Michigan Society of Echocardiography

The thirtieth anniversary party of the Michigan Society of Echocardiography had it all: a chance to celebrate professional relationships and renew cherished friendships, the opportunity to honor our thirty years of experience, the chance to meet new friends and colleagues, and a night on the town in Michigan’s premier tourist attraction.

And that was just Friday night, October 28, 2011! 

The next day, participants attended an academic program chockerblock full of practical clinical presentations, met with vendors to see the latest equipment in the field, and enjoyed the MSE mix of fun, socialization and learning.

Friday evening began with pulling the car into the stately circle drive of the Henry Ford “clock entrance” for valet parking. Inside, the MSE planning committee had arranged an elegant cocktail reception; Diane Drago saw to every detail, including the array of Michigan wine and beer at the bar. As wait staff strolled the Prechter Promenade with trays of appetizers, a professional photographer recorded it all for future memory books. Amid this buzz of friendly conversation, hundreds of MSE physicians, sonographers, family and guests re-lived shared experiences, toasted fond memories and pledged to stay in touch, if only on Facebook.

Dinner was indeed a festive affair. There were two large screens presenting power point slides in a continuous loop record of the Echo in the Slopes meetings since they began in 1999. In between, a shining Douglas DC–3 twin engine plane appeared to have the podium and dinner guests in its landing path.

All around, the exhibits and displays of the Henry Ford set off the theme of history. The massive museum was an ideal venue for the meeting, even if the only thing in common was that neither the museum nor the MSE can be accused of taking itself too seriously. After all, where else can you see a 600 ton locomotive indoors? And where else could David Forst, MD serve as MC and keep more than 300 people enthralled with his witty presentation?

Dr. Forst was in the best form.  First, we need to acknowledge with deep gratitude the huge effort he put into this program.  As recently as the MSE steering committee meeting at Echo in the Slopes, this program was a non-starter.  But, if you know David at all, you know of his persistence and the persuasive effect of his personal charm. He made it all come together, to great effect!

No need to get worried that this will lapse into a sentimental recollection of David, or of the evening.  His review of the history of the MSE and its key players was so funny that most of us are still chuckling, and aren’t about to get maudlin. David was both grand and gracious in his review of the proud 30 year history of the MSE. It doesn't appear that he left anyone out in his salute to the past presidents, secretaries and steering committee members. Sure, more than a few us were the butt of his remarkable humor, but everyone appreciated the affection that flowed consistently.

The honors section of the program was mercifully brief, since five recipients of awards were not asked to speak after they got their statuettes. William Armstrong, MD; Renee Bess, BS, RDCS, RVT; Michael Gallagher, MD; Richard Humes, MD and Felix Rogers, DO were given awards for distinguished service by Andrew Hauser, MD, and James Thomas, MD, President of the American Society of Echocardiography. In a deft move so characteristic of his role with the MSE, Dr. Hauser presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to David Forst, MD.

Most of the dinner guests were unaware of Dr. Forst’s after-dinner speaking prowess.  They were actually there to see and hear Harvey Feigenbaum, widely recognized as the “Father of Echocardiography.” Dr. Feigenbaum did not disappoint, no matter how high the expectation. He wove an entertaining and highly personal story of his long history of the development of the echocardiogram, punctuated by anecdotes of friends, both colorful and professional, who entered his life at critical times.  He ended with a series of observations that tracked his own commitments to medicine, and the personal philosophy that keeps him motivated to be the thought leader in echocardiography.  The citation on his award from the MSE read: Presented with appreciation to Harvey Feigenbaum, Innovator, Mentor and Friend.

After dinner, it was all Detroit, and all Michigan! The dessert station featured old-time Detroit staples such as Saunders ice cream and bumpy cake.  The MSE guests had free run of the museum until it closed at 11 PM.

The Saturday education program proved to be so popular that the MSE had to plead with the Dearborn Inn to arrange a larger meeting room.  More than 225 participants gathered for a comprehensive and far-reaching activity.

Leading off, nationally known sonographer David Adams, RDCS, RCVT paid homage to his unique experience with one of the pioneers in echocardiography, Joseph Kisslo, MD, and gave us insights into the pearls he has accumulated in a 30 year career. James Thomas, MD, who holds an endowed chair in imaging at the Cleveland Clinic and is the current ASE President, followed with a broad overview of diastolic function. Michael Picard, MD, director of echocardiography at the Massachusetts General Hospital fittingly gave the presentation on quality in the echo lab. Bill Armstrong, MD, matched that with a report on appropriate use criteria. Into this world of high-tech innovation, Gerald Cohen, MD, challenged us with the visual aid of his own stethoscope and encouraged us to implement the bedside exam into our validation of echocardiography.

Luis Afonso, MBBS, director of echo at the DMC, entertained us at lunch with an intriguing series of cases, selected for their unusual nature, or the subtlety of the diagnostic evaluation. His understated manner emphasized the nuances.

The afternoon program included a novel event, a series of challenging cases brought together by MSE past President Steven Girard, MD. Using the format of a Motown revue, Steve moderated a “showdown” between the ASE guests and a panel of Detroit area experts. There were as many witty barbs as there were clinical insights, and all were winners.

Elsewhere during the afternoon sessions, our out of town experts presented 3D echocardiography (Dr. Picard) and a multimodality view of valvular regurgitation (Dr. Thomas). Our local talent included Michael Gallagher, MD with a high tech presentation on interventional echocardiography; Rick Humes, MD, who fulfilled his reputation as the master of pediatric echo, making the complex become obvious and understandable; Karthic Anath, MD, the go-to guy for valvular heart disease and William Armstrong, this time on the evaluation of the aorta.

All MSE members should be grateful to the planning committee who met multiple times and carried on a series of email correspondences all summer to pull together this program. Thanks go to Drs. Anath, Armstrong, Cohen, Gallagher, Girard, Hauser, Humes, Rogers, and to sonographers Patricia Bailey, Renee Bess, Sue Kobylarek and Kathy Sibley.  Oh, yeah.  And thanks to David Forst, for getting us all together for this, too.

The meeting would not have been possible without the support of our vendors, including Philips, Siemens, Lippincott, Gilead Sciences, AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, FUJI Medical, GE Healthcare and Lantheus. Our collaboration with industry sets the right tone:  they support an educational program that is not biased in content, we get updated on the best new technology, and everyone enjoys the friendly atmosphere.