While submissions in this pathway can be individualized within the 6-slide limit, the following is a suggested structured template. We encourage at least one member of your unit to consider a submission with this template to enable meaningful comparisons and contrasts across regions:
Slide 1 — Regional Context (Orient the audience)
Include:
- Country / city / institution
- Population served by the hospital or referral network
- Estimated burden of cardiac disease (if known)
- Number of cardiac surgery centers in the country or region
- Simple map
Slide 2 — Program Overview (Show the scale of the program)
Include:
- Year program established
- Annual cardiac surgery volume
- Major case categories (approximate %):
- Rheumatic valve disease
- Congenital heart disease
- CABG / ischemic disease
- Other
Optional:
- 1 simple bar chart of case mix
Slide 3 — Workforce & Infrastructure (Show program capacity)
Include:
- Number of cardiac surgeons
- Cardiac anesthesiologists
- Perfusionists
- ICU beds dedicated to cardiac surgery
- Key equipment availability (CPB machines, cath lab, imaging)
Slide 4 — Key Barriers (Identify a central challenge)
Limit to 2–3 major barriers, for example:
- Late referral of patients
- Equipment or supply chain limitations
- Workforce shortages
- Financial barriers to surgery
- Limited ICU capacity
Rank these by impact.
Slide 5 — Local Innovations or Solutions (Highlight local solutions & ingenuity)
Examples might include:
- Developing regional referral networks
- Adapting surgical techniques for available equipment
- Training programs for perfusion or ICU nursing
- Local financing strategies
- Partnerships with NGOs or universities
Slide 6 — Opportunities & Collaboration (End with forward-looking insight)
Include:
- The single change that would most improve cardiac surgery access
- Opportunities for collaboration
- Future program goals
Consideration for:
- What partnership would accelerate your program most?
- What training or infrastructure would have the greatest impact?
