Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment
Larry Dean, MD, Chair
Dr. Dean is currently a professor of medicine and surgery at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine and Director of the UW Medicine Regional Heart Center in Seattle, Washington. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology.
Previously, Dr. Dean was a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama (UAB) School of Medicine where he also served as an assistant medical director of UAB Hospital. While there he practiced general and interventional cardiology and was involved in the early development of intra coronary stents.
Dr. Dean specializes in interventional cardiology and is widely published in that field. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and is a Master Interventionalist of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI). He is also a past president of SCAI. In addition he is a member of the American Association for Physician Leadership and the American Medical Informatics Association.
He received his undergraduate degree and his medical degree from the UAB. Following medical school, he served his internship and residency at the UW School of Medicine and received cardiology training, including interventional cardiology, at the UAB School of Medicine. He also holds a certificate in medical management from the UW.
As of November 2021, Dr. Dean reported the following external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses and staff, paid to the University of Washington School of Medicine, from the following company:
- Edwards LifeSciences, for trials evaluating the SAPIEN heart valve (PARTNER II trials).
Service on a research-related expert panel or advisory board for the following company, without compensation:
- American College of Cardiology, Member of Rating Panel for Appropriate Use Criteria for the Detection and Risk Assessment of Stable Ischemic Heart Disease Revision.
Dr. Dean serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American College of Cardiology, serves on the Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry Stakeholders Committee, receiving honoraria and reimbursement for travel expenses.
- Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Political Action Committee, Structural Heart Disease Committee, without compensation.
Naser Ammash, MD, FACC, FASE
Dr. Naser Ammash is a Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and a Consultant in Cardiovascular (CV) Department at Mayo Clinic, Rochester since 1995. Dr. Ammash is the current CEO of Sheik Shakhbout Medical City, a joint venture between Mayo clinic and Abu Dhabi heath authority. He was one of the physician leaders of project “Gazelle” for the activation of Sheik Shakhbout Medical City. Dr Ammash is the immediate past Practice Chair of the CV Department at Mayo clinic Rochester and served as Chair of the CV Clinical Practice Committee for Rochester and Mayo clinic enterprise (2014-2018). In that role, he oversaw and directly managed the restructuring of the inpatient and outpatient practice into an integrated Patient-Centric Disease Orientated, at times multispecialty, team-based services. He also led practice integration and enhancement with cardiac surgery developing differentiated and integrated care delivery services with facilitated access.
Dr. Ammash has a Silver Level Certification from the Quality academy and was a member of the Midwest Specialty Care CPC Space and Remodeling Subcommittee (2016-2018). His prior leadership experience includes; co-director of the Echocardiography laboratory (2011-2014), chair of Echocardiography Clinical Practice Committee (2011-2014), director of Echocardiography training program (2008-2011). Dr. Ammash is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Diseases, with subspecialty certification in Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Echocardiography. He attended the American University of Beirut- Lebanon and moved to the United States in 1987. He joined the Mayo Clinic in 1994.
Dr Ammash currently serves on the American Board of Internal Medicine test approval committee for the Cardiovascular board after being a member of the testing writing committee for the board certification examination until 2019. His resume includes more than 150 peer-reviewed published articles and chapter books in addition to being an invited speaker to numerous national and international continuous medical education meetings including many in the middle east and gulf regions where he is the director of an annual Cardiovascular review course in Bahrain since 2014.
As of October 2021, Dr. Ammash reported the following external relationships:
Work as an author or editor for following companies, with compensation as listed:
- UpToDate®, receiving compensation for authorship.
Marie Gerhard-Herman, MD
As of March 2021, Dr. Gerhard-Herman reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Gerhard-Herman serves in significant roles with the following organization(s), receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
Progeria Research Foundation, grant funding provided to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for vascular ultrasound imaging to assess phenotype and response to therapy in children with Hutchinson-Gilford (HG) progeria syndrome; receiving salary support.
As of May 2022, Dr. Gerhard-Herman reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Gerhard-Herman serves in significant roles with the following organization(s), receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- Progeria Research Foundation, grant funding provided to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for vascular ultrasound imaging to assess phenotype and response to therapy in children with Hutchinson-Gilford (HG) progeria syndrome; receiving salary support.
