ACG Governors’ Awards

2021 ACG Governors’ Awards

The following three awards, presented for the first time in 1996, are given by the Board of Governors in recognition of outstanding service and commitment to the Board and to the College .

2021 Junior Governor’s Award

 This award is presented to a Governor in the first term of service . Nominees must demonstrate a clear commitment to the Board through activities such as service on ad hoc committees, participation in local and state legislative efforts, correspondence with constituents, participation in regional meetings, speakers bureau or other special projects . Nominees must also show potential for future growth within the organization .

Alyn L. Adrain, MD, FACG

Alyn L . Adrain, MD, FACG, is ACG Governor for Rhode Island . She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and is in private practice in Providence . A graduate of Brown University Medical School, Dr . Adrain did her medical residency and served as Chief Resident at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland, California . She then completed fellowships in gastroenterology and advanced therapeutic endoscopy at Temple University Hospital . Dr . Adrain has served as President of the Rhode Island Gastroenterology Association, as well as President of the Rhode Island Medical Society . She is currently representing Rhode Island physicians as a delegate to the American Medical Association, and is on the Board of Directors for the Rhode Island Medical Society, in addition to her role as ACG Governor .

Dr . Adrain is passionate about advocating for her patients and profession on a state and national level . Dr . Adrain has been an instrumental advocate for the ACG Board of Governors at the national level . On the state level, she has testified at the state House on numerous pieces of legislation of importance to healthcare . She partnered with the Rhode Island chapter of the American Cancer Society, as well as key contacts in state legislature to pass a bill to require private insurers to cover colon cancer screening without cost sharing starting at age 45, and after positive stool-based testing . After three years of advocacy, the bill was signed into law this year . Dr . Adrain is the proud mother of 2 adult children and lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with her rescue dog, Leroy . She enjoys bicycling, SCUBA, boating, skiing, traveling, and spending time with her enormous extended family .

2021 Senior Governor’s Award

 This award is given to a Governor in the final term of service . Candidates must demonstrate a strong commitment of service to the Board of Governors through activities such as service on ad hoc committees, participation in local and state legislative efforts, national affairs, recruitment, correspondence with constituents, participation in regional meetings, speakers bureau or other special projects .

Jeffry L. Nestler, MD, FACG

Jeffry L . Nestler, MD, FACG, has been the ACG Governor for Connecticut since 2015, a member of the ACG Practice Management Committee, and a member of the ACG Endoscopy Resumption Task Force . He was Co-Course Director of the 2018 ACG Eastern Regional Postgraduate Course in Boston . He has advocated on behalf of the ACG for the last 6 years .

Dr . Nestler has been a tireless advocate on local insurance coverage and reimbursement issues impacting ACG members and patients in Connecticut . He led a coalition of Connecticut physicians to establish Connecticut as the second state to mandate reimbursement for colorectal cancer screening . His focus is providing high quality GI care in a costefficient environment .

He trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at the New York–Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center . He is currently President of Connecticut GI PC, the largest independent GI practice in New England . He serves as the Division Director of Gastroenterology at Hartford Hospital, Co-Medical Director of the Digestive Disease Center, and an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Connecticut . His clinical expertise is in pancreaticobiliary disorders .

Costas H. Kefalas, MD, MMM, FACG

Costas H . Kefalas, MD, MMM, FACG, is a Trustee on the ACG Board of Trustees, the Co-Chair of the ACG Endoscopy Resumption Task Force, a member of the ACG Finance and Budget Committee, and President of the GI Quality Improvement Consortium (GIQuIC) . Like Dr . Carey, Dr . Kefalas served as ACG Governor for Northern Ohio from 2008-2014, Vice Chair of the ACG Board of Governors from 2014-2016, and Chair of the ACG Board of Governors 2016-2018 . He also served as an ACG Representative to the Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC) from 20112020 and was DDNC President from 2014-2016 .

Dr . Kefalas co-founded the Ohio Gastroenterology Society in 2009 and served as its Founding President from 20112013 . He was appointed a Trustee of the Ohio Medical Quality Foundation Board by former Ohio Governor John Kasich, and served from 2015-2017 . He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Digestive Health Physicians Association .

Dr . Kefalas has been in private practice at Akron Digestive Disease Consultants, Inc . in Akron, Ohio, since 2003 . He practices general gastroenterology and is the Medical Director of the Digestive Health Center . He is Professor of Internal Medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University and is on the Medical Staff at Summa Health in Akron, where he also serves on the Board of Directors and as the Chair of the Committee on Governance .

Dr . Kefalas completed a combined BS/MD program in 1997, at the University of Akron, where he was a University Scholar in the Honors Program, and at Northeast Ohio Medical University . He completed an internal medicine residency at Summa Health in 2000 and a gastroenterology fellowship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, in 2003, under the direction of former ACG President Dr . Lawrence Schiller . In 2015, Dr . Kefalas earned his Masters of Medical Management (MMM) from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . He lives in Akron with his wife Sarah and daughter Lydia .

2021 William D. Carey Award

 Dr . William D . Carey was elected Governor for Northern Ohio in 1987 and served as Chairman of the Board of Governors from 1988-1990 . He served the College as Treasurer and Trustee, and has chaired numerous College committees . Dr . Carey was the first Chairman of the Board of Governors to be elected as President of the American College of Gastroenterology (1993) . In honor of his years of distinguished service and because of the example he has set for other Governors, an award is given in his name .

This award is reserved for an exceptional individual who has served the Board and the College with distinction . Nominees must show clear demonstration of outstanding contributions to the College such as service within leadership positions, participation in educational efforts, committee service or participation in research related activities . Governors serving their final term or those emeritus Governors who have completed service will be eligible to receive the award . Nominees must have a strong history of meritorious service to the Board of Governors .