Dr. Amy Winiger Presents International Research at the 2025 American College of Cardiology Conference

Amy Winiger, DNP, FNP-C, FAANP, FACC, proudly represented UNC Charlotte School of Nursing at the 2025 American College of Cardiology (ACC) Conference, held March 28–30 in Chicago, Illinois. She presented the abstract Bridging the Americas to Improve Patient Education Post-Myocardial Infarction, which highlights an innovative international initiative aimed at enhancing cardiovascular care through cross-cultural collaboration.

Dr. Winiger co-led the Bridging of the Americas grant, ACC’s first international cardiovascular team grant, alongside Dr. Leslie Davis, PhD, NP, FACC from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), Dr. Winiger is among only 1.7% of cardiovascular team members to receive this distinguished honor. In addition to her presentation in Chicago, Dr. Winiger’s abstract was also accepted for presentation at the UNC Charlotte Sigma Theta Tau poster session on April 22.

Results of the Program

This collaborative project developed and delivered a series of virtual, translated educational webinars to five nurse champions working in public hospitals across Chile. The sessions focused on improving post-myocardial infarction (MI) education and supporting nurse-led quality improvement projects tailored to each hospital’s unique needs. Ongoing participant check-ins were conducted to support implementation, troubleshoot challenges, and maintain program engagement.

All five nurse champions, who averaged over 11 years of cardiovascular nursing experience, completed the training and an anonymous evaluation survey. All participants agreed or strongly agreed that the program effectively equipped them with evidence-based strategies to enhance post-MI patient education and self-care outcomes.