2025 Chapter Grant Awarded to UNC Division of Cardiology

The North Carolina Chapter of the ACC is proud to announce the recipient of the 2025 Chapter grant, which is offered to a cardiovascular organization in need of funding to create a program with a goal of reducing cardiovascular health disparities in the state of North Carolina. 

Congratulations to UNC for their project submission, Expanding Echocardiography Access for Underserved Populations in Central North Carolina. The project was submitted by: George Stouffer MD, Thelsa Weickert MD, Alan Hinderliter MD at the Division of Cardiology, University of North Carolina.

 The project is for a one-year grant, with potential for renewal, in a competitive process.  Priority was given to projects with paths to scalability and independent sustainability.

The need to be addressed is disparities in cardiovascular care remain a major barrier to health equity in the U.S., driven by structural inequalities and social determinants of health. Marginalized populations—including rural residents, low-income communities, immigrants, and racial/ethnic minorities—have significantly reduced access to cardiovascular diagnostics such as echocardiography. These gaps in care contribute to later-stage diagnoses, avoidable hospitalizations, and worse overall outcomes.

“This grant will enable us to continue to provide access to diagnostic imaging for a historically underserved population, helping to reduce disparities and improve outcomes in cardiovascular disease.”