Society News

The AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology is excited to announce a new clinical research registry to track and evaluate patient outcomes after trans-oral endoscopic suturing procedures.

The Prospective Registry for Trans-Oral Suturing Applications (“Endoscopic Suturing Registry”) will collect real-world data related to the safety and effectiveness of procedures done with Apollo Endosurgery’s OverStitch™ Endoscopic Suturing System. Jennifer Maranki, MD, director of endoscopy, Penn State Milton S. Hershey School of Medicine, and Brian Dunkin, MD, head of endoscopic surgery and medical director, Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education, will serve as principal investigators for the Endoscopic Suturing Registry. The Registry will begin collecting patient data in early 2018.

We asked Michael Kochman, MD, AGAF, past chair of the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology and director of the Center for Endoscopic Innovation, Research and Training at the University of Pennsylvania, to weigh in on the value of this new registry.

“Flexible endoscopic suturing is an important tool for the treatment of a number of GI disorders. As these procedures become more routine in GI and surgery practices across the country, the real-world data AGA will collect through the Endoscopic Suturing Registry will guide all stakeholders in making informed decisions around the continued adoption of these procedures in clinical practice.”

Learn more about AGA’s registry initiative at www.gastro.org/patient-care/registries-studies.
 

The AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology is excited to announce a new clinical research registry to track and evaluate patient outcomes after trans-oral endoscopic suturing procedures.

The Prospective Registry for Trans-Oral Suturing Applications (“Endoscopic Suturing Registry”) will collect real-world data related to the safety and effectiveness of procedures done with Apollo Endosurgery’s OverStitch™ Endoscopic Suturing System. Jennifer Maranki, MD, director of endoscopy, Penn State Milton S. Hershey School of Medicine, and Brian Dunkin, MD, head of endoscopic surgery and medical director, Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education, will serve as principal investigators for the Endoscopic Suturing Registry. The Registry will begin collecting patient data in early 2018.

We asked Michael Kochman, MD, AGAF, past chair of the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology and director of the Center for Endoscopic Innovation, Research and Training at the University of Pennsylvania, to weigh in on the value of this new registry.

“Flexible endoscopic suturing is an important tool for the treatment of a number of GI disorders. As these procedures become more routine in GI and surgery practices across the country, the real-world data AGA will collect through the Endoscopic Suturing Registry will guide all stakeholders in making informed decisions around the continued adoption of these procedures in clinical practice.”

Learn more about AGA’s registry initiative at www.gastro.org/patient-care/registries-studies.
 

The AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology is excited to announce a new clinical research registry to track and evaluate patient outcomes after trans-oral endoscopic suturing procedures.

The Prospective Registry for Trans-Oral Suturing Applications (“Endoscopic Suturing Registry”) will collect real-world data related to the safety and effectiveness of procedures done with Apollo Endosurgery’s OverStitch™ Endoscopic Suturing System. Jennifer Maranki, MD, director of endoscopy, Penn State Milton S. Hershey School of Medicine, and Brian Dunkin, MD, head of endoscopic surgery and medical director, Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education, will serve as principal investigators for the Endoscopic Suturing Registry. The Registry will begin collecting patient data in early 2018.

We asked Michael Kochman, MD, AGAF, past chair of the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology and director of the Center for Endoscopic Innovation, Research and Training at the University of Pennsylvania, to weigh in on the value of this new registry.

“Flexible endoscopic suturing is an important tool for the treatment of a number of GI disorders. As these procedures become more routine in GI and surgery practices across the country, the real-world data AGA will collect through the Endoscopic Suturing Registry will guide all stakeholders in making informed decisions around the continued adoption of these procedures in clinical practice.”

Learn more about AGA’s registry initiative at www.gastro.org/patient-care/registries-studies.
 

What is the colonoscopy loophole?

The Affordable Care Act covers screening colonoscopies at no cost to patients as long as no polyps are found. As Dr. Siddique explains in her article, finding a polyp changes the billing code to a therapeutic colonoscopy, a reclassification that changes the procedure from a diagnostic screening to an intervention. And this means a bill is generated. This reclassification directly affects those covered by Medicare and not commercial insurers.

