Wednesday, October 15, 2025

New data on cardiology compensation and production highlights solutions for workforce shortages

2025 MedAxiom cardiovascular provider compensation and production survey report aggregates data on private vs. Integrated practice, app to physician ratios, patient volumes and subspeciality considerations

American College of Cardiology

MedAxiom, the premier source for cardiovascular organizational performance solutions, has released its 2025 Cardiovascular Provider Compensation and Production Survey report that includes data from the largest number of programs since its debut. With 232 cardiovascular programs submitting 2024 data, MedAxiom’s 13th annual survey saw a 15% increase in program participation and a 21% increase in cardiovascular providers represented. The survey is powered by MedAxcess, the cardiovascular industry’s leading business intelligence application and proprietary database.

2025 Report Highlights

Compensation Increase: Compensation for full-time (FT) cardiologists continued its upward trajectory, reaching an all-time high in 2024 of $694,954 at the median. Across all subspecialties, compensation gains were reported despite a slight decline in median work relative value unit (wRVU) production.
Compensation Divergence: Median compensation for integrated cardiologists surpassed $700,000 per FT physician, while private practice cardiologists saw a decline to $588,479, marking the largest gap in over five years. Cardiac surgeons experienced a modest compensation increase despite declining productivity, while vascular surgeons maintained near-peak compensation levels despite a steep drop in wRVUs.
Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Deployment Trends: APPs continue to play a critical role in cardiovascular care. Cardiology programs increased their APP-to-physician ratio to 0.75, while cardiac and vascular surgery programs saw declines in APP support per surgeon.
APP Productivity Growth: Cardiology APPs posted an 8% increase in median wRVUs, reaching 1,987 in 2024. Private practice APPs significantly outperformed their integrated peers, producing a median of 2,743 wRVUs, underscoring differences in billing independence and productivity expectations.
Access Challenges: Access to cardiology care showed signs of strain in 2024 as larger patient panels, nearly 2,000 per physician full-time equivalency (FTE), coincided with the first drop in new patient office visits reported in several years. The percentage of new patient visits to total office visits dipped to its lowest point in five years at 15.4%.
Declining Cath Lab Volumes: Catheterizations and PCIs per 1,000 active cardiology patients continued their downward trend, reflecting shifts in care delivery and the growing use of advanced imaging to guide interventions.

“These findings demonstrate how data can help anticipate challenges and guide strategic decisions, from workforce planning to patient access, enabling health systems to adapt to evolving demands,” said MedAxiom President and CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, FACC.

The use of data to inform solutions for workforce shortages was a key takeaway in the report. “In years past, the data seemed to suggest that the industry dealt with the cardiologist shortage simply through brute force and working harder – as measured by wRVUs,” said Joel Sauer, MBA, MedAxiom’s executive vice president of Consulting and a report co-author. “Now we’re seeing a fundamental shift of care to APPs, and the number of physician FTEs per 1,000 active patients is dropping. This is a profound adaptation by cardiology.”

The full report is available here.

About MedAxiom

MedAxiom, an American College of Cardiology Company, is the cardiovascular community’s premier source for organizational performance solutions. MedAxiom is transforming cardiovascular care by combining the knowledge and power of hundreds of cardiovascular organization members, thousands of administrators, clinicians and revenue cycle experts, and dozens of industry partners. Through the delivery of proprietary tools, smart data and proven strategies, MedAxiom helps cardiovascular organizations achieve the Quadruple Aim of better outcomes, lower costs, improved patient experience and improved clinician experience. For additional information, visit MedAxiom.com.

###

Research alert: Bacterial chatter slows wound healing

University of California - San Diego

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered a previously unrecognized mechanism by which Staphylococcus aureus — one of the most common causes of skin and soft tissue infections worldwide — delays wound healing. The new study reveals that quorum sensing — a process in which bacteria communicate and coordinate behavior with one another — is a key driver of delayed healing in wounds infected by S. aureus. The findings suggest that by using drugs to interfere with quorum sensing, it could be possible to enhance wound healing without relying on antibiotics, reducing the risk of resistance and improving healing outcomes for patients.

Despite significant advances in wound care, infections by S. aureus, particularly methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA), remain a leading cause of delayed wound healing and poor patient outcomes around the world. MRSA infection is particularly common in hospital settings, accounting for a significant portion of surgical site infections, bloodstream infections and pneumonia in hospitalized patients.

The researchers found:

In both mouse and human models of wound healing, infection with S. aureus activated the bacterium’s accessory gene regulator (agr) quorum-sensing system, a molecular “switch” that controls bacterial communication and virulence.
Activating the agr system led to a dramatic suppression of key metabolic genes in keratinocytes, cells that help rebuild the skin barrier during wound healing.
Disruption of the agr system in S. aureus restored normal wound healing and keratinocyte function, even when the bacteria were present at high levels.
In contrast, exposure to harmless bacteria such as Staphylococcus hominis did not impair healing and even promoted beneficial metabolic activity in skin cells.

These findings have significant implications for the treatment of chronic wounds and hospital-acquired infections. By targeting the agr system, it may be possible to disarm S. aureus without relying on antibiotics, reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance and improving healing outcomes for patients. The study also highlights the importance of the wound microbiome and suggests that therapies which preserve or restore healthy skin bacteria could enhance recovery.

While further research and clinical trials are needed to translate these insights into specific therapies, the results open the door to innovative approaches for managing wound infections, potentially transforming care for patients with chronic and hard-to-heal wounds.