- National Institutes of Health, grant funding provided to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for research on artery on a chip, receiving salary support.
Andrea Russo, MD
Dr. Russo, board certified in Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, is Professor of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Academic Chief of the Division of Cardiology, Director of Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia Services and Director of the Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Program at Cooper University Health Center in Camden, New Jersey. She previously joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania in 1997 and then the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey (UMDNJ)/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. in 2009.
Dr. Russo serves as Chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Cardiovascular Disease Board and member of the ABIM Council. She previously served on the ABIM Cardiovascular Test Writing Committee and the American Board of Medical Specialty Continuing Board Certification Vision for the Future Commission.
Dr. Russo earned her medical degree from the State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and completed her internship and residency at the Medical College of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She completed her fellowship in cardiology and electrophysiology, both at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey.
As of July 2021, Dr. Russo reported the following ongoing external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses and staff, paid to Cooper University, from the following companies:
- Boston Scientific
- Kaestra
- Medliynx
Service on a research-related steering committee for the following companies, without compensation:
- Medtronic
- Apple
- Boston Scientific
Research-related consulting for the following companies, with honoraria:
- Medtronic
Work as an author or editor for following companies, with compensation as listed:
- UpToDate, receiving compensation as an editor and author for chapters related to implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy.
Dr. Russo serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- Heart Rhythm Society, President, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses.
Thomas Ryan, MD
Dr. Ryan is the Director of The Ohio State University Heart and Vascular Center and Executive Director of the Ross Heart Hospital. He holds the John G. and Jeanne Bonnet McCoy Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine and leads the Medical Center's Heart Program. He serves as a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Ohio State's Medical Center. He is also currently serving as a member of the Cardiovascular Disease Longitudinal Approval Committee at the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Ryan has authored or co-authored more than 200 published articles, book chapters and abstracts. He is a national expert on cardiac ultrasound, and co-author of Feigenbaum's Echocardiography, the leading textbook in the field of cardiovascular ultrasound. Dr. Ryan is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Echocardiography, of which he is a former president.
Dr. Ryan earned his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and holds an MBA from Duke University Fuqua School of Business in Durham, N.C. He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiology at Indiana University where he worked in the echo laboratory under Dr. Harvey Feigenbaum.
As of August 2021, Dr. Ryan reported the following external relationships:
Work as an author or editor for following companies, with compensation as listed:
- Wolters Kluwer, receiving compensation for authorship.
Dr. Ryan serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American Society of Echocardiography, Committee Member, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses.
Traditional, 10-Year MOC Exam
Mario J. Garcia, MD, Chair
Dr. Garcia is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Echocardiography. He is Chief of Cardiology at Montefiore Medical Center, and co-Director of the Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart and Vascular Care. He is also Professor of Medicine and Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Dr. Garcia’s previous positions include Director of Cardiac Imaging and Professor of Medicine and Radiology at Mount Sinai Hospital and Medical School; Director of Cardiac Imaging, Cleveland Clinic; and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Dartmouth Hitchcock and the White River Junction VA Medical Center.
He is presently Chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine Cardiovascular Board Cardiovascular Disease Exam Committee, National Board of Echocardiography, Montefiore Accountable Care Organization, American Heart Association – Founder Affiliate, Centro de Diagnóstico y Medicina Avanzada, and Conferencias Médicas y Telemedicina (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic). He is a past member of the Board of the American Society of Echocardiography, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and the Intersocietal Accreditation Council.
Dr. Garcia received his medical degree from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Dominican Republic. He completed training in internal medicine and cardiology at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut; nuclear cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital; and echocardiography at Cleveland Clinic.
As of July 2021, Dr. Garcia reported the following external relationships:
Work as an author or editor for the following companies, with compensation as listed:
- Elsevier, receiving royalties for textbook authorship.
- Wolters Kluwer Health, receiving royalties for textbook authorship.
Dr. Garcia serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American Heart Association, Chair of CLCVI, without compensation.
- National Board of Medical Examiners, National Board of Echocardiography Exam Committee, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses.