AGA leaders urge Congress to correct this problem

Dr. Siddique – a member of the AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee and AGA Clinical Guidelines Committee – joined other AGA leaders for AGA Advocacy Day in late September where they spoke directly to lawmakers about patients who are blindsided by this regulation. AGA supports closing this loophole to ensure patients continue to have access to quality care and preventative screenings. We encourage all members to continue to share their patient stories, like Dr. Siddique has, to help raise awareness of this issue.

AGA can help you advocate for GI

Watch an AGA webinar at www.gastro.org/webinars/CongressionalMeeting (login required) to learn more about how to set up congressional meetings in your district, or contact Navneet Buttar, AGA government and political affairs manager, at [email protected] or 240-482-3221.

[email protected]

What is the colonoscopy loophole?

The Affordable Care Act covers screening colonoscopies at no cost to patients as long as no polyps are found. As Dr. Siddique explains in her article, finding a polyp changes the billing code to a therapeutic colonoscopy, a reclassification that changes the procedure from a diagnostic screening to an intervention. And this means a bill is generated. This reclassification directly affects those covered by Medicare and not commercial insurers.

AGA leaders urge Congress to correct this problem

Dr. Siddique – a member of the AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee and AGA Clinical Guidelines Committee – joined other AGA leaders for AGA Advocacy Day in late September where they spoke directly to lawmakers about patients who are blindsided by this regulation. AGA supports closing this loophole to ensure patients continue to have access to quality care and preventative screenings. We encourage all members to continue to share their patient stories, like Dr. Siddique has, to help raise awareness of this issue.

AGA can help you advocate for GI

Watch an AGA webinar at www.gastro.org/webinars/CongressionalMeeting (login required) to learn more about how to set up congressional meetings in your district, or contact Navneet Buttar, AGA government and political affairs manager, at [email protected] or 240-482-3221.

[email protected]

What is the colonoscopy loophole?

The Affordable Care Act covers screening colonoscopies at no cost to patients as long as no polyps are found. As Dr. Siddique explains in her article, finding a polyp changes the billing code to a therapeutic colonoscopy, a reclassification that changes the procedure from a diagnostic screening to an intervention. And this means a bill is generated. This reclassification directly affects those covered by Medicare and not commercial insurers.

AGA leaders urge Congress to correct this problem

Dr. Siddique – a member of the AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee and AGA Clinical Guidelines Committee – joined other AGA leaders for AGA Advocacy Day in late September where they spoke directly to lawmakers about patients who are blindsided by this regulation. AGA supports closing this loophole to ensure patients continue to have access to quality care and preventative screenings. We encourage all members to continue to share their patient stories, like Dr. Siddique has, to help raise awareness of this issue.

AGA can help you advocate for GI

Watch an AGA webinar at www.gastro.org/webinars/CongressionalMeeting (login required) to learn more about how to set up congressional meetings in your district, or contact Navneet Buttar, AGA government and political affairs manager, at [email protected] or 240-482-3221.

[email protected]

1. You funded more than a half-million dollars in community service and clinical research grants awarded to the next generation of CHEST leaders.



2. You improved patient outcomes by supporting more than 65 patient education resources focused on procedures and disease states—easily accessed for free at chestfoundation.org/patienteducation.

1. You funded more than a half-million dollars in community service and clinical research grants awarded to the next generation of CHEST leaders.



2. You improved patient outcomes by supporting more than 65 patient education resources focused on procedures and disease states—easily accessed for free at chestfoundation.org/patienteducation.

1. You funded more than a half-million dollars in community service and clinical research grants awarded to the next generation of CHEST leaders.



2. You improved patient outcomes by supporting more than 65 patient education resources focused on procedures and disease states—easily accessed for free at chestfoundation.org/patienteducation.

