RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health to Spotlight Expansive Cardiovascular Research at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session & Expo

Portfolio includes 70 abstracts demonstrating continued advancement across heart and vascular care

WEST ORANGE, N.J., March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Physician-scientists from RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health will present a dynamic portfolio of cardiovascular research at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session & Expo (ACC.26), taking place in New Orleans, LA from March 28–30, 2026. A total of 70 abstracts have been accepted, highlighting clinical insights and emerging science designed to advance prevention strategies, refine treatment approaches, and improve outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease.

The research to be presented reflects the collaborative work of residents and faculty across the cardiovascular programs at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center and Trinitas Regional Medical Center, with academic contributions from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. RWJBarnabas Health's cardiac centers of excellence are nationally recognized for patient care and superior outcomes, including being named as one of Becker's top 100 Great Heart Programs in the country and recognized by the American College of Cardiology as a Proven Quality Program. Rutgers Health faculty presenting at the conference represent the Division of Cardiology and the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension and the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

"We are proud to present a comprehensive and impactful body of cardiovascular research at ACC.26 that reflects the depth and expertise across our heart and vascular programs," said Conor Barrett, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of RWJBarnabas Health Heart & Vascular. "Through rigorous research and clinical innovation, we are focused on translating discovery into measurable improvements in patient care and advancing outcomes for the communities we serve. By fostering collaboration across disciplines and investing in next-generation science, we are strengthening our ability to deliver more precise, effective and patient-centered cardiovascular care."

As RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health share new scientific insights at ACC.26, Partho P. Sengupta, MD, FACC, Chief of Cardiology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Henry Rutgers Professor of Cardiology, Chief of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, will also be honored with the American College of Cardiology's 2026 Distinguished Scientist Award (Translational Domain). This prestigious recognition reflects his leadership and significant contributions to translational cardiovascular science, as well as the institution's commitment to advancing research that enhances patient care.

RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health continue to lead in cardiovascular research and clinical advancement. Their participation at ACC.26 reflects a sustained commitment to improving outcomes and strengthening heart and vascular care.

Highlights of the accepted abstracts include the following presentations:

• Research evaluating artificial intelligence-derived echocardiographic measurements to improve mortality risk prediction in patients with acute myocardial infarction. In a retrospective analysis of 691 patients, adding AI-derived measures including left ventricular ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain to the GRACE 2.0 risk score improved risk reclassification and provided stronger prognostic value for predicting mortality.
• A study comparing natural language processing pipelines and human abstractors for extracting demographic, comorbidity and laboratory variables from acute myocardial infarction registry data. The large language model achieved higher overall accuracy than human abstractors (90.2% vs 85.3%) and reduced abstraction time from weeks to hours while maintaining reproducibility.
• Findings from a quality improvement initiative evaluating a nurse practitioner–coordinated Heart Team model designed to support evidence-based care for patients with complex coronary and structural disease. Implementation of the multidisciplinary review process increased formal case reviews and referrals for coronary artery bypass surgery, while facilitating earlier surgical referrals and expanded use of medical and palliative care pathways for high-risk patients.

The full list of RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health presentations at this year's ACC.26 Annual Scientific Session & Expo can be found here.

ABOUT RWJBARNABAS HEALTH

RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians integrated to provide care at more than 700 patient care locations.

RWJBarnabas Health partners with its communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered care in a compassionate manner and is the state's largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable.

RWJBarnabas Health's commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey's largest private employers, with more than 45,000 employees, contributing more than $7 billion to the state economy every year. For more information, visit www.RWJBH.org

For journalists – contact:
Krista Didzbalis 
Corporate Communications Specialist, Strategic Communications, RWJBarnabas Health
732.507.8307
[email protected]

SOURCE RWJBarnabas Health