The DCVA’s Public Affairs & Communication pillar plays a crucial role in advancing our shared mission: reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease in the Netherlands through prevention, early detection, and improved treatment. By generating greater (political) awareness and public support, we help ensure that cardiovascular health remains a national priority.
Public Affairs and Communication are strategically combined in one pillar, as both disciplines are essential and mutually reinforcing. Together, they support coordination and alignment across the DCVA network, strengthen internal communication between partners, and amplify our collective voice toward policymakers and other key stakeholders.
This working group comes together every 2-3 months to discuss ongoing issues and opportunities. Partners represented in this working group are: Harteraad, Hartstichting, NeFeMED, NLHI, NHR, Nierstichting, NVIVG, NVvC, NVvR, Stichting Hartekind, VIG.
This working group comes together two times per year to adress issues that concern collaborative communication. Partners represented in this working group are: Harteraad, Hartstichting, NHR, Nierstichting, Stichting Hartekind, ZonMw.
Externally, we work closely with our partners to position cardiovascular disease as a pressing public health issue on the Dutch political agenda. Our goal is to drive political accountability and commitment to effective action.
To achieve this, we actively coordinate joint advocacy efforts and ensure our messages are both visible and compelling. This requires broad societal support, which we help build through clear, consistent, and impactful communication.
Internally, the PAC pillar enhances collaboration between researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, and policymakers across the knowledge-to-action chain by facilitating smoother cooperation between DCVA partners and increasing the visibility of their initiatives.
A key instrument in strengthening these internal and external connections is our annual DCVA-NLHI Congress, which brings together stakeholders from across the cardiovascular field to exchange knowledge, initiate new collaborations, and spotlight progress in research, prevention, and innovation.
Professor Eric Boersma has been a key figure in the cardiovascular field for many years, working at the intersection of clinical research and innovation. He is principal investigator of IMPRESS consortium and leads research on risk prediction, biomarkers, sex- and gender-specific differences in cardiovascular disease, and large-scale clinical data, with a strong focus on translating insights into patient care. Outside of his academic and clinical work, he is active in local politics and civic engagement. He has been appointed as the managing-director of the DCVA at the start of 2026.
