History
Turkish Society of Cardiology is the scientific, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization of Turkish cardiologists, established on May 21st, 1963. Its 2360 members cover almost all the academicians and practitioners of cardiology and the
related specialists in Turkey. TSC is the most active medical professional society in the country and accredited by the government as “an institution working for public benefit” since 1980.
TSC held its regular General Assembly on April 14, 2012 and elected its new board to serve till April 2014 with the active participation of half of its members. The innovations made by TSC in 2012 include the first E-Cardiology Congress,
Interventional and Heart Failure Webinars and publication of the first Nutrition Guidelines for CVD Patients. Besides the present on-going campaigns, a new event was added to the annual agenda of regular activities: European Heart Failure Day. This year, a webinar for cardiologists and family physicians and an integrated communication program to warn the general audience were realized. 2012 World Hypertension Day marked a new and long-term Project: Hypertension Hunters Contest as a part of theInvent Something for Health Campaign. As a natural result, TSC was re-awarded as theMost Successful NGO of 2012 in Health.
TSC is member of ESC and WHF since 1964. It is the founding member of the Turkic World Cardiology Association (TWCA) formed by the Turkish-speaking countries in 1998 and assists the member societies to join the international organizations. In 2011 TSC started two new programs for the full and observer members of the TWCA; fellows from these countries are awarded 6 months Grant to develop their clinical capabilities in Cardiology Training Centers of Turkey and a new scholarship was founded
for the trainees from these countries attending to cardiology specialization program in Turkey.
In 2010 ACC Istanbul Chapter Consortium was established and organized 4 scientific meetings in İstanbul, Skopje –twice- and
Beirut in 3 years, besides regular Joint Sessions at the National Congress.
The last period was accentuated by the rapidly developing international relations of the TSC. Joint meetings with the cardiology societies of the countries since August 2010 were made with Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Montenegro, Russia, Syria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. 8th Turkic World Cardiology Congress was realized in Baku in November 2012. Two international events took place in İstanbul in 2012: ESC’s Acute Coronary Care Congress on 20-22 October and 3rd World Heart Failure Congress on November 29- December 1st. Istanbul became the birth place of the ACCA that evolved into the 6th Association of ESC.
As the follow-up of the National Policy for Cardiovascular Health prepared under the leadership of TSC, and the Strategic Plan on Prevention and Control of Cardiovascular Diseases based on the Policy and introduced by the Ministry of Health at the end of 2007; new National Projects were initiated together with the Ministry in 2011 and 9 working groups keep on working, each one under the presidency and secretariat of our assigned members. In the course of time Strategic Plans to Control and Prevent Obesity, Tobacco Consumption and Diabetes were also developed by the active participation of TSC and put into effect. A significant reslut of these activities was the delivery of 3 annual World No-Tobacco Day Award of WHO to Turkey in the last 5 years; the last one of these was given to the TSC member and the Parliament Health Commission Chairman Prof. Dr. Cevdet Erdöl..
The joint Project with the General Health Insurance Authority to develop a National Registry System in Cardiology was started in October 2010 and its preparatory work has developed since then. First the National Registry for Interventional Cardiology and then the National Registry for Arrhythmia are expected to start.
Besides active participation of working groups, 19 functional subcommittees support the Board in planning and conducting annual programs. Among them the Cardiovascular Health and Nutrition Committee prepared patient guidelines that were made reachable at our website in 2012. Women and Heart Health Committee established in parallel to the WP 6 of European Hearth Health Project also keeps on working for a national research project on Cardiovascular Diseases in Pregnant Women which is conducted together with 20.000 family physicians. A Joint Course for Gyneacologists and Obstetricians were started together with the Ministry of Health to develop cardiovascular health of pregnants.
The head office of the Society will move to its new 540 sqm flat accross the İstanbul Atatürk Airport at a new prime estate providing office spaces, a lecture room for 100 people and three meeting rooms. A team under the management of the CEO provides professional service for all the TSC activities, national and international.