Dimitri C. Cassimatis, MD, FACC
Dr. Cassimatis is Director of the Coronary Care Unit at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia, and divides his clinical time between Emory Midtown and Grady Memorial Hospital. He co-directs the first-year medical student cardiovascular pathophysiology module at Emory's School of Medicine, and is a small group faculty advisor there as well. Dr. Cassimatis is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and adult transthoracic echocardiography.
Before joining Emory as an Assistant Professor in 2010, Dr. Cassimatis spent 11 years as a physician in the United States Army. He served as Chief of the Cardiology Service at the U.S. Army's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, and prior to this was Chief of the Cardiology Clinic there. He has served on both Ethics and Peer Review Committees on the clinical side, and Admissions and Curriculum Committees on the educational side.
Dr. Cassimatis is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Cardiovascular Board Cardiovascular Disease Exam Committee. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Medical Association of Atlanta. He has received numerous awards, including two teaching awards from the Emory Cardiology fellows, two Meritorious Service Medals from the U.S. Army, and the Graves B. Erskine Award for top graduating fellow at Walter Reed in 2005.
Dr. Cassimatis received his bachelor's degree in biochemistry at the University of Chicago and his medical degree from Harvard University, where he was selected to give one of the commencement addresses at his graduation. He completed his internal medicine and cardiology training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.
As of April 2022, Dr. Cassimatis reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Cassimatis serves in significant roles with the following organization, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- Medical Association of Atlanta, Board of Trustees Member receiving reimbursement for travel expenses.
Dr. Cassimatis also teaches a cardiology pathophysiology course for Emory University medical students, and also teaches cardiology fellows in clinical practice. He is also a faculty advisor for the cardiology chapter of the First Aid for USMLE Step 1 book.
Mina R. Chung, MD
Dr. Chung is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and clinical cardiac electrophysiology. She is a staff Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologist in the Heart and Vascular Institute Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and in the Lerner Research Institute Department of Molecular Cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic. She is a Professor of Medicine in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.
Dr. Chung is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Cardiovascular Board Cardiovascular Disease Exam Committee. She is also active on committees within the American Heart Association (AHA), American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS). She has been Chair of the HRS Scientific and Clinical Documents Committee and is a member of the AHA Electrocardiology and Arrhythmias Committee of the Clinical Cardiology Council, the ACC Electrophysiology Section Leadership Council, and the Cleveland Clinic Institutional Review Board. She has served on several consensus document and guideline writing committees and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Trial Review Committee.
Dr. Chung has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications. Her research interests include translational genomics of atrial fibrillation, clinical arrhythmia outcomes and electrophysiology device and ablation outcomes. She is a principal investigator for an NIH-funded grant on functional genomics of atrial fibrillation.
Dr. Chung received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of California, San Diego, and her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, where she also completed internal medicine residency and chief residency and cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology fellowships.
As of August 2021, Dr. Chung reported the following external relationships:
Work as an author or editor for following companies, with compensation as listed:
- Elsevier, receiving compensation for authorship.
- UpToDate®, receiving compensation for authorship.
- American Heart Association, Associate Editor, Circulation: Arrhythmias & Electrophysiology, receiving compensation.
Dr. Chung serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American Heart Association, Chair, Arrhythmia and ECG Committee; Member, Committee on Scientific Sessions Program; Member, Atrial Fibrillation Systems of Care Advisory Group; Chair, Scientific Statement on Lifestyle and Risk Factor Modification to Reduce Atrial Fibrillation; Vice Chair, Scientific Statement on Drug-Induced Arrhythmias; Writing Group member, Scientific statement on Subclinical and Device-Detected Atrial Fibrillation; Writing Committee, International Society for Holter and Non-Invasive Electrocardiology/International Society of Electrocardiology/HRS Electrocardiology of Channelopathies and Inherited Arrhythmia Disorders, without compensation.
- French National Research Agency, Grant Review Panel Member, to receiving honoraria.
- Heart Rhythm Society, Board of Trustees and liaison to Research Committee, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses.
- American College of Cardiology, Appropriate Use Criteria for ICDs and CRT Writing Group Member, without compensation.
- Kansas City Heart Rhythm Society, Member, receiving honoraria.
