LETTER from the ACG Institute Director DEAR COLLEAGUES,
ACG Institute Mission Statement The mission of the American College of Gastroenterology Institute for Clinical Research and Education is to promote digestive health through education of the clinician, the patient and the public, to support clinical research and innovation in gastroenterology and hepatology, and to raise public awareness about prevention of digestive disease.
2 | 2020–2021 ACG Institute Annual Report of Programs & Activities
We learned many lessons as we faced the challenges of the past 12 months. As a community of physicians, we delivered compassionate care to our patients while adapting to an ever-changing landscape with courage, resilience, empathy, and mutual support. We realized we could stretch, pivot and adjust in our professional and personal lives. Similarly, the ACG Institute adjusted to these extraordinary circumstances by doing business differently. Inperson gatherings were transitioned to virtual, interactive formats allowing us to continue our mission uninterrupted. Throughout the pandemic, we promoted digestive health through education of the clinician, patient, and public, while expanding our support of clinical research and focusing public awareness on preventing digestive diseases. In this Annual Report, you will see evidence of the continued success of our signature programs and the exciting growth of new initiatives.
one cohort member remarked: “This program was a godsend during the pandemic, providing muchneeded opportunities to network, meet mentors and develop critical leadership skills.” In the spring, the YPLSP class partnered with ACG Governors to advocate for change in healthcare policy during the virtual fly-in to Capitol Hill. Having spent time with these impressive young physicians, I can attest to the incredible potential of these future College leaders. Our topic-specific schools also adopted a virtual format. Both virtual IBD School and the Functional GI Disorders School proved popular with our membership. New IBS patient tools were developed by the IBS Task Force and an IBS monograph card was disseminated to accompany the release of the latest IBS guideline.
The Edgar Achkar Visiting Professorships (EAVP) and the Young Physician Leadership Scholars Program (YPLSP) were re-imagined without sacrificing quality. Ten GI training programs hosted virtual EAVP visits that featured educational lectures, trainee mentoring, and community partnership. We learned that we could adapt this popular program using technology, which opens new possibilities for expansion beyond the traditional constraints of in-person travel.
At the conclusion of 3 days of a virtual study section, the Research Committee recommended approval of $1.9 million in research funding. Expanded funding for our prestigious Junior Faculty Development Awards ($450,000 over three years), a new Established Investigator Bridge Funding Award, and a new joint ACG/ASGE Epidemiologic Research Award in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy contributed to this remarkable Institute milestone as did our continued support of Clinical Research Awards, Pilot Research Awards, and grants for medical residents and students. I invite you to review the work of our successful applicants.
We welcomed the third and most diverse cohort of the YPLSP. These 36 young physicians met four times virtually in 2020-2021 to develop leadership and communication skills, learn about organizational behavior and healthcare advocacy, and to develop relationships with ACG leadership and peers. As
This past year has demonstrated how digestive diseases disproportionately burden certain minority groups. The pandemic highlighted how healthcare disparities could impact the ability of individuals to achieve their full health potential. So, this year we have introduced a new research opportunity—The