In 2015, Debasree Banerjee, MD, MS, received the CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. She was also a 2016 NetWorks Challenge Travel Grantee as a member of the Women’s Health NetWork, allowing her to attend the 2016 CHEST Annual Meeting and network with peers and leaders in chest medicine. Read our follow-up interview with Dr. Banerjee on her research progress and how the grants she’s received have impacted her and the work she is doing.

What is the project you have been working on?

I have been researching the role of the specific sodium channel in the heart, how it affects the conductance in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, and how it might affect RV function. We know in some sources that about 25% of patients with PAH can die of sudden cardiac death, and sudden cardiac death is more common in patients with left-sided heart disease.

Instead of dying of sudden death or end stage heart failure, we wanted a way to see, just based on a physical exam, if there’s evidence of heart pump function not working well. With the funding, I’ve been able to more than double the sample size of the original pilot data and add in two more large objectives to complement my original aim.
 

What has receiving the grant meant to you?

One of the reasons I was able to stay at Brown was because of winning this grant from the CHEST Foundation. It was able to cement my interest in fully pursuing a physician scientist career, which is huge, because it is not what I had planned on doing. Because of this grant, I had an 80% protected research position in my first year. Winning the grant gave me a feeling of affirmation and validation, and that certainly motivates me to continue on this path.

Going into fellowship, if you had asked me what I had envisioned myself doing, I would have said I’d be a medical educator. I think I was surprised by my research year in fellowship when I was working on this project, because the grant created so much excitement. I felt like I could actually do this, and obtaining the grant uped the ante of investment and kept me excited. Plus, the grant allowed me to do everything, see the whole process, the full arc, and I’m not even done.
 

What barriers have you encountered with your research?

Not having all the control, like unplanned hospitalizations or advanced sickness in the patients. There are also things cost-wise that are needed for the research that I wouldn’t have had access to without the grant. I didn’t do much research in medical school and residency, since I was more focused on teaching, so I hadn’t been prepared for the administrative legwork. But, it’s something I’m learning.

Being able to follow up with the CHEST Foundation and attend the CHEST annual meeting are exciting ways to overcome any slumps or doubts, because you see the interest and encouragement for the work you’re doing. Receiving the travel grant and coming to the annual meeting as a new faculty member, it was the most high-yield conference I’ve ever attended. Every day, there is something new and interactive for development.
 

What advice would you give to someone who hasn’t received a grant before but is considering applying?

If they can get a good mentor, that’s invaluable. It takes perseverance, persistence, and passion, and if you believe your work is having an impact, it’s absolutely worth doing. Even if you apply and don’t get it the first time, try, try again. I have so much more faith in CHEST because of the positivity I see from the investment in my own mentor, who was a past foundation grant recipient and encouraged me to apply. CHEST gives ample opportunity to network and help to be steered in the right way. As a grant recipient and being folded into the CHEST community, you start to think, “I want this feeling again. Someone thinks this is important work.”

In 2015, Debasree Banerjee, MD, MS, received the CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. She was also a 2016 NetWorks Challenge Travel Grantee as a member of the Women’s Health NetWork, allowing her to attend the 2016 CHEST Annual Meeting and network with peers and leaders in chest medicine. Read our follow-up interview with Dr. Banerjee on her research progress and how the grants she’s received have impacted her and the work she is doing.

What is the project you have been working on?

I have been researching the role of the specific sodium channel in the heart, how it affects the conductance in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, and how it might affect RV function. We know in some sources that about 25% of patients with PAH can die of sudden cardiac death, and sudden cardiac death is more common in patients with left-sided heart disease.

Instead of dying of sudden death or end stage heart failure, we wanted a way to see, just based on a physical exam, if there’s evidence of heart pump function not working well. With the funding, I’ve been able to more than double the sample size of the original pilot data and add in two more large objectives to complement my original aim.
 

What has receiving the grant meant to you?

One of the reasons I was able to stay at Brown was because of winning this grant from the CHEST Foundation. It was able to cement my interest in fully pursuing a physician scientist career, which is huge, because it is not what I had planned on doing. Because of this grant, I had an 80% protected research position in my first year. Winning the grant gave me a feeling of affirmation and validation, and that certainly motivates me to continue on this path.

