? What specialties/teams have you needed to build since you began as interim chief?
POPPAS: The Lifespan Cardiovascular Institute includes over 40 specialized cardiologists and dozens of advanced practitioners, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, as well as our talented nursing and technical staffs, providing patients with clinical excellence in virtually all subspecialties. We are planning for growth, as are many areas of health care serving large swaths of our population as baby boomers age. We are especially focused on the areas of heart failure, interventional cardiology and percutaneous, or nonsurgical, valve replacement.
Our efforts in cardio-oncology are worth noting, as well. In concert with the Lifespan Cancer Institute, we’ve built expertise in this emerging field of practice. Using specific imaging, we’re able to monitor and minimize toxicity, helping those who have or are at risk of developing a heart condition to have better overall health outcomes during and after cancer care.
Our research efforts are also expanding and diversifying. We’re embarking on further recruitment in translational science, which serves as a bridge from basic science discoveries directly to inpatient and outpatient clinical care. This allows us to offer the latest breakthroughs and novel technology to our patients here in Rhode Island.
PBN: You describe a particular interest in women’s heart disease and women who have heart problems during pregnancy. What is it about this area that interests you?
POPPAS: Heart disease in women has been an underappreciated area and understanding the similarities and differences in diagnosis and treatment of heart disease for women is critical. In order to ensure that we’re serving all of our patients best, we must make efforts to include more women in research studies, to examine the different effects that therapies may have on female versus male bodies during the lifespan.
I’ve long had a research and clinical interest in cardiac care during pregnancy, which brings yet another special consideration to bear on women’s health. Some women can develop cardiac problems during pregnancy, either new or previously unidentified. Likewise, with advances in cardiac care, women born with congenital heart defects are living longer, healthier lives and may choose to become pregnant.
Through collaborative, multidisciplinary work across Lifespan and our Women’s Medicine Collaborative, and in partnership with Women & Infants, we can bring these women safely through a health pregnancy. These teams may comprise cardiologists, obstetricians, anesthesiologists, geneticists and certainly nursing. It’s a complex situation that with our collective efforts can have tremendous impact on women and their children.
PBN: Can you describe the recent advances in imaging technology for cardiovascular conditions?
POPPAS: Dramatic technological advances in cardiac imaging are providing patients with safer, more-accurate diagnoses in the least invasive manner. We’re fortunate to have many of the leading experts in the field here at our Lifespan hospitals. The Lifespan Cardiovascular Institute collaborates with our colleagues in radiology to offer 3D echocardiogram, cardiac CT [scan], cardiac MRI and nuclear imaging. It’s known as multimodal imaging – getting the right test for every patient at the right time.
These imaging modalities not only provide excellent diagnostic capabilities but they help us to increase the quality of treatment. For instance, the highly accurate imaging can help us create the safest anesthesia plan for each patient. And 3D imaging translates to the ability to 3D print a model before surgery, allowing for precision that wasn’t possible just a very short time ago.
PBN: Please tell us about your work as the vice president of the American College of Cardiology.
POPPAS: I’ve been very involved in ACC for 15 years, and am honored and excited to have taken on a leadership position as vice president and president-elect. ACC has among its members 52,000 cardiologists, cardiac nurses and other practitioners – 30,000 of those are here in the U.S.
I am fortunate to be a part of setting and driving the agenda for cardiology nationally, with a five-year plan built around the pillars of science, education and quality care. Whether convening on clinical practice, research, or the business and best practices of cardiovascular care, conversation led by the college, working with other cardiovascular societies [such as] the American Heart Association, shapes the future for the betterment of patient care. And as a representative of the college, I am an ambassador for international outreach and educational exchange.
Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowski@PBN.com.
