Professor Pascal McKeown
President, Irish Cardiac Society
Discover a legacy in advancing cardiovascular health through groundbreaking research, education and advocacy.
At the Irish Cardiac Society, we will be celebrating our 75th anniversary. The Society was established on an all-island basis, and the inaugural meeting was held at St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin on 3 November 1949.
Advancements in cardiac care and research
During the 1950s, the Society expanded. Of note, several members who had worked outside Ireland returned with specialist skills. In the 1960s, the Society formally became a constituent member of the European Society of Cardiology. Prof Risteard Mulcahy, (President, 1965–66) instigated the creation of the Irish Heart Foundation. At that time, Prof Frank Pantridge and his colleagues established mobile coronary care and undertook groundbreaking research to develop portable defibrillators.
Key recent developments include the introduction of community-based cardiology services, technology-enhanced delivery of care and all-island networks.
The 1970s–1990s saw the widespread introduction of cardiac imaging, percutaneous coronary interventions and cardiac rehabilitation. Over the past 20 years, members have contributed to the rapid expansion of subspecialty training in electrophysiology, cardiac imaging, heart failure, inherited cardiac conditions and structural heart disease. Key recent developments include the introduction of community-based cardiology services, technology-enhanced delivery of care and all-island networks, for example in paediatric cardiology.
New cardiac strategy with education
In 2022, the Irish Cardiac Society developed a new strategy, with five main pillars, including education, registries, research, advocacy and corporate governance. Education is a core activity, whereby we offer access to training support and educational events. We also focus on maintaining strong international partnerships with the British Cardiovascular Society, the European Society of Cardiology, the American College of Cardiology and the World Heart Federation. We encourage our trainees to undertake Fellowships outside of Ireland, so they can bring back their enhanced knowledge and skills for our population’s benefit.
Advocacy for cardiovascular health
We recognise the importance of advocacy to ensure optimal cardiovascular health and wellbeing. We are delighted that, on 4 July 2024 at a high-level EU Ministerial conference hosted by the Hungarian Presidency in partnership with the European Society of Cardiology, representatives from Ministries of Health discussed the need to improve cardiovascular health in Europe as well as prioritisation of cardiovascular health plans at both a national and European level.1
This is a milestone on our collective journey to make cardiovascular health a political priority and aligns with the work undertaken by the World Heart Federation. The Irish Cardiac Society looks forward to supporting its members over the next 75 years and will continue to advance cardiology to improve the population’s cardiac health.
The Irish Cardiac Society 75th Annual Scientific Meeting will take place at the Europa Hotel, Belfast from 17th–19th October 2024. For more information: irishcardiacsociety.ie
Reference
[1] https://www.escardio.org/static-file/Escardio/Advocacy/health%20policy/2024_CVH_Concept_Paper.pdf
