Statements & Publications Oversight Committee

The purpose of the Statements & Publications Oversight Committee (SPOC) is to oversee and harmonize the publications of the Society and ensure that they further the Society’s Publications mission and strategy.

ISHLT members can log in to see contact information for each of the committee members and representatives listed below. Only ISHLT members have access to this information.

Michael Shullo headshot

Michael Shullo, PharmD (2026)

Chair
West Virginia University Hospitals
Morgantown, WV USA
Headshot of Saima Aslam

Saima Aslam, MD, MS (2025)

Board of Directors Liaison
University of California San Diego
San Diego, CA USA
Headshot of Joseph Rogers

Joseph Rogers, MD (2029)

Member/ JHLT Representative
Texas Heart Institute
Houston, TX USA
Headshot of Dirk Van Raemdonck

Dirk Van Raemdonck, MD, PhD (2028)

Member/ JHLT Open Representative
University Hospitals Leuven
Leuven, Belgium
Headshot of Jim Kirklin

James Kirklin, MD (2025)

Monograph Editor
Kirklin Solutions
Birmingham, AL USA
Headshot of Sern Lim

Sern Lim, MD (2026)

Standards and Guidelines Committee Chair
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Headshot of Natasha Altman

Natasha Altman, MD (2026)

At Large Member
Auckland City Hospital, Health New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand
Image Coming Soon

Beatrice Aramini, MD, PhD (2027)

At Large Member
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna
Bologna, Italy
Headshot of Chesney Castleberry

Chesney Castleberry, MD (2027)

At Large Member
Dell Medical School at the University of Texas
Austin, TX USA
Image Coming Soon

Patricia Uber, PharmD (2026)

At Large Member
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Haverford, PA USA
Jess Burke headshot

Jessica Burke, MA, CAE, IOM

ISHLT Staff Liaison
ISHLT

Headshot of Megan Barrett

Megan Barrett,

ISHLT Staff Liaison
ISHLT
Dallas, TX USA

The purpose of the Statements & Publications Oversight Committee (SPOC) is to oversee and harmonize the publications of the Society and ensure that they further the Society’s Publications mission and strategy. The activities under the SPOC’s purview include the following:

  • Health Policy Guidance Statements
  • Professional Practice Guidelines and Consensus Statements
  • Standards Statements
  • Journals
  • Monographs
  • Patient Education materials
  • Press Releases, Public Comments
  • All other publications, whether print or digital, bearing the ISHLT name

Policies

Committee Composition and Selection
Committee Composition and Selection

The ISHLT Statements & Publications Oversight Committee (SPOC) shall consist of the following:

  • Two Co-Chairs
    • One appointed by the Executive Committee
    • The other is the CEO or other senior staff member
  • The Chairs of the Sub-Committees / Editors of the publications under the purview of the Oversight Committee
  • Four At-Large members appointed by the Co-Chairs to ensure appropriate expertise and leadership, subject to approval by the Executive Committee
  • A Board member appointed by the President will serve as an ex officio member of the committee and liaison to the Board
  • The staff Director of Marketing and Communications shall serve in a support capacity to the Committee

Terms

  • The appointed Co-Chair shall serve a 3-year term, renewable once.
  • The At-Large members shall each serve a 3-year term, renewable once

The appointed Co-Chair may not simultaneously serve in a Board position or on the Editorial Board for any other professional societies with overlapping membership and interest areas with ISHLT.

Committee Responsibilities
Committee Responsibilities

Strategy and Outreach

  • Ensure ISHLT’s publications portfolio furthers the Society’s strategic plan, meets the needs of its members, and are not duplicative of or in conflict with each other
  • Develop recommendations to the Board, upon request, regarding the Society’s strategic plan as it relates to its publications mission, including purposes, goals and strategies, tactics and outcome metrics
  • Assess the need for and develop proposals to the Board for the creation of new publications and/or Sub-Committees under its purview necessary to support or advance the publications mission of the Society
  • Consult with the Sub-Committees / Editors under its purview, the Leadership Advisory Forum and Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committees, and Professional Communities as needed to:
    • Obtain input regarding strategies and tactics for the Society’s publications mission
    • Proactively identify and approach potential partner organizations for collaborative publications projects that further both organizations’ publications missions
  • Diversity

    • Ensure the engagement of a diverse spectrum of members across geographies, specialties, genders, and generations, as appropriate, in the development of content for ISHLT’s publications
    • Ensure the Society’s publications are relevant and accessible to all members of the Society across geographies, specialties, and genders

    Sub-Committee Oversight (Standards and Guidelines Committee)

    • Work with the S&G Committee to accomplish the following on an annual basis
      • Identify strategic priorities regarding S&G documents for recommendation to the Board
      • Identify the need for new publications that further the established publications goals and strategies of the Society and evaluate proposals brought forward for such
      • Identify opportunities to collaborate with other organizations on publications of joint interest
    • Review and approve S&G applications and document final drafts prior to publication
    • Develop, implement, and oversee adherence to policies and contracts governing the operational and fiscal aspects of S&G publications
    • Provide guidance and oversight to the S&G Committee regarding policies related to content production, approval, and publication and oversee adherence to them
    • Review and approve policies developed by/for the S&G Committee related to content production, approval, and publication
    • Oversee adherence to COI policies related to S&G document production
    • Ensure adherence to S&G policy and procedures and provide course correction as needed

    Publication Editor Oversight (Journals, Monographs)

    • Work with the Editors to accomplish the following on an annual basis
      • Identify strategic priorities regarding publications for recommendation to the Board
      • Develop annual plans and outcome metrics to deliver on the Society’s strategic plan
      • Identify the need for new publications that further the established Publications goals and strategies of the Society
    • Develop, implement, and oversee adherence to policies and contracts governing the operational and fiscal aspects of ISHLT publications
    • Provide input to the Editors regarding policies related to content production, approval, and publication
    • Review and approve policies developed by the Editors related to content production, approval, and publication
    • Oversee adherence to COI policies related to journals and monographs
    • Ensure the editorial integrity and independence of all peer-reviewed published content

    Evaluation and Assessment

    • Annually evaluate ISHLT’s publications against the established goals, strategies, tactics and outcome metrics and provide a report to the Board, including recommendations for change/need for improvement as warranted
    • Annually evaluate the performance of the S&G Committee and Editors against the relevant deliverables and provide a report to the Board, including recommendations for change/need for improvement as warranted

    General

    • Serve as the Conflict of Interest Resolution Committee for all of the Society’s publications activities
    • Lead the development, review, and approval of Public Comments and Health Policy guidance Statements
    • Respond promptly and by the deadline to all assigned tasks
    • Come prepared and participate actively in all conference calls and meetings