Going into fellowship, if you had asked me what I had envisioned myself doing, I would have said I’d be a medical educator. I think I was surprised by my research year in fellowship when I was working on this project, because the grant created so much excitement. I felt like I could actually do this, and obtaining the grant uped the ante of investment and kept me excited. Plus, the grant allowed me to do everything, see the whole process, the full arc, and I’m not even done.
 

What barriers have you encountered with your research?

Not having all the control, like unplanned hospitalizations or advanced sickness in the patients. There are also things cost-wise that are needed for the research that I wouldn’t have had access to without the grant. I didn’t do much research in medical school and residency, since I was more focused on teaching, so I hadn’t been prepared for the administrative legwork. But, it’s something I’m learning.

Being able to follow up with the CHEST Foundation and attend the CHEST annual meeting are exciting ways to overcome any slumps or doubts, because you see the interest and encouragement for the work you’re doing. Receiving the travel grant and coming to the annual meeting as a new faculty member, it was the most high-yield conference I’ve ever attended. Every day, there is something new and interactive for development.
 

What advice would you give to someone who hasn’t received a grant before but is considering applying?

If they can get a good mentor, that’s invaluable. It takes perseverance, persistence, and passion, and if you believe your work is having an impact, it’s absolutely worth doing. Even if you apply and don’t get it the first time, try, try again. I have so much more faith in CHEST because of the positivity I see from the investment in my own mentor, who was a past foundation grant recipient and encouraged me to apply. CHEST gives ample opportunity to network and help to be steered in the right way. As a grant recipient and being folded into the CHEST community, you start to think, “I want this feeling again. Someone thinks this is important work.”

In 2015, Debasree Banerjee, MD, MS, received the CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. She was also a 2016 NetWorks Challenge Travel Grantee as a member of the Women’s Health NetWork, allowing her to attend the 2016 CHEST Annual Meeting and network with peers and leaders in chest medicine. Read our follow-up interview with Dr. Banerjee on her research progress and how the grants she’s received have impacted her and the work she is doing.

What is the project you have been working on?

I have been researching the role of the specific sodium channel in the heart, how it affects the conductance in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, and how it might affect RV function. We know in some sources that about 25% of patients with PAH can die of sudden cardiac death, and sudden cardiac death is more common in patients with left-sided heart disease.

Instead of dying of sudden death or end stage heart failure, we wanted a way to see, just based on a physical exam, if there’s evidence of heart pump function not working well. With the funding, I’ve been able to more than double the sample size of the original pilot data and add in two more large objectives to complement my original aim.
 

What has receiving the grant meant to you?

One of the reasons I was able to stay at Brown was because of winning this grant from the CHEST Foundation. It was able to cement my interest in fully pursuing a physician scientist career, which is huge, because it is not what I had planned on doing. Because of this grant, I had an 80% protected research position in my first year. Winning the grant gave me a feeling of affirmation and validation, and that certainly motivates me to continue on this path.

Going into fellowship, if you had asked me what I had envisioned myself doing, I would have said I’d be a medical educator. I think I was surprised by my research year in fellowship when I was working on this project, because the grant created so much excitement. I felt like I could actually do this, and obtaining the grant uped the ante of investment and kept me excited. Plus, the grant allowed me to do everything, see the whole process, the full arc, and I’m not even done.
 

What barriers have you encountered with your research?

Not having all the control, like unplanned hospitalizations or advanced sickness in the patients. There are also things cost-wise that are needed for the research that I wouldn’t have had access to without the grant. I didn’t do much research in medical school and residency, since I was more focused on teaching, so I hadn’t been prepared for the administrative legwork. But, it’s something I’m learning.

Being able to follow up with the CHEST Foundation and attend the CHEST annual meeting are exciting ways to overcome any slumps or doubts, because you see the interest and encouragement for the work you’re doing. Receiving the travel grant and coming to the annual meeting as a new faculty member, it was the most high-yield conference I’ve ever attended. Every day, there is something new and interactive for development.
 

