Jagat Narula

Jagat Narula

Candidacy Motivation and Relevance

Dear WHF Member:

I am honored to be considered for the position of President-Elect (2023-24) of the World Heart Federation (WHF), the organization that I have been so intimately associated with for almost two decades in various capacities including Vice President elect and Vice President (2019-2022), Chair of the Science, Policy and Advocacy Committee (SPAC 2011-2018), Member of the Board of Directors (2011-2018), and the Editor-in-Chief of Global Heart (the official Journal of the WHF) (2011-2018). I have a keen sense of glorious heritage and traditions of WHF, where WHF should be headed, and how to position WHF to get there most effectively.

Why should you consider voting for me: I have over 30 years of organizational leadership experience in various capacities at: (a) major academic institutions, as the Chairman for Departments of Cardiology, Director for Cardiovascular Institutes, Cardiovascular Imaging Institutes, Heart Transplant Center and Associate Dean for Research and Global Health at three prominent U.S. Universities, and (b) major national and international scientific organizations including American College of Cardiology (Board of Trustees, Founding Editor-in-Chief of the top Imaging journal– JACC Imaging, Executive Editor of the ACC flagship Journal– JACC, and Chair for various International Programs and initiatives of ACC), and the American Heart Association (member of numerous committees and recommendation writing groups).

The coming years will undoubtedly bring in new and previously unseen challenges for the Institutions such as WHF. Firstly, the economic uncertainties are likely to radically limit investments into health care, especially global preventative efforts. Second, newer needs such as the recent pandemic or other emerging pathogens will divert already meagre existing resources and attention from chronic diseases like CAD. Third, some unique organizations like WHF, with a transnational mission, may bear the brunt of these scarcities.

Coping with these trying times will call for a sagacious leader who has demonstrated success in anticipating and driving change rather than passively be driven by it. An example of this would be my tenure at 2 major healthcare institutions– I led both from near bankruptcy towards being a model of operational and financial stability, which was achieved through anticipating challenges and thinking up innovative solutions. My current department is now manifold more productive and fiscally responsibly in the black.  I have the necessary experience and skill sets to ensure a similar successful tenure at WHF and an ability to position it as a vibrant and high value organization.

What I envision for WHF and how will I accomplish it:  When chosen to the position of President-Elect, I will work with the incoming President and leadership of the WHF and strive to consolidate WHF’s position as the premier platform for coordinating cardiovascular health promotion and disease prevention around the world, with special focus on Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMIC), with the following ideas:

• Bring in a more diverse cadre into WHF program operations by encouraging more women into leadership roles, and seeking greater participation from under-represented geographical regions to create robust grassroots following for WHF and its mission,
• Create formal sharing mechanisms for transfer of health process improvement resources from more advanced world organizations to LMIC,
• Involve major NGOs working in the health improvement space, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation or the Wellcome Foundation, to partner with WHF in planning and deploying targeted programs in LMICs (eg. rheumatic fever prevention or optimization of STEMI Care).
• Improve communications between WHF and partner organizations, better showcase the excellent work being carried out and strengthen our social media presence.
• Attract major donors and high-value philanthropy for WHF to build capacity in key areas and ensure fiscal viability of the organization for the achievement of our goals. I have successfully done this with major philanthropic gifts for the institutions I have been associated with over the last two decades.

I will work tirelessly to make WHF a respected voice for countries at all economic levels, should I be fortunate to be the President-Elect. On a personal note, I am grateful to you for allowing me to be a candidate for this position and I look forward to your valuable support.

With warmest regards,

Jagat Narula MD PhD MACC

Philip J. and Harriet L. Goodhart Chair of Medicine

Chief of Division of Cardiology, Mount Sinai Morningside

Associate Dean for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Vice President, World Heart Federation