George P. Rodgers, MD, FACC
Dr. Rodgers is originally from Houston, Texas. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in Geology. He completed his cardiology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine. He joined a private cardiology practice in Austin, Texas in 1989, where he served as physician President from 1999-2004. He is the Chair of the Texas Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, Chair of the Board of Governors of the ACC, serves on the Board of Trustees & Executive Committee of the ACC, and has held numerous positions of leadership within the regional and national cardiology community. He currently serves as the President and Chief Medical Officer of Biophysical Corporation in Austin.
Joseph Gerald Cacchione, MD, FACC
Joseph G. Cacchione, M.D., F.A.C.C., is an interventional cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic; Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine; Arnold and Sydell Miller Heart and Vascular Institute. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, Dr. Cacchione is the Director of Clinical Integration and Business Development, Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute. As a leader in health care quality initiatives, he heads up Network Growth Strategy for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Cacchione chairs the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) Partners in Quality Subcommittee and is an active member of several committees, including the Payment Reform Task force. He serves on the AQA Steering Committee, co-chairs the AQA Reporting Workgroup and has participated in the Brooking Institution’s High-Value Health Care Project Data Set Workgroup. Previous to his tenure at the Cleveland Clinic, he was in a private practice for over nineteen years and served as executive vice president and chief quality officer at Saint Vincent Health System in Erie, PA.
Richard F. Wright, M.D., F.A.C.C.
Richard Wright is currently President, Research Director, and Director of the Heart Failure Center at Pacific Heart Institute in Santa Monica, CA. He previously served as Director of the Heart Institute and of Critical Care at Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, and on clinical faculty at UCLA. Dr. Wright earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, where he also completed his medical residency and cardiology fellowships at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is currently is Co-Director of the Medicare Contractor Advisory Committee for California, Chair of the American College of Cardiology National Carrier Advisory Committee, and Cardiology Advisor to the American Medical Association’s Relative Value Update Committee. He has served as President and Governor of the American College of Cardiology California Chapter, and on the Medical Advisory Board at the Los Angeles Zoo, where he served as the cardiologist for the great apes. Dr. Wright is a renowned lecturer on cardiovascular topics and was a co-author of the U.S. guidelines on management of patients with heart failure. A recipient of the California Specialist of the Year Award from the American College of Cardiology, he continues to be listed in peer surveys as one of the top cardiologists in California.
Howard Thompson Walpole, Jr., MD, MBA, FACC
Dr. Thompson graduated from the University of Georgia cum laude with a degree in microbiology. He went on to get his MD from the Medical College of Georgia, and later received an MBA from Emory University. Dr. Thompson has received the AMA Physicians Recognition Award twice. He is an American College of Cardiology Fellow and has held numerous positions of leadership within the regional and national cardiology community. He is currently serves as the Chief Physician Officer at Saint Thomas Heart, and Chief of Cardiac Sciences at Saint Thomas Hospital.
