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CME / MOC
All ACG 2020 courses will offer MOC points
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NEW MASTERS HONORED
Four members earn the distinction of MACG
A Conversation with ACG’s President:
MARK B. POCHAPIN, MD, FACG 2019-2020 ACG PRESIDENT
You were interviewed as you were about to begin your Presidency last year and you were asked about your goals and what you thought the biggest challenges would be. Then, five months into it, the COVID-19 pandemic hit with your hometown of New York City as the epicenter. Can you share your perspective on the impact of the pandemic on the work of the College? What a difference between a year ago and today, for all of us. One of my main goals as the incoming ACG President in October 2019 was to increase the engagement of our members – to let GIs across the country know about the invaluable expertise, guidelines, educational opportunities, and collaborations that the ACG makes available to its members. Little did I know just how much we would need those resources, or the pivotal role they would play, just a few months later. When COVID-19 arrived in the United States, and then New York City became the epicenter of the world, we had to learn about this deadly novel coronavirus with its ever-growing list of clinical manifestations in real time. From how it spreads, to testing recommendations, to recognition of COVID symptoms, data on treatments, and PPE, to how to provide a safe environment for ourselves, our staff, and our patients. It was, and remains, an unprecedented crisis. The ACG – its leadership, faculty, and staff – has focused on providing frequent communications, updates, guidelines, and educational programs throughout this crisis. Unfortunately, this pandemic is not yet over, and our job is still ongoing. But most definitely, the ACG was faced this year with the need to abruptly and rapidly re-focus a significant part of its agenda on addressing the fight against COVID-19 – and to do it all in the virtual setting. Fortunately, the ACG Strategic Plan that we had completed the year before, with our mission, vision, and key priorities, was spot on and allowed for a solid template to work from and guide us. At every new juncture, I looked at that document to help make sure we were going down the right path. I am so grateful to ACG Past Presidents Dr. Sunanda Kane, Dr. Carol Burke and our entire Board who put so much effort into this Strategic Plan. It was my guiding light during these very challenging times. It has been said in a variety of situations, including this year with you as ACG President, that the leadership we have is exactly the one we need. As your term as ACG President is winding down, how do you feel about the experience? This year has been a humbling experience for me. In New York City, I have been overwhelmed by the professionalism and generosity of spirit shown by so many faculty, fellows, and staff who stepped up and put themselves at potential risk to help protect and care for others. As the current ACG President, I feel great appreciation for the former presidents and other leadership who over the years have helped develop the structure, depth, and culture of the ACG to prepare us for any crisis, including those encountered during a year like this. Leadership is about Continued on page 6
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FEATURED LECTURES
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| OCTOBER 23-28, 2020
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Many Open Access Events celebrate ACG and GI
Visit the Virtual Exhibit Hall and thank ACG's sponsors
SPECIAL EVENTS
EXHIBIT HALL
A Conversation with ACG’s Next President:
DAVID A. GREENWALD, MD, FACG 2020-2021 ACG PRESIDENT
On Monday evening, October 26, 2020 at the ACG Annual Business Meeting, David A. Greenwald, MD, FACG, will become the next President of the ACG. We asked Dr. Greenwald to share with us some of his ideas and aspirations for the coming year. As you prepare to assume the Presidency of the American College of Gastroenterology during these most unusual of times, do you have specific goals in mind and challenges that you hope to tackle and have these changed in light of the pandemic? Indeed, the “most unusual of times” would be a perfect way to describe this past year, and unfortunately, unpredictable situations may continue to be the rule for some time to come. The COVID-19 pandemic no doubt represents the most important challenge in the upcoming year for ACG members, gastroenterologists, physicians and all of society, both here in the United States and globally. The impact of COVID-19 on the practice of gastroenterology, in all settings, has been and will continue to be unprecedented, and I am confident ACG will help its members meet those challenges directly and effectively. As I think about the upcoming year, three words that begin with the letter “R” come to mind: resilience, respect and relationships. Maximizing each of these will be critical to our personal and professional success over the next 12 months. Our GI community has already shown enormous resilience in meeting the enormous professional and economic difficulties brought on by COVID-19. Resilience is manifested in numerous ways. Many of us transformed ourselves from gastroenterologists to COVID-19 physicians and intensivists nearly overnight when the need arose. In an instant, gastroenterologists went from our “daily routine” as clinicians and proceduralists to thinking carefully about how to protect the safety of our patients and ourselves from a previously unknown infectious threat, and then participated in writing a roadmap to reopening and restarting our practices. We seized a seemingly out of control situation and used the opportunity to do groundbreaking research, and then rapidly published the experiences of some so the rest of the community could benefit. We continue to support each other through these difficult financial and emotional times, and I am confident that our collective resilience will lead us to bounce back even stronger for the experiences that we have had. Respect for one another, again both in the professional and private arenas, continues to be crucial for all of us, especially when spotlighted in a moment of increased national awareness of racial and social injustice. We recognize the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do; achieving that starts with a foundation of mutual respect. As physicians and gastroenterologists, we simply must strive to better understand the background of every one of our patients, Continued on page 14