The Marriott Heart Foundation (MHF) was incorporated by our late Co-Founder, Dr. Henry J. L. Marriott and his partner Jonni Cooper in 1996 in Naples, FL to provide Cardiology Courses for all Cardiac Caregivers, and to develop Standards of Education and Practice for Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Assistants, Nurses, Technicians, Paramedics and other Cardiac Professionals.
In 1996 Physicians were the only group that had the benefit of a Standardized Cardiology program and a Certification process that was offered by the ACC and the Board of Internal Medicine. Physicians had all the benefits of being professionally organized while Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Assistants, Nurses, and Technicians had to educate themselves by attending conferences and reading books, but all with no formal organization or Standard of Practice.
MHF quickly took on the task of developing Standards of Education and Practice for Cardiac Monitor and ECG Technicians, Cardiac Nurses, and Cardiac Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.
And order to serve the various levels of practice within Cardiology it made sense to create two sub-divisions of MHF to provide targeted Standards of Education and Practice for non-Cardiologist groups whose professions were in bad need of being Standardized. This sub-division of organizations makes it easy to navigate to appropriate courses and educational materials designed specifically for various Cardiac Caregivers within cardiology.
The two sub-divisions of MHF were named for the groups they directly serve: ACCN and ACCNP – read about each division below.
The American College of Cardiovascular Nurses (a Membership Organization) – formed in 1991 to represent the needs of Cardiac Nurses, Cardiac Monitor Technicians, ECG Technicians, and Paramedic/EMT personnel, joined MHF in 1996. ACCN Joined MHF in 1996.
ACCN offers a comprehensive Cardiovascular Nursing Course that covers the Core Competencies in Cardiology for two distinct levels of practice in Cardiac Nursing. The ACCN’s goal was to develop Standards of Education and Practice for these groups of professionals who have been thrust into various cardiac settings with minimal to no formal training.
ACCN developed Standards of Education and Practice for these two levels of practice:
Formed in 2009.
The ACCNP was developed in 2009 as a Membership Organization by popular demand of Cardiac Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants already attending ACCN courses and events. This group ask specifically for formal training in Cardiology much like Cardiologist in order to work beside their Board-Certified Cardiologists employers with confidence. The ACCNP developed a comprehensive set of core competencies for this group of Cardiac professionals and a Course designed specifically for this group of professionals.
The ACCNP Represents the Following Groups of Caregivers:
Jonni has the depth of knowledge that makes her a true one-of-a-kind instructor. Excellent Courses!
Great Courses - A must for everyone.
These courses are the toughest I have taken and my career is soaring because I really know my stuff when it comes to the heart and reading ECGs with confidence and accuracy.
How do I even say enough about what these courses have done for my understanding and my career?