What advice would you give to someone who hasn’t received a grant before but is considering applying?

If they can get a good mentor, that’s invaluable. It takes perseverance, persistence, and passion, and if you believe your work is having an impact, it’s absolutely worth doing. Even if you apply and don’t get it the first time, try, try again. I have so much more faith in CHEST because of the positivity I see from the investment in my own mentor, who was a past foundation grant recipient and encouraged me to apply. CHEST gives ample opportunity to network and help to be steered in the right way. As a grant recipient and being folded into the CHEST community, you start to think, “I want this feeling again. Someone thinks this is important work.”

In keeping with the commitment of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) to be the home of the clinician educator, and supporting CHEST’s strategic vision of advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, a new designation intended to provide national-level recognition of excellence in continuing medical education has been established—the innovation award-winning Distinguished CHEST Educator.

Distinguished CHEST Educators are within the top 5% of CHEST’s faculty and are recognized for their achievements in making significant and long-term contributions to the design and delivery of CHEST education. With more than 108 ways to educate, these faculty members have exceeded expectations by serving as CHEST committee chairs, vice-chairs, faculty, and peer reviewers for programs such as the CHEST Annual Meeting.

“The greatest achievement I can imagine is seen in the people we train—as that lives on. Real values in medicine live only by being handed down to others. Over the past decade, CHEST has afforded me the privilege to represent the organization on a national platform, and, in doing so, I have been able to refine my own skills and those of my peers, as well as adding both quality and detail to my understanding of how young physicians learn,” says Nader Kamangar, MD, FCCP, of UCLA, CHEST member since 2000, and Distinguished CHEST Educator.

This designation will be granted to select clinical educators each year. The inaugural class of Distinguished CHEST Educators was honored at the end of October at CHEST 2017 in Toronto, as will be the tradition for the classes that follow.
 

Distinguished CHEST Educator

Congratulations to the inaugural class of Distinguished CHEST Educators.

