IBHRE Recognizes Dedication and Commitment among SMEs

Board Announces 2022 Award Recipients

Apr. 14, 2022, Washington, DC – The International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners today announced recipients of its 2022 IBHRE Ambassador of the Year and Vanguard awards. These awards recognize IBHRE-certified subject matter experts (SMEs) who have been instrumental in advancing the Board’s mission. This year, IBHRE honors two contributors who have invested their time and talents to helping IBHRE achieve short and long term goals and, in doing so, have had an enormous impact on the organization:

IBHRE Vanguard Award Recipient—Christine Chiu-Man, MSC, FHRS, CCDS, CEPS
An Electrophysiology and Cardiac Device Technologist at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada, Christine Chiu-Man has played a critical role in helping IBHRE maintain its stature as a leader in heart rhythm management certification.  Since 2000, Ms. Chiu-Man has served on the IBHRE Board of Directors and is currently the Board’s Secretary. However, her contributions go beyond the Board and are notable at the committee level, including the IBHRE Allied Professional Electrophysiology Test Writing Committee on which she serves as co-chair, and the Physician Electrophysiology Test Writing Committee. She has been instrumental in helping IBHRE maintain its accreditation with the ANSI National Accreditation Board and, as such, participated in ANSI annual reviews.

Ms. Chiu-Man will be recognized at the IBHRE Board of Directors’ Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 28, 2022.

Ambassador of the Year—Wai Kah Choo, MBBS, MRCP, PGCMed, FHEA, FRACP, FCSANZ, FHRS, FACC, CCDS, CEPS
An IBHRE Ambassador and mentor, Dr. Choo is one of IBHRE’s most involved and impactful envoys. A Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist at the Darwin Private and Royal Darwin Hospitals, Dr. Choo has dedicated numerous hours to mentoring and advising heart rhythm professionals seeking to earn an IBHRE certification.  Even with his many professional commitments including serving as a visiting consultant at Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders Private Hospital in Adelaide, Australia, Dr. Choo’s dedication to IBHRE is unyielding.  As such, he helps carryout the mission of two important IBHRE committees: the Scholarship Committee & Review Panel, and the Device Remote Monitoring Test Writing Committee.

Dr. Choo will be recognized by his peers at the IBHRE Ambassadors’ Annual Meeting on Friday, April 29, 2022.

“These award recipients demonstrate the valuable impact SMEs have on an organization such as IBHRE,” said Tracy Lofty, chief executive officer, IBHRE.  “The time and effort that they commit to helping IBHRE maintain its stature of a global leader is both commendable and irreplaceable.”

Selected by IBHRE staff, approved by the Ambassador Chair, and recognized by the IBHRE Board of Directors, recipients of the IBHRE Ambassador of the Year and IBHRE Vanguard awards are acknowledged for their valuable contributions to IBHRE, including work on committees, task forces, and special projects. For the sixth year, IBHRE has honored IBHRE-certified subject matter experts who promote excellence in the field of heart rhythm management by encouraging peers to learn, adopt and practice according to higher professional standards.  IBHRE Ambassadors advise these practitioners on how they can advance their skill level through IBHRE certification, obtain professional resources, and gain access to mentoring opportunities.

About the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners
The International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners^® has set the standard for global certification in heart rhythm management since 1985. IBHRE offers competency certification to physicians and allied professionals to provide quality patient care in cardiac pacing and electrophysiology. Certifications offered are the Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (CCDS), the Certified Cardiac Device Specialist- Japan Device Representative (CCDS-JDR) , the Certified Electrophysiology Specialist (CEPS), the Certified Electrophysiology Specialist – Adult (CEPS-A), the Certified Electrophysiology Specialist – Pediatric (CEPS-P), and the Cardiac Device Remote Monitoring Specialist (CDRMS).

Learn more about IBHRE’s certifications at IBHRE.org.