Bold claim: a joint effort between SCAI and CRT is set to redefine interventional cardiology by unlocking more education, advocacy, and research than ever before. This collaboration aims to elevate the field through shared education programs, coordinated legislative activities, and future research initiatives, ensuring rapid translation from science to patient care.
Key details: CRT will offer SCAI members discounted registration for CRT 2026 and will deliver joint education with SCAI. In Washington, DC, the partnership will feature an annual Day on the Hill event tied to the CRT meeting, reinforcing both organizations’ advocacy focus. Looking ahead, SCAI and CRT plan to explore collaborative research opportunities, including novel registries and clinical trial programs.
Executive perspectives:
- Srihari S. Naidu, MD, MSCAI, president of SCAI, emphasizes that collaboration is essential for the future of medicine, especially interventional cardiology. He notes that SCAI and CRT share a mission to advance the field through collaboration, science, advocacy, regulatory policy, and education. He also highlights a broader alignment of visions and the expected benefits of working together.
- J. Dawn Abbott, MD, MSCAI, chair of the SCAI–CRT Partnership Task Force and president-elect of SCAI, envisions new pathways to engage physicians, foster innovation, and develop programs addressing the clinical and policy challenges in the field. Abbott stresses that combining strengths can accelerate investigator-led research, broaden professional development, and improve patient outcomes.
- Ron Waksman, MD, MSCAI, chair of the CRT meeting, explains that CRT’s collaboration with SCAI expands both organizations’ impact by linking clinical science, advocacy, and education. The partnership aims to strengthen the research pipeline, inspire the next generation of interventionalists, and ensure rapid patient benefit from progress in the interventional lab.
Governance and execution: A dedicated SCAI–CRT Task Force, with representatives from both organizations, will guide the partnership and identify collaborative opportunities. SCAI will create a working group to evaluate research projects—such as registries and clinical trials—proposed by SCAI, its members, and CRT’s research network. CRT will provide core lab services, and both organizations will collaborate to secure external funding for initiatives.
Potential impact: In the near term, this alliance could increase clinician engagement, accelerate innovation, and expand professional development offerings. In the longer term, it may spur multicenter registries and trial programs that generate robust evidence to improve interventional cardiology practice and patient outcomes across diverse care settings.
Controversy and discussion prompts: Some may question whether a partnership between two professional bodies could concentrate influence or complicate regulatory strategies. Others might wonder about potential conflicts of interest between advocacy goals and research funding. Do you think this collaboration will genuinely spark faster scientific progress and better patient care, or could it introduce new biases or priorities that warrant careful oversight? What aspects of the alliance do you foresee delivering the most meaningful impact, and where should safeguards be strengthened?