Funding from not-for-profit healthcare-related organizations for clinical trial expenses, salary support and staff, paid to the Cleveland Clinic, from the following organizations:
- American Heart Association, for an atrial fibrillation strategically focused research network grant.
- National Institutes of Health, for a R01 research grant.
Dr. Chung also reported presenting at Columbia University Cardiology Grand Rounds and a Geisinger Physiology of Pacing Symposium.
Paul L. Douglass, MD
Dr. Douglass is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. He joined Metropolitan Atlanta Cardiology Consultants in 1982 and practices Clinical and Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Douglass is Chief, Division of Cardiology and Director, Cardiovascular Services at the Atlanta Medical Center. He is also a past Chairman of the Hospital Board at Atlanta Medical Center. He serves as Clinical Assistant Professor (Cardiology) at Morehouse School of Medicine.
He has been the recipient of numerous professional awards including the Physician of the Year Award and the Nash – Carter Award from the Atlanta Medical Association; the Distinguished Service Medallion from the Georgia State Medical Association; several years of Teaching Excellence Awards from the Department of Internal Medicine at Atlanta Medical Center; and the Hero Award from the Association of Black Cardiologists. Dr. Douglass has worked diligently on behalf of cardiovascular medicine, serving on the National Heart Lung Blood Institute Advisory Panel and the Special Emphasis Panel and Disparities Working Group. He was instrumental in the planning and establishment of the Georgia chapter of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and served as its first Secretary – Treasurer. He also became President and Governor of the Georgia chapter of the ACC. Dr. Douglass has participated on numerous committees and task forces for the American College of Cardiology and completed his term as Chair of the Credentials and Membership Committee in 2006. He was also appointed to the Board of Trustees of the ACC. Dr. Douglass is the chair of the Publications Committee for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. He is past President of the Metro Atlanta American Heart Association; he has served as president of the Atlanta Medical Association, President of the Georgia State Medical Association, and National President of the Association of Black Cardiologists. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of WellStar Healthcare System.
He received his undergraduate degree in biology from Northwestern University. His medical degree was awarded at Meharry Medical College. He was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society in 1976. Dr. Douglass did his postgraduate training in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases at Emory University School of Medicine between 1976 and 1982.
As of July 2021, Dr. Douglass reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Douglass serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American College of Cardiology, Member, Industry Advisory Committee Member, Health Equity Task Force Member, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses.
- American Heart Association, Heart Failure Systems of Care Advisory Group Member, without compensation.
- Wellstar Health System, Board of Trustees, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses.
William Lane Duvall, MD
Dr. Duvall is the Director of Nuclear Cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, nuclear cardiology and adult echocardiography.
Previously, Dr. Duvall worked as a non-invasive cardiologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center for almost 10 years, most recently serving as an Associate Professor of Medicine. During his time there, he worked full-time in the echocardiography and nuclear cardiology laboratories and served in several administrative positions including in the fellowship program and the cardiac care unit.
Dr. Duvall is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Cardiovascular Board Cardiovascular Disease Exam Committee. He is actively involved with the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, currently serving on the Board of Directors. Additionally, he is a member of the Registry Oversight Committee and the Deputy Chair of the Health Policy Committee.
Dr. Duvall received a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Princeton University and his medical degree from Yale University. He completed his internal medicine internship and residency at Duke University Medical Center, and his cardiovascular disease fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
As of October 2021, Dr. Duvall reported the following external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses and staff, paid to Hartford Hospital, from the following companies:
- GE Medical, providing their nuclear imaging quantification software to be used for several research projects.
Teaching in satellite symposia funded by the following companies, with honoraria:
- GE Medical, for an educational lecture PET/CT and SPECT/CT.
- Pfizer, for an educational lecture on cardiac amyloid imaging.
Dr. Duvall serves in significant roles with the following organization, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Board of Directors, Health Care Policy Committee, ImageGuide Registry Committee, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses.
Garrie J. Haas, MD, FACC
Dr. Haas is Professor of Clinical Medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. He is the Section Chief of the Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Program at Ohio State, and is the Medical Director of Heart Failure for the Wexner Medical Center. Dr. Haas is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and advanced heart failure & transplant cardiology.