Sandra Adams, MD, MS, FCCP

Doreen Addrizzo-Harris, MD, FCCP

A. Christine Argento, MD, FCCP

Robert Arntfield, MD, FCCP

Anthony Asciutto, RRT

Olivier Axler, MD, PhD, FCCP

Meyer Balter, MD, FCCP

Gisela Banauch, MD, MS, FCCP

Robert Baughman, MD, FCCP

David Bell, MD, FCCP

Michel Boivin, MD, FCCP

Gabriel Bosslet, MD, FCCP

Jean Bourbeau, MD, MS, FCCP

David Bowton, MD, FCCP

Kevin Brown, MD, FCCP

Jack Buckley, MD, MPH, FCCP

Kristin Burkart, MD, MS, FCCP

Brian Carlin, MD, FCCP

Christopher Carroll, MD, FCCP

Roberto Casal, MD

Richard Castriotta, MD, FCCP

Kevin Chan, MD, FCCP

Alexander Chen, MD

Michael Christian, MD, FCCP

Nancy Collop, MD, FCCP

Clayton Cowl, MD, MS, FCCP

Angel Coz Yataco, MD, FCCP

Gerard Criner, MD, FCCP

Carolyn D’Ambrosio, MD, FCCP

Mauricio Danckers, MD, FCCP

Aneesa Das, MD, FCCP

John Davies, RRT, MA, FCCP

Frank Detterbeck, MD, FCCP

Emily Diederich, MD, FCCP

Kevin Doerschug, MD, MS, FCCP

Meagan Dubosky, RRT-ACCS

Kevin Dushay, MD, FCCP

Eric Edell, MD, FCCP

William Enfinger

Michael Ezzie, MD, FCCP

David Feller-Kopman, MD, FCCP

Kevin Felner, MD, FCCP

Neil Freedman, MD, FCCP

Thomas Fuhrman, MD, MS, FCCP

John Gaillard, MD, FCCP

Colin Gillespie, MD

Maritza Groth, MD, FCCP

Mark Hall, MD

Jesse Hall, MD, FCCP

Nicola Hanania, MD, MBBS, FCCP

D. Kyle Hogarth, MD, FCCP

Steven Hollenberg, MD, FCCP

Robert Hyzy, MD, FCCP

Richard Irwin, MD, Master FCCP

Nader Kamangar, MD, MS, FCCP

Carl Kaplan, MD, FCCP

Brian Kaufman, MD, FCCP

William Kelly, MD, FCCP

Seth Koenig, MD, FCCP

Anastassios Koumbourlis, MD, MPH, FCCP

Lindsey Kreisher, RRT

Karol Kremens, MD, FCCP

Sunita Kumar, MD, MBBS, FCCP

Viera Lakticova, MD

Carla Lamb, MD, FCCP

Hans Lee, MD, FCCP

Peter Lenz, MD, MEd, FCCP

Stephanie Levine, MD, FCCP

Deborah Levine, MD, MS, FCCP

Kenneth Lyn-Kew, MD

Joao Alberto de Andrade, MD, FCCP

Neil MacIntyre, MD, FCCP

Donald Mahler, MD, FCCP

Fabien Maldonado, MD, FCCP

Atul Malhotra, MD, FCCP

Haney Mallemat, MD

Darcy Marciniuk, MD, FCCP

Diego Maselli Caceres, MD, FCCP

Paul Mayo, MD, FCCP

Peter Mazzone, MD, MPH, FCCP

John McIlwaine, DO, MBA, FCCP

Mark Metersky, MD, FCCP

Scott Millington, MD

Taro Minami, MD, FCCP

Lisa Moores, MD, FCCP

Amy Morris, MD

John Mullon, MD, FCCP

Septimiu Murgu, MD, FCCP

Mangala Narasimhan, DO, FCCP

Michael Niederman, MD, FCCP

Alexander Niven, MD, FCCP

Anne O’Donnell, MD, FCCP

Erik Osborn, MD

David Ost, MD, MPH, FCCP

Ronald Oudiz, MD, FCCP

Daniel Ouellette, MD, MS, FCCP

Nicholas Pastis, MD, FCCP

Paru Patrawalla, MD, FCCP

Jay Peters, MD, FCCP

Barbara Phillips, MD, MSPH, FCCP

Margaret Pisani, MD, MS, FCCP

Janos Porszasz, MD, PhD

Whitney Prince, MD, FCCP

Suhail Raoof, MBBS, FCCP

Marcos Restrepo, MD, MSc, FCCP

Otis Rickman, DO, FCCP

Roy Ridgeway

Mary Ried, RN, CCRN

Antoni Rosell, MD

Mark Rosen, MD, Master FCCP

Bernard Roth, MD, FCCP

Anthony Saleh, MD, FCCP

Juan Sanchez, MD, FCCP

Pralay Sarkar, MBBS, FCCP

Lewis Satterwhite, MD, FCCP

Paul Scanlon, MD, FCCP

Gregory Schmidt, MD, FCCP

David Schulman, MD, MPH, FCCP

Brady Scott, RRT, MS

Bernardo Selim, MD, FCCP

Curtis Sessler, MD, FCCP

Rakesh Shah, MD, FCCP

Ray Wes Shepherd, MD, FCCP

John Sherner, MD, FCCP

Ariel Shiloh, MD

Samira Shojaee, MD, FCCP

Gerard Silvestri, MD, MS, FCCP

Steven Simpson, MD, FCCP

James Stoller, MD, MS, FCCP

Mary Strek, MD, FCCP

William Stringer, MD, FCCP

Eleanor Summerhill, MD, FCCP

Lynn Tanoue, MD, FCCP

Victor Test, MD, FCCP

Arthur Tokarczyk, MD, FCCP

Anil Vachani, MD, FCCP

Momen Wahidi, MD, MBA, FCCP

Keith Wille, MD, FCCP

Lisa Wolfe, MD, FCCP

Richard Wunderink, MD, FCCP

Lonny Yarmus, DO, FCCP

Kazuhiro Yasufuku, MD, PhD, FCCP

Gulrukh Zaidi, MD

In keeping with the commitment of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) to be the home of the clinician educator, and supporting CHEST’s strategic vision of advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, a new designation intended to provide national-level recognition of excellence in continuing medical education has been established—the innovation award-winning Distinguished CHEST Educator.

