The Passing of the Baton

Thoughts From Outgoing AC Forum President,

Dr. David Garcia

As I reflect on the nearly 6 years that have passed since I became the President of the Anticoagulation Forum, I have much to be thankful for. First, I am thankful that Dr. Jack Ansell had the foresight to create this entity more than 20 years ago, at a time when there was still controversy about the benefit of warfarin for patients with atrial fibrillation. Next I marvel at the dedication, talent and seriousness of purpose that each member of the ACF Board of Directors (including, and especially, Liz Goldstein) brings to the organization. Finally I recall being bemused and humbled on the day that Jack called to ask if I would be willing to be considered for this position. As is often the case when good things happen, I was merely "in the right place at the right time".

During my tenure as President, the Forum has continued its superb biennial educational conference - arguably the "crown jewel" of the organization. San Diego 2009 and Boston 2011 were characterized by the usual excitement, networking, and state-of-art information we have all come to expect of the National Conference on Anticoagulant Therapy, and in May 2012 many of you were able to attend the very first Thrombosis and Hemostasis Summit of North America (THSNA). The success of the inaugural THNSA portends a great future for what many of us hope will become the pre-eminent conference on bleeding and clotting disorders in this part of the world, and THSNA could never have happened without the support of ACF leadership and you, the ACF members.

Shortly after I became President in January 2007, the Board of Directors co-authored a Guideline paper on the personnel and operational requirements of a high-quality anticoagulation management system. Forty-three other papers have cited that manuscript since it was published. Many of you have enjoyed the introduction of the "Lunch and Learn" webinar series during which, thanks primarily to Dr. Scott Kaatz, we have been able to discuss recent important publications in our field, usually with one of the co-authors. These sessions have been remarkably well received and have also become a center-piece of the AC Forums continuing efforts to keep the membership on the "cutting edge" of anticoagulant care. Thanks to Liz Goldstein, the ACF newsletter is now published electronically and is arguably more informative and accessible than ever.

The last 6 years have also seen an increase in the number of nurses and pharmacists who serve on the ACF Board of Directors, a constructive interaction with representatives of the US Food and Drug Administration regarding the pros and cons of warfarin pharmacogenetic testing, and the opportunity for AC Forum to lend its support to efforts that would expand self-testing opportunities for our patients. You have probably read in recent newsletters that the AC Forum has also received grant support for 2 important initiatives that will support our organizational mission: a visiting faculty Grand Rounds project and an Anticoagulation Centers of Excellence program.

Finally, my time as President of the AC Forum concludes with a vote by the Board of Directors to elect Dr. Mark Crowther as the third President of ACF. Although Liz Goldstein and the Board of Directors certainly deserve congratulations for the past accomplishments I have outlined, I am confident that, under Mark's leadership, the relevance and impact of our organization will grow at an even greater rate during the next few years. The arrival of the "target-specific" oral anticoagulants presents both challenges and opportunities for our organization. I can think of no one better prepared than Dr. Crowther to work with the Board to find new and more effective ways in which the Forum can realize its goal: to optimize the risk-benefit balance of medications and other strategies used to prevent and treat thromboembolic disease in our patients. Please join me in congratulating Mark (and volunteering to support his efforts) as soon as you have to opportunity to do so.

I extend a heartfelt thanks to all of you who have made the Anticoagulation Forum such a vibrant and productive society during my tenure as President. It has been a great honor and a privilege to serve in this position.

David Garcia

A Greeting From Incoming AC Forum President

Dr. Mark Crowther 

Clot Connect is an education outreach program of the University of North Carolina. Further background information is available at www.ClotConnect.org. Recent additions to Clot Connect materials includes a comprehensive information guide for patients with newly diagnosed DVT and PE.

The DVT/PE guide covers a wide range of topics including:

• Blood clot basics: What is a blood clot? What causes a blood clot?
• Diagnosis: Tests and imaging studies
• Treatment: Anticoagulants, thrombolytic therapy, IVC filters
• Preventing complications: Post-thrombotic syndrome, pulmonary hypertension
• Emotional impact of a blood clot
• Common questions
• Anatomical graph of the veins

Reproduction: Health care professionals are encouraged to share this information resource with their newly diagnosed patients. Permission is herewith granted by Clot Connect for you to reproduce this brochure in its entirety by providing the .pdf to a printer of your choice or by placing the .pdf on your organization's website. Health care professionals are also welcome to affix a sticker to the print brochure with their practice's information, such as 'This brochure provided by...'. Our goal is to facilitate that this relevant educational information reaches as many newly diagnosed patients as possible.

This 28 page guide is available online as a pdf at:

http:/http://files.www.clotconnect.org/DVT_and_PE.pdf

A note from Dr. David Garcia

Dear Anticoagulation Forum Colleagues,

In this article, you will find an informational brochure for patients with newly diagnosed DVT or PE. It is a well written, comprehensive, and easy-to-understand resource that addresses issues such as: (a) How will I get treated?; (b) What is the INR and how often will I need to be tested?; (c) Is one of the new oral blood thinners right for me?; (d) When will my symptoms go away?; (e) Do I need to wear compression stockings?

The brochure gives health care professionals a guide for use when speaking with a newly diagnosed DVT or PE patient and discussing the patient's VTE and treatment issues. Information points relevant for the specific patient can be circled while talking with the patient (such as: "You don't need an IVC filter"; or "The heparin shots and warfarin need to overlap for at least 5 days", or "Your target INR is 2 to 3"). There is also an anatomical map at the end of the brochure where the health care professional can mark for the patient where his/her DVT is.

On behalf of the Anticoagulation Forum, I would like to thank Dr. Stephan Moll and his colleagues at Clot Connect for making this great patient education tool widely available.