IBHRE Honors 2021 Ambassadors of the Year

June 02, 2021
Contact Media
Tracy Lofty
IBHRE
202-464-3435

Recipients Embody Professional Excellence and a Passion for Giving Back

June 2, 2021, Washington, DC – The International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners today announced recipients of its 2021 IBHRE® Ambassador of the Year award. This award recognizes volunteers whose contributions to IBHRE® help advance the organization’s mission. This year, IBHRE honors two distinguished electrophysiology (EP) specialists with a demonstrated commitment to sharing their knowledge by mentoring and educating others: Eliza Peters, FHRS, CEPS, CCDS of EPD Solutions, and Mike A. Black, CEPS, NREMT-P, WA-RCIS, CVT of the Locum Tenes.

Eliza Peters, FHRS, CEPS, CCDS, is the Strategic Clinical Research Liaison for EPD Solutions, a Philips Company, and has over 10 years of experience in Cardiac Electrophysiology and Device Management.  Prior to her position at EPD Solutions, Eliza instructed Cardiac Electrophysiology at PrepMD where she authored several courses and mentored EP technicians and Clinical Specialists entering the EP space. She continues contributing to education as an adjunct Faculty member at PrepMD. Prior to her role at PrepMD, Eliza served as Senior Sales Representative at Abbott (formerly St. Jude Medical) where she provided 3D mapping support for over 2,500 3D mapping procedures, and more than 1,100 CIED implants. 

Eliza is dual IBHRE® certified - Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialist (CEPS) and Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (CCDS and holds a degree from the University of Missouri. Recognized for her expertise and proficiency in cardiac electrophysiology, Eliza was recently inducted into the Heart Rhythm Society® as a Fellow (FHRS).

Mike A. Black, CEPS, NREMT-P, WA-RCIS, CVT, is a Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialist at Locum Tenes, a healthcare staffing company located in Salt Lake City, Utah. He began his career in medicine as a veterinary technologist in 1988.

Then, in 1994, he became an Emergency Medical Technician, and later a Paramedic Firefighter with the Phoenix Fire Department. Since then, Black has built a distinguished career in emergency medicine and cardiac electrophysiology. He is a trusted authority in EP/Cath with advanced clinical practice skills in the performance of invasive electrophysiology procedures, maintaining all EP/Cath Lab equipment and administering direct/indirect care to patients undergoing invasive cardiac procedures.

Throughout his career, Black has held various leadership roles with the IBHRE and HRS, including serving as an IBHRE Senior Ambassador and Mentor. In addition to his professional work, Mike devotes much of his spare time to helping others by volunteering with UNICEF, FEMA, and local search and rescue operations. 

In addition to being IBHRE-certified as a Certified Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialist (CEPS), Black is also a National Registered Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic (NREMT-P), a Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS), and a certified Cardiovascular Technologist (CVT). He possesses demonstrated knowledge of electrocardiography, coronary heart disease, cardiac anatomy and physiology with EKG interpretation, and is working towards becoming inducted as a Fellow (FHRS) into the Heart Rhythm Society®.

Peters and Black will be honored on July 29th during Heart Rhythm 2021, the Heart Rhythm Society’s annual meeting, which will be held July 28-31 in Boston, Mass.

About IBHRE

IBHRE is a self-governing organization that provides competency certification in the fields of cardiac rhythm device therapy and cardiac electrophysiology. Certification exams are developed and administered to assess the scientific foundation, clinical skills, and technical knowledge practitioners and industry experts require to provide and facilitate safe quality patient care in the management of arrhythmias. Since 1985, IBHRE has set the standard for global certification in heart rhythm management and recognizes cardiac care professionals who are skilled in this unique specialty. By earning IBHRE certification, heart rhythm professionals have demonstrated professional excellence in their field. These professionals make up more than 10,000 physicians and allied professionals worldwide and have earned one or more of the following credentials:

  • Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (CCDS);
  • Certified Cardiac Device Specialist – Japan Device Representative (CCDS-JDR);
  • Certified Electrophysiology Specialist (CEPS);
  • Certified Electrophysiology Specialist – Adult (CEPS-A);
  • Certified Electrophysiology Specialist – Pediatric (CEPS-P); and
  • Cardiac Device Remote Monitoring Specialist (CDRMS).

Learn more about IBHRE’s certification programs at IBHRE.org.

Achieving Global Excellence in Heart Rhythm Management