September 29, 2011 Dear Montana ACC member, I recently had the pleasure of going to Washington, D.C. to attend the fall Board of Governors meeting on September 11th and then the ACC Legislative Conference. It was a humbling experience being in Washington D.C. on the 10th anniversary of 9-11. General Stanley A. McChrystal, former commander of the U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, spoke to attendees at an event for those who in 2011 have donated to the ACC PAC. While he gave an exceptional speech on leadership, the prior speaker, a wounded veteran who accepted a $10,000 donation to the Yellow Ribbon Campaign to support families while they support their wounded military family, brought down the house. His courage, humor, humility and dedication to helping his fellow returning soldiers was an inspiration. He said he was one of the lucky ones that got a job early on after he was able to work again, but asked all to remember the other talented, energetic and dedicated veterans who are in need of employment and would be excellent additions to any organization. Following a day of education on the legislative process and on the current mindset of Congress, on September 13, 350 members of the cardiology profession descended on Capitol Hill to share our concerns with our lawmakers. I was glad to be accompanied by Simone Musco, MD, FACC and Blair Erb, Jr., MD, FACC when we visited the Montana offices to tell them that Congress must stop the pending 29.5% Medicare Physician Payment Cut, must oppose prior authorization and payment cuts to Medical Imaging Services, and enact Medical Liability Reforms. While Congress seemed hyperfocused on deficit reduction, we emphasized the urgency of our concerns, and our willingness to work with them to reduce healthcare costs but not healthcare quality. We must all continue to pressure Congress throughout the year to address our real and urgent concerns to save cardiology - for our profession and our patients! Sincerely, J. Scott Millikan, MD, FACC President Montana Chapter, American College of Cardiology

Dr. Scott Millikan and Dr. Dipti Itchaporia, Chair-elect of the ACC Board of Governors Dr. Millikan speaks with Margo Minissian about her presentation at the MT-WY Chapter meeting in October. Dr. Millikan converses with Dr. Robert Shor, Governor-elect of Virginia during mentoring segment of BOG Meeting. One of the best parts of being a Governor is learning from other cardiologists from across the country how practices differ from state to state, or don't differ. Dr. Blair Erb, Jr. shares a moment with General Stanley McChrystal.