He was formerly the Director of the Heart Failure Intensive Care Unit at Cleveland Clinic, and directed the heart failure disease management program at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus.
Dr. Haas is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Cardiology Board Cardiovascular Disease Exam Committee. Previously, he held the directorship of the Heart and Vascular Research Organization (HVRO) at Ohio State, which manages over 150 clinical trials for the divisions of cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, and vascular medicine. He is personally actively involved as principal investigator for multiple heart failure clinical trials. Dr. Haas is a member of the heart failure subcommittee of the American College of Cardiology-affiliated Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. He was previously the Chair of the Heart Failure version 3 writing committee for Amercian College of Cardiology.
Dr. Haas received his degree in zoology from Ohio Wesleyan University, and earned his medical degree from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. He completed his medicine residency at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Haas also completed fellowships in cardiology, interventional cardiology and heart failure/cardiac transplantation at Ohio State’s College of Medicine.
As of August 2021, Dr. Haas reported the following external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses and staff, paid to The Ohio State University, from the following companies:
- Amgen, for a study of omecamptiv mecarbil on mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure.
- V-Wave, for a study to reduce lung congestion symptoms using a shunt in advanced heart failure.
- DCM Precision Medicine, receiving salary support.
Work as an author or editor for following company, with compensation as listed:
- Springer, Editor for Management of Heart Failure, receiving compensation.
Barbara Hutchinson, MD, PhD
Dr. Hutchinson is the Managing Partner of Chesapeake Cardiac Care, P.A., a cardiology practice located in Annapolis, Maryland. She is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and sleep medicine. Dr. Hutchinson is also an instructor in the Department of Internal Medicine at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Previously, Dr. Hutchinson was Medical Director of the Heart and Vascular Unit at Anne Arundel Medical Center and Intensivist at Mercy Medical Center. She was the first African American to hold the title of Chief Resident in Internal Medicine at University of Maryland Hospital. She was also a lecturer in Pharmacology at University of District of Columbia, in the Department of Respiratory Therapy.
Dr. Hutchinson is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Cardiovascular Board Cardiovascular Disease Exam Committee. She is President of the Association of Black Cardiologists, and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. Patients from all over the world seek her out. She is a noted speaker on heart disease in women and how sleep affects heart health. Additionally, Dr. Hutchinson is the recipient of numerous awards for her work.
Dr. Hutchinson was born in Trinidad and Tobago and she earned her bachelor of science degree in chemistry at the University of the West Indies. She earned her doctoral degree in cardiovascular pharmacology from Howard University in Washington, District of Columbia, and her medical degree and subsequent fellowship in cardiology from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland.
As of June 2022, Dr. Hutchinson reported no ongoing external relationships.
Chittur A. Sivaram, MD
Dr. Chittur A. ('C.A.') Sivaram is a David Ross Professor at University of Oklahoma and serves as the Vice Chief of the Cardiovascular Section for Education and Training (Department of Medicine) and Associate Dean for Continuing Professional Development at the University of Oklahoma (OU) College of Medicine.
He served on the faculty of Texas Tech University at the Amarillo Campus for 9 years, and has been at University of Oklahoma since 1993. He is involved with student, resident and fellow education at OU, and has mentored many trainees and received multiple teaching awards.
Dr. Sivaram is very active with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) both at the state and national levels, having served as a past Chair of Cardiovascular Fellowship Program Directors group. He was the national Chair for the ABIM’s Competency Based Pilot in Internal Medicine/Cardiology. He was recognized with the Gifted Educator Award from ACC (2015) and the Laennec Master Clinician Award from AHA (2017). He maintains an active clinical practice at OU Physicians and is sought after locally for his expertise in the field of echocardiography.
He obtained his medical degree and cardiology training from India, and underwent additional residency and cardiology fellowship training from Canada (Memorial University and University of Alberta).
As of April 2022, Dr. Sivaram reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Sivaram serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American College of Cardiology, Leadership Council of Senior Cardiovascular Professionals Section, without compensation.
- American Heart Association, Member of the FIT PD Workgroup, without compensation.
- American Society of Echocardiography, Member of Training Committee, without compensation.