A Diagnostics & Imaging Week

The Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and the Society of Cardiac Computed Tomography reported at last week's meeting of the American College of Cardiology (Bethesda, Maryland) that they have completed their merger to form a new society named the Society of Cardiovascular CT (SCCT; Damascus, Maryland). Both societies were relatively new, formed in January 2005, but soon realized that "they shared common goals" and would be more effective "as a single, strong" organization.

President of the SCCT is Stephan Achenbach, MD, with Michael Poon, MD, as president-elect. William Nelligan III serves as executive director of the society.

Achenbach said that the SCCT will be, nationally and internationally, "the principal independent organization committed to the further development of cardiovascular [CT] through standard-setting, advocacy, education, training, accreditation, quality control and research."

CT, he said, "has gone through rapid technical development in the past years and is increasingly applicable to imaging of the heart, coronary arteries and vascular system. It is important that researchers and clinicians in this field work together to create a body of evidence strong enough to support recommendations as to which patients are most likely to benefit from the new diagnostic modalities and to assure that CT imaging performed by appropriately trained physicians will be available to these patients."

The new society already reports 250 members. Its web site is http://www.scct.org.