By AACVPR | December 18, 2018
AACVPR is led by people passionate about the impact the organization can have. This continues our News & Views "Get to Know Your Board" series. We continue the series by getting to know Hank Wu, MD, MPH, one of your 2018-19 AACVPR Directors. Learn about his professional background, what he predicts will be a "hot topic" this year, and what he sees as the most valuable benefit of being an AACVPR member.
Tell us a bit about your professional background.
I am the Chief of Cardiology at Providence VA Medical Center and Medical Director of the home-based cardiac rehab program at Providence VA. I am also the Medical Director for the Miriam Hospital Standard Cardiovascular Rehab program and the Intensive Cardiac Rehab Program (Dean Ornish). I am a Professor of Medicine & Epidemiology at Brown University and Director of the Preventive Cardiology Fellowship Program at Brown.
What is your position on the Board, and what do you hope to accomplish while in this position?
I’m a new Board Member serving as the liaison for the Research Committee, the Quality Committee and the Registry Committee. My hope is to be able to promote cardiopulmonary and vascular rehab for secondary prevention of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease through increase insurer’s coverage of the services, provision of scientific evidence to support new models of delivery, and improvement of the quality of delivery of services.
How long have you been a member of AACVPR, and what inspired you to join the AACVPR Board?
I have been an AACVPR member for four years, and what inspired me to join the Board is the belief that I can potentially contribute to the promotion of cardiovascular rehab given my experience in multiple modalities of cardiac rehab delivery.
Are there any key aspects of the field you hope to explore this year? Anything you predict will be a “hot topic” in 2018?
I hope to explore the possibility of use of alternative models of cardiac rehab delivery such as home-based or hybrid models of center and home-based rehab to achieve the 70 percent coverage of cardiac rehab for eligible patients as part of the Million Hearts Program set forth by the CDC.
What do you see as the most valuable benefit of being an AACVPR member?
Being involved in an organization that believes and promotes cardiovascular and pulmonary rehab as means of disease prevention. To be able to have a voice and a platform to set into motion all these initiatives to disseminate cardiovascular and pulmonary rehab nationwide through a multi-prong approach.
If you have a favorite quote, could you share it with us?
“Failure only happens when you stop trying.”
What is one thing you love to do in your free time?
Playing basketball.