Dear colleagues and friends,

It is always a pleasure to share a few words with you.

The CACI-MDQ meeting, held at the Costa Galana Hotel in the beautiful city of Mar del Plata, was a resounding success. It brought together more than 200 interventional cardiologists under an atmosphere of enthusiastic and broad participation, with strong support from industry partners. The scientific quality of the program, the high level of professional exchange, and the excellent attendance all reflected the growth and vitality of our community — firmly establishing this event as a landmark in the interventional cardiology calendar.

During the CACI-MDQ meeting, institutional leadership was renewed with the election of our Vice-President. Dr. Amalia Descalzo was elected to that position.

The Board of Directors for the 2026–2027 term will then be led by Dr. Alfredo Bravo as President, alongside Dr. Amalia Descalzo as Vice-President. We give a standing ovation to the new leadership of our beloved CACI.

Throughout the closing term, there were a number of initiatives aimed at institutional strengthening and the consolidation of our College of Hemodynamics.

Among these, a key achievement has been the formation of regional associations—a total of five, so far. These include the Buenos Aires Interventional Cardiology Association (ACIBA), the Córdoba Association (ACIC), the Entre Ríos Association (AEHITE), the Salta Civil Association, and the Santa Fe Association (ACISFE). Several additional associations from the northern provinces are currently in the process of formation.

The growth of these regional associations strengthens CACI as a whole, enabling the formation of the CACI Federation and providing more solid collective representation. This structure allows us to advocate for the professional and economic rights of interventional cardioangiologists on equal footing.

Regarding our institutional headquarters, maintenance renovations were carried out to optimize its functional conditions, meet current operational needs, and improve the spaces dedicated to academic and administrative activities.

In parallel, the identification of challenges in billing and collections systems triggered a process of administrative reorganization that has helped us move toward a more organized, efficient, and transparent management model, laying a solid foundation for our future operations.

Finally, one of the most significant achievements in the closing term is the academic collaboration established with SOLACI, which led to the development of two high-impact regional educational programs. The first is the annual SOLACI–CACI course for cath lab technologists and nurses across Latin America; the second is the SOLACI–CACI postgraduate course for interventional cardiologists. Together, these initiatives have provided comprehensive training for all different professionals involved in interventional cardiology, while consolidating an educational offering with true Latin American reach.

Much has been written in previous editorials about professional ethics; it is equally essential that members be well informed of their rights and responsibilities.

Member obligations include keeping dues current and certifying their cath labs. Fulfilling these requirements grants significant institutional benefits, including the ability to nominate residents or fellows to the CCSI examination for course access and subsequent CACI membership, to apply for congress registration scholarships, and to participate in courses, webinars, and institutional meetings.

Most importantly, active membership guarantees the support of the Board of Directors — particularly in collective representation matters, including legal counsel when circumstances require it.

Finally, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to all the colleagues who have supported our leadership over the closing term. Beginning in 2026, these editorial commentaries will continue under the incoming Board of Directors, chaired by Dr. Alfredo Bravo.

It has been an enormous responsibility and honor to have been part of this chapter in CACI history. Contributing — even in a modest way — to the development of our institution constitutes one of my greatest professional distinctions.

My warmest wishes to the incoming Board and to the continued growth of our institution.

Dr. Juan Fernández
President of the Argentinian College of Interventional Cardiologists (CACI)
revista@caci.org.ar

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