Four Sarasota Doctors among 34 to Earn SHAPE Provider Certification
Certification program promotes early detection and treatment of heart attack risk in apparently healthy people
HOUSTON, September 10, 2010 – SHAPE, The Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication
(https://www.shapesociety.org) ,a nonprofit organization that promotes the early detection and treatment of heart attack risk in apparently healthy people, today announced that Dr. Naveen Acharaya, Dr. Michael Mumma, Dr. Gene Myers and Dr. Abid A. Shah of Sarasota are among 34 medical providers from around the world are among the first to earn SHAPE Provider Certification. The program promotes the early detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) through identification of clinically appropriate patients for non-invasive CAD screening, and awards certification based on a rigorous process of training and examination.
SHAPE Provider Certification adheres to the First SHAPE Guideline for screening to identify hidden CAD in asymptomatic (apparently healthy) patients. The First SHAPE Guideline established standards for the careful and responsible implementation of scientifically proven atherosclerosis tests to detect hidden plaque buildup in coronary and carotid arteries, and recommended the tests be incorporated into routine screening for at risk men and women as they age.
“We are pleased to award SHAPE Provider Certification to these deserving medical providers and encourage them to continue advancing preventive cardiology,” said JoAnne Zawitoski, chairwoman of the SHAPE Board of Directors. “SHAPE Provider Certification is a way to incorporate the First SHAPE Guideline into patient care. It helps patients and referring physicians identify cardiology specialists who are following best practices by managing patient care to reduce the incidence of acute coronary events and CAD-related mortality. We also believe that SHAPE Provider Certification can help to improve clinical outcomes for patients by employing scientifically proven screening methodologies as a part of a physician’s preventive medicine practice.”
In addition to SHAPE Provider Certification, SHAPE encourages best practices in heart attack screening through SHAPE/Heart Health Centers of Excellence. Unlike traditional cardiovascular clinics that are primarily focused on preventing a second heart attack, SHAPE/Heart Health Centers of Excellence focus on the prevention of a first heart attack. To date, clinics in Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania have been designated SHAPE/HeartHealth Centers of Excellence.
SHAPE Provider Certification addresses the needs of cardiologists, radiologists, internists, family physicians, primary care providers, OB-GYNs, preventive medicine specialists and non-physician providers. Specific educational modules include: appropriate patient selection for CAD screening, risk assessment for subclinical CAD, coronary artery calcium scoring, carotid IMT testing, understanding the clinical and economic burden of global cardio vascular disease (CVD), comparison of available screening tests, and how to use the First SHAPE Guideline to improve patient outcomes.