A tribute video celebrated the impact that Valentín Fuster, MD, PhD, MACC, President of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, has had on the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the Journal of the American College of Cardiology , the cardiovascular community, and science. Members of the ACC reflected on the transformative changes brought under his leadership of the journal and the legacy he leaves behind for future editors. The video was presented on Sunday, April 7, at the 2024 American College of Cardiology conference in Atlanta.
Dr Foster, he always inspires me just always so amazing how much he does. He is always there for you, always inquiring about you during good times and bad times. Doctor Foster is certainly a visionary and a transracial leader. He's motivated and inspired each of us to believe in science, to invest in science, to invest in the rigor also to focus on patient centeredness and he's one person you can count on. So if you have a problem, you can pick up the phone, call him and you can be sure he'll get back to you with very wise answers. The Jack Journals portfolio is really the the North star. And I think what he's done for the college through the journals is he's grounded, the college in science, the patient and the trainee, those three fundamental tenants of his vision have really transformed the journals and in fact, the college as well. Doctor Foster led Jack during a very critical time, his leadership occurred during a period of rapid change in the publishing world. And despite all this change, the journals never missed a beat. Doctor Foster's steadfast leadership kept us on a path for innovation and success for the entire portfolio of journals. When Doctor Foster began as the editor in chief of Jack, there were four journals. So it's grown to 10 journals under his leadership. And he's really positioned the portfolio of journals for growth and making sure we are reflective of the specialties of the field. The journal represents the most important function of rendering the education to its fellow members and the cardiovascular community. It's taking the fingerprints of academic medicine and translating it into cardiovascular practice. And so the journals are probably one of the greatest impacts or influences that can have on practice itself. I think the amazing thing about Dr Foo is he is the most driven. He's the busiest man. He's the hardest worker. I think any of us know he's created this sense of family within the Jack journals. That's just unparalleled. Doctor Foster is incredibly kind and giving to those with whom he works. I love watching him in action. I love listening to the words he chooses and how he interacts with others, but also just his very calm demeanor and his, his direct leadership. He has taught me the fact that there is very little limitation to bandwidth. Once you decide to do something and you're committed to it, he has made such a fundamental difference across the globe. I'd say in terms of cardiovascular medicine, in terms of his science, in terms of his impact, I have also benefited immensely from his mentorship because of his global appeal and his international stature in the documentary about him that talks about his global cardiovascular science and in global health, it's called the resilient heart. And I think that is the perfect description of this man and the sentiment he puts out into the world. Doctor Foster has a passion for ensuring that Children get the opportunity to learn and practice healthy lifestyles. He particularly focuses on Children in underserved communities and because of his relentless work in this area and this drive and his passion, Sesame Street created a Muppet and named it after him. Doctor Rooster. So Doctor Rooster spends a lot of time teaching Cookie Monster and other characters of Sesame Street about healthy lifestyles. I think in my heart, I can say he's made a fundamental difference in my life and I will always, always, always be grateful to him for that, for just caring about each and one of every one of us and for investing in us and just being an altruistic mentor. Thank you Dr Fu for all that you have done for me personally and for the entire cardiovascular community across the globe. Thank you very much, Doctor First for always being so kind to me for always welcoming me and for allowing me to be vulnerable. Thank you for everything that you've done uh for the field of cardiovascular medicine, for the AC C for Jack Journals, for Science, uh for the Jack Family of Journals. And more importantly, all the things you did for me personally, uh as I navigated this editorial journey, and I'm truly fortunate uh to have known you and cherish every moment of our association. You've been a terrific supporter and, and I'll always admire you and greatly respect you. So, thanks very much for everything that you've done. So, Doctor Foster, thank you so much. You have been such an incredible contributor to AC C for so long. Thank you, Doctor Foster.