Distinguished CHEST Educators are within the top 5% of CHEST’s faculty and are recognized for their achievements in making significant and long-term contributions to the design and delivery of CHEST education. With more than 108 ways to educate, these faculty members have exceeded expectations by serving as CHEST committee chairs, vice-chairs, faculty, and peer reviewers for programs such as the CHEST Annual Meeting.

“The greatest achievement I can imagine is seen in the people we train—as that lives on. Real values in medicine live only by being handed down to others. Over the past decade, CHEST has afforded me the privilege to represent the organization on a national platform, and, in doing so, I have been able to refine my own skills and those of my peers, as well as adding both quality and detail to my understanding of how young physicians learn,” says Nader Kamangar, MD, FCCP, of UCLA, CHEST member since 2000, and Distinguished CHEST Educator.

This designation will be granted to select clinical educators each year. The inaugural class of Distinguished CHEST Educators was honored at the end of October at CHEST 2017 in Toronto, as will be the tradition for the classes that follow.
 

Distinguished CHEST Educator

Congratulations to the inaugural class of Distinguished CHEST Educators.

Sandra Adams, MD, MS, FCCP

Doreen Addrizzo-Harris, MD, FCCP

A. Christine Argento, MD, FCCP

Robert Arntfield, MD, FCCP

Anthony Asciutto, RRT

Olivier Axler, MD, PhD, FCCP

Meyer Balter, MD, FCCP

Gisela Banauch, MD, MS, FCCP

Robert Baughman, MD, FCCP

David Bell, MD, FCCP

Michel Boivin, MD, FCCP

Gabriel Bosslet, MD, FCCP

Jean Bourbeau, MD, MS, FCCP

David Bowton, MD, FCCP

Kevin Brown, MD, FCCP

Jack Buckley, MD, MPH, FCCP

Kristin Burkart, MD, MS, FCCP

Brian Carlin, MD, FCCP

Christopher Carroll, MD, FCCP

Roberto Casal, MD

Richard Castriotta, MD, FCCP

Kevin Chan, MD, FCCP

Alexander Chen, MD

Michael Christian, MD, FCCP

Nancy Collop, MD, FCCP

Clayton Cowl, MD, MS, FCCP

Angel Coz Yataco, MD, FCCP

Gerard Criner, MD, FCCP

Carolyn D’Ambrosio, MD, FCCP

Mauricio Danckers, MD, FCCP

Aneesa Das, MD, FCCP

John Davies, RRT, MA, FCCP

Frank Detterbeck, MD, FCCP

Emily Diederich, MD, FCCP

Kevin Doerschug, MD, MS, FCCP

Meagan Dubosky, RRT-ACCS

Kevin Dushay, MD, FCCP

Eric Edell, MD, FCCP

William Enfinger

Michael Ezzie, MD, FCCP

David Feller-Kopman, MD, FCCP

Kevin Felner, MD, FCCP

Neil Freedman, MD, FCCP

Thomas Fuhrman, MD, MS, FCCP

John Gaillard, MD, FCCP

Colin Gillespie, MD

Maritza Groth, MD, FCCP

Mark Hall, MD

Jesse Hall, MD, FCCP

Nicola Hanania, MD, MBBS, FCCP

D. Kyle Hogarth, MD, FCCP

Steven Hollenberg, MD, FCCP

Robert Hyzy, MD, FCCP

Richard Irwin, MD, Master FCCP

Nader Kamangar, MD, MS, FCCP

Carl Kaplan, MD, FCCP

Brian Kaufman, MD, FCCP

William Kelly, MD, FCCP

