Professional Communities

Home / Get Involved / Professional Communities

ISHLT members are organized into 10 Professional Communities in which they network, provide mentorship, share expertise, and advance knowledge in their specialty as it relates to the Society's mission.

These communities:

Are the source for scientific and medical content expertise for all ISHLT programs and services
Provide a forum to network with colleagues with a common specialty, engage regarding issues of interest to the specialty, mentor early career professionals, and welcome new members
Identify specialty-level interests to be brought to the Interdisciplinary Networks and the Leadership Advisory Forum for consideration
Serve as a pool for content experts for ISHLT’s programs and services are drawn
Provide a forum for nonmembers, new members, and junior faculty to become engaged with ISHLT
Serve as an entry point for professional visibility and opportunity to participate in volunteer leadership opportunities

Professional Community Roles, Structure, and Policies

A group of Anesthesiology and Critical Care professionals at the Professional Community receptions at ISHLT2023 in Denver

Structure

The Society’s members practice in more than 23 different professional specialty areas. ISHLT members are organized into 10 Professional Communities in which they network, provide mentorship, share expertise, and advance knowledge in their specialty as it relates to the mission of ISHLT.

Any professional specialty with at least 10 members will have a Professional Community within ISHLT.

Any Professional Community with at least 40 members will be entitled to elect a representative to each of the Interdisciplinary Networks they feel is relevant to their community.

Each ISHLT member is required to select a Primary Professional Community. As a member of this community, they will be entitled to participate in the election of one representative from their Professional Community to serve on the Steering Committee of each relevant Interdisciplinary Steering Committee.

Because so many of ISHLT’s members have practice interests in more than one specialty, any member or nonmember may choose to join and participate in any of the 10 Professional Communities in the ISHLTConnect online forum. The designation of a Primary Professional Community is purely for voting purposes and is used only as an administrative purposes tool for such.

Operations

Each Professional Community with more than 40 members will select a representative to serve on each of the relevant Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committees (one representative per Network) and on the Early Career and Trainee Committee.
Professional Communities with fewer than 40 members will elect a Professional Community Leader and will not have representation on any Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committees or on the Early Career and Trainee Committee.

ISHLT members network at ISHLT2023 in Denver

Key Values

Welcome new members to the Professional Community and to ISHLT
Exchange knowledge and information via the Community’s online discussion forum in ISHLTConnect
Provide the Interdisciplinary Networks with a specialty-specific perspective
Connect with and mentor junior members of the Community
Through engagement and networking, facilitate more diverse involvement in ISHLT volunteer opportunities.

Representatives to the AHFTX IDN at ISHLT2023 in Denver

Responsibilities

Elected Professional Community Leaders

Serve as the Community’s leadership to proactively facilitate engagement and communications among the members
Connect community members with volunteer opportunities
Utilize the Society’s Roster of Potential Volunteers to identify members to fill volunteer positions
Moderate the Community’s online interactions ISHLTConnect and drive year-round engagement
Communicate with Community members regarding the relevant actions of the Interdisciplinary Networks
Represent the interests of the Community to the Steering Committees of the relevant Interdisciplinary Networks and, as requested, to the Leadership Advisory Forum, the Committees, and the Board
Upon request, provide community-specific insight and feedback to the Society leadership (Board, Committees, Leadership Advisory Forum) via the appropriate Interdisciplinary Network

Other Communities

Some ISHLT members practice in specialties which are represented within ISHLT by just a few individuals. Once the ISHLT membership includes at least 10 members of a given professional specialty, they can petition to create a Professional Community on ISHLTconnect so they can begin to:

Network with colleagues and engage with each other regarding issues of interest
Mentor those who are in the early stages of their career
Welcome new members into the Society
Provide content experts to participate in developing and delivering ISHLT’s programs and services and serving in other volunteer capacities

Once the ISHLT membership includes at least 40 members of a given professional specialty, they can request the Society to create a formal Professional Community for them and that community can begin to also:

Elect representatives to the AHFTX, MCS, PVD, and ALFTX Interdisciplinary Networks
Elect a representative to the Early Career and Trainee Committee
Provide a voice in the Leadership Advisory Forum
Identify interests and bringing them to the Interdisciplinary Networks and the Leadership Advisory Forum for consideration

Professional Communities

Anesthesiology & Critical Care

Cardiology

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Infectious Diseases

Nursing and Allied Health

Pathology

Pediatrics

Pharmacy

Pulmonology

Research and Immunology

About the Professional Communities

Structure