American College of Cardiology (ACC) president Cathleen Biga, MSN, FAAC, will speak at UTHealth Houston on May 14 as Cizik School of Nursing celebrates the launch of its new Cardiovascular Advance Practice Series.

The UTHealth Houston Office of Faculty Affairs and Development will host Biga as part of the Distinguished Speaking Series from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 14. The event will take place at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, MSB 3.001, with a reception to follow from 1 to 1:30 p.m.

The ACC now offers the Certified Cardiovascular Knowledge Examination (CCKE) to nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Cizik School of Nursing’s new self-paced, online continuing professional development series will provide didactic instruction to prepare advanced practice providers for success on the test, which is offered twice a year.

Also speaking at the May 14 event, titled “The Integration and Collaboration of Specialties in Health Care Delivery,” will be Ana López Fuentes, DMD, MPH, professor and former dean of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico and past chair of the American Dental Educational Association Board of Directors (ADEA).

During the presentation, Biga and Fuentes will share insights into the importance of integrating specialties for improved patient care. Attendees will learn about the advocacy efforts within their respective specialties and gain practical examples of successful implementation of collaborative care models.

Jessica S. Coviello, DNP, Patricia L. Stark/PARTNERS Endowed Professor in Nursing and associate dean of faculty development at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, will facilitate the discussion and introduce the new educational series.

Biga is president and CEO of Cardiovascular Management of Illinois. She has more than 40 years of experience as a registered nurse, service line director, hospital vice president and CEO, and she was the inaugural chair of MedAxiom’s Board of Managers.

Fuentes received the 2018 Chair of the ADEA Board of Directors Citation for significant contributions to dental education. This citation recognized her outstanding leadership while she was dean of the dental school after Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico, maintaining the school’s accreditation, keeping it open, and helping affected communities.

Register by May 9 for the May 14 event. For inquiries about the presentation, contact the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development at [email protected].

Watch for course registration links and other details about the Cardiovascular Advanced Practice Series on May 14.