Seth Koenig, MD, FCCP

Anastassios Koumbourlis, MD, MPH, FCCP

Lindsey Kreisher, RRT

Karol Kremens, MD, FCCP

Sunita Kumar, MD, MBBS, FCCP

Viera Lakticova, MD

Carla Lamb, MD, FCCP

Hans Lee, MD, FCCP

Peter Lenz, MD, MEd, FCCP

Stephanie Levine, MD, FCCP

Deborah Levine, MD, MS, FCCP

Kenneth Lyn-Kew, MD

Joao Alberto de Andrade, MD, FCCP

Neil MacIntyre, MD, FCCP

Donald Mahler, MD, FCCP

Fabien Maldonado, MD, FCCP

Atul Malhotra, MD, FCCP

Haney Mallemat, MD

Darcy Marciniuk, MD, FCCP

Diego Maselli Caceres, MD, FCCP

Paul Mayo, MD, FCCP

Peter Mazzone, MD, MPH, FCCP

John McIlwaine, DO, MBA, FCCP

Mark Metersky, MD, FCCP

Scott Millington, MD

Taro Minami, MD, FCCP

Lisa Moores, MD, FCCP

Amy Morris, MD

John Mullon, MD, FCCP

Septimiu Murgu, MD, FCCP

Mangala Narasimhan, DO, FCCP

Michael Niederman, MD, FCCP

Alexander Niven, MD, FCCP

Anne O’Donnell, MD, FCCP

Erik Osborn, MD

David Ost, MD, MPH, FCCP

Ronald Oudiz, MD, FCCP

Daniel Ouellette, MD, MS, FCCP

Nicholas Pastis, MD, FCCP

Paru Patrawalla, MD, FCCP

Jay Peters, MD, FCCP

Barbara Phillips, MD, MSPH, FCCP

Margaret Pisani, MD, MS, FCCP

Janos Porszasz, MD, PhD

Whitney Prince, MD, FCCP

Suhail Raoof, MBBS, FCCP

Marcos Restrepo, MD, MSc, FCCP

Otis Rickman, DO, FCCP

Roy Ridgeway

Mary Ried, RN, CCRN

Antoni Rosell, MD

Mark Rosen, MD, Master FCCP

Bernard Roth, MD, FCCP

Anthony Saleh, MD, FCCP

Juan Sanchez, MD, FCCP

Pralay Sarkar, MBBS, FCCP

Lewis Satterwhite, MD, FCCP

Paul Scanlon, MD, FCCP

Gregory Schmidt, MD, FCCP

David Schulman, MD, MPH, FCCP

Brady Scott, RRT, MS

Bernardo Selim, MD, FCCP

Curtis Sessler, MD, FCCP

Rakesh Shah, MD, FCCP

Ray Wes Shepherd, MD, FCCP

John Sherner, MD, FCCP

Ariel Shiloh, MD

Samira Shojaee, MD, FCCP

Gerard Silvestri, MD, MS, FCCP

Steven Simpson, MD, FCCP

James Stoller, MD, MS, FCCP

Mary Strek, MD, FCCP

William Stringer, MD, FCCP

Eleanor Summerhill, MD, FCCP

Lynn Tanoue, MD, FCCP

Victor Test, MD, FCCP

Arthur Tokarczyk, MD, FCCP

Anil Vachani, MD, FCCP

Momen Wahidi, MD, MBA, FCCP

Keith Wille, MD, FCCP

Lisa Wolfe, MD, FCCP

Richard Wunderink, MD, FCCP

Lonny Yarmus, DO, FCCP

Kazuhiro Yasufuku, MD, PhD, FCCP

Gulrukh Zaidi, MD

In keeping with the commitment of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) to be the home of the clinician educator, and supporting CHEST’s strategic vision of advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, a new designation intended to provide national-level recognition of excellence in continuing medical education has been established—the innovation award-winning Distinguished CHEST Educator.

Distinguished CHEST Educators are within the top 5% of CHEST’s faculty and are recognized for their achievements in making significant and long-term contributions to the design and delivery of CHEST education. With more than