About ACCP

The Global Leader in Providing Education in Cardiopulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

ACCP Vision: As the global leader in providing education in cardiopulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine, the ACCP will promote diversity to optimize health, advance patient care, and support research while fostering health equity.

ACCP Mission: To promote the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research.

The ACCP, 18,700 members strong, remains ever-focused on its mission to promote the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research. By embracing a multidisciplinary membership and a diverse and innovative approach to education techniques, the ACCP has become the global leader in providing clinical education in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

Innovation in Clinical Education

The ACCP received Accreditation With Commendation from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). This achievement grants the ACCP accreditation through November 2017 and places the organization in the highest tier of all continuing medical education (CME) providers. As a certified provider of globally recognized continuing medical education, the ACCP understands the need for diverse and innovative education techniques that focus on best practices and learner-centered strategies. The ACCP Simulation Education Program combines evidence-based medicine with highly sophisticated simulation education techniques and advanced hands-on learning for practicing physicians and their teams. The ACCP Simulation Program provides numerous courses throughout the year, located at ACCP headquarters near Chicago, Illinois; regional locations in the United States; and key locations around the world. The ACCP also incorporates simulation education into its Advanced Clinical Training Certificate Programs that provide physicians with the opportunity to refresh or master their skills in critical care ultrasonography, bronchoscopy, airways management, mechanical ventilation, and critical care management. In addition to simulation, the ACCP has implemented diverse education methods beyond the standard lecture, including problem- and case-based learning, role-playing, and other techniques.

CHEST Publications and Guidelines

The ACCP’s premier peer-reviewed publication CHEST features cutting-edge research and relevant insights in clinical chest medicine through print, online, and mobile editions. More than 350,000 readers turn to CHEST online each month for the latest in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Readers also know CHEST as the home the ACCP’s world-renowned evidence-based guidelines in thrombosis and antithrombotic therapy, cough, lung cancer, and more. CHEST recently debuted on a redesigned website (publications.chestnet.org) that provides readers with better search functionality, personalized interaction, and more innovative features, such as the ability to browse content both by issue and relevant subject area and the ability to view article recommendations for related content from a variety of sources, including PubMed and CHEST Books. Along with the new site, CHEST has launched a new mobile app for the iOS platform, allowing readers to search the complete archive of CHEST dating back to 1935, save articles for later reading, and listen directly to monthly podcasts. CHEST and CHEST Books are also available as mobile-optimized sites for easy reading on the go. In addition to CHEST, the ACCP also publishes CHEST Physician, the official ACCP monthly newspaper; and ACCP NewsBrief, a weekly e-newsletter for members, and offers a variety of resources to aid in continuing education and practice management.

Global Impact

Founded in 1935, the ACCP has more than 18,700 members in over 100 countries. Members include clinicians in private practice, academia, and industry who specialize in a myriad of chest-related disciplines, including asthma, COPD, sleep disorders, pulmonary hypertension, lung cancer, thrombosis, critical and palliative care, chest infections, pediatric chest medicine, and more. The ACCP has recently strengthened its global efforts through partnerships and key initiatives with medical organizations in India, China, and Greece.

With members spanning the globe, the ACCP remains cognizant of the education needs of both domestic and international members. The ACCP annual CHEST meeting is recognized as the world’s largest clinical chest medicine event, providing attendees with the latest research and essential updates on patient care and practice management strategies. The ACCP will further expand its global reach in 2014 with the first CHEST World Congress held in Madrid, Spain. In addition to the CHEST meeting, the ACCP is also a leader in board review education, providing key courses and resources that help physicians prepare for their board examinations in pulmonary, critical care, sleep, and pediatric pulmonary medicine.

The ACCP has been and continues to be active on a global level, particularly in its efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and the importance of lung health. The ACCP was one of the first medical organizations to recognize the dangers of cigarette smoking and was instrumental in helping pass the legislation requiring the printing of the Surgeon General's warning on cigarette packages. Later, the College successfully effected the passage of legislation banning smoking on airplanes. Through The CHEST Foundation—the ACCP’s philanthropic arm—and its OneBreath^® initiative grants are provided to community-based projects supported by the pro bono work of ACCP members worldwide. The CHEST Foundation’s Lung LessonsSM program and tobacco prevention resources have also been used in communities around the world.

Advanced Technology

The ACCP recognizes the ever-changing health-care environment and the critical impact of technology on the physician learner of today and tomorrow. To address the need for immediate access to chest medicine information and innovative education tools, the ACCP has launched the following mobile applications for the iPhone^® and/or iPad^®:

• CHEST Journal – includes a fully searchable archive back to 1935
• ACCP-SEEK and ACCP-SEEK with CME – includes case-based questions to test the learners recall, interpretation, and problem-solving skills
• ACCP Bronch+ – features five short, key scenarios designed for interactive learning about bronchial procedures
• ACCP 3-D Bronchial Tree – an interactive tool designed to help students and health-care professionals learn about the bronchial tree, lymph nodes, and pulmonary vasculature, as well as provide training in bronchial anatomy and bronchoscopy

To accommodate the growing demand for innovative education and advanced technology, the ACCP is constructing a new, state-of-the-art clinical education center and headquarters in Glenview, Illinois.