The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, was led by Michelle D. Bagood, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher, and Richard L. Gallo, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. The work was funded, in part, by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Gallo is a cofounder, scientific advisor, consultant, and equity holder of MatriSys Bioscience.

# # #

Journal

Journal of Clinical Investigation

DOI

10.1172/JCI190411

Pilot shows promise and challenge of using simulations to prepare students for social work practice

Researchers report on the results of a pilot initiative on VR and actor-assisted teaching and learning at the NYU Silver School of Social Work

New York University

Amid a documented shortage of behavioral and mental health service providers in large urban areas, the use of VR simulations and actors in training the next generation of social workers shows promise, but the approach can be time-consuming for instructors, costly, and needs fine tuning, according to a new study.

The study reports on a pilot initiative in which simulation-based AI-assisted learning platforms as well as hired actors were woven into a foundational course in social work practice at NYU Silver for students interested in working in elementary and secondary schools.

Two sections of the two-semester course allowed students to engage with school-based social scenarios, receiving real-time feedback followed by extensive debriefings and discussions with their instructors.

“This pilot initiative has demonstrated that simulation cannot stand alone as a teaching method or simply be dropped into a syllabus without consideration or planning,’’ according to the study by NYU Silver researchers Anne Dempsey, Gabriella McBride, Jasmin Acevedo, and Nicholas Lanzieri. “Instead, thoughtful preparation, scaffolding and integration are required.”

While social work educators’ use of simulation nationally has “grown significantly” over the past decade, it is still in its early stages of development and deployment, according to the researchers’ article. The report on the pilot initiative detected the need for further testing.

The paper is titled “Teaching Note: Training the Next Generation of Social Workers Using Actors and Technology-Based Simulations. It appears in the research journal Studies in Clinical Social Work: Transforming Practice, Education, and Research.

The article, among other things, found through a review of the NYU Silver pilot initiative that:

· Preparing instructors to use the simulations meaningfully in the classroom is both “crucial” and time-consuming – from implementation to debriefing and assessing students on their experience.

· Given the often-limited number of simulation-trained educators at schools of social work, integrating the method across all of a school’s practice courses is logistically challenging and requires resources, infrastructure and the consistent investment of the institution.

· Some students reported feeling “significant anxiety and pressure before engaging in the exercises” and worrying about their mistakes, even though a simulation is designed to present a low-stakes scenario to prepare them for practice with real clients.

At the same time, the study demonstrated that when students are supported to take risks using the simulation aids and take account of the range of their emotional responses, they are able to learn a number of important practice skills, such as how to encourage engagement while maintaining boundaries with clients, conduct a risk assessment, and stay open to feedback during practicum work.

NYU Silver’s ongoing work on simulated teaching dates back several years, including a 2018 virtual training program, developed by Lanzieri, that helps students familiarize themselves with a New York City neighborhood before engaging in a practicum assignment there. Dempsey and Lanzieri are also collaborating with NYU Steinhardt and NYU Tandon on developing an AI-driven VR simulation that they intend to pilot with students and social work professionals in Spring 2026.

Journal

Studies in Clinical Social Work Transforming Practice Education and Research

DOI

10.1080/28376811.2025.2570837

Method of Research

Systematic review

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Teaching Note: Training the Next Generation of Social Workers Using Actors and Technology-Based Simulations

Article Publication Date

8-Oct-2025

Generative artificial intelligence: Opportunities, risks, and responsibilities for oral sciences

International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research

Alexandria, VA – A new perspective article jointly published in the Journal of Dental Research and JADA Foundational Science highlights the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in dental, oral, and craniofacial research while cautioning against its misuse and ethical pitfalls.

Authored by Falk Schwendicke, LMU Clinics, Germany, et al., “Generative Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities, Risks, and Responsibilities for Oral Sciences” outlines how generative AI—capable of creating text, images, code, video, and speech—can accelerate scientific discovery. By retrieving, analyzing, summarizing, and contextualizing large datasets, AI promises gains in documentation, communication, reproducibility, and efficiency.

However, the authors warn that these benefits come with substantial challenges, including:

Biases embedded in training data that risk reinforcing inequities.
Overreliance and error propagation, where automation bias may mislead researchers.
Plagiarism, fraud, and attribution problems, including concerns over academic integrity.
Reproducibility gaps and AI “hallucinations” that fabricate false outputs.

The paper calls for transparent disclosure of AI use, robust verification methods, and clear distinction between synthetic and real-world data. Ethical oversight, equity considerations, and human accountability remain central to responsible integration.

“Generative AI can be a powerful partner in advancing dental and oral sciences, but it cannot replace human judgment, oversight, and responsibility,” said Editor-in-Chief Nick Jakubovics. “Researchers, reviewers, and editors must work together to ensure AI supports, rather than undermines, the quality and credibility of our field.”

The authors also emphasize the importance of continuous monitoring and engaging the public in discussions about AI’s role in science. As guidelines from international bodies—including the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the European Commission—continue to evolve, standardized policies will be crucial in shaping AI’s future use in research.

About the Journal of Dental Research

The IADR/AADOCR Journal of Dental Research (JDR) is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to the dissemination of new knowledge in all sciences relevant to dentistry and the oral cavity and associated structures in health and disease. The JDR Editor-in-Chief is Nicholas Jakubovics, Newcastle University, England. Follow the JDR on Twitter at @JDentRes.

About IADR/AADOCR IADR is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. IADR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. AADOCR is the largest division of IADR. Learn more at www.iadr.org.

Journal

Journal of Dental Research

Article Title

Generative Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities, Risks, and Responsibilities for Oral Sciences

Article Publication Date

15-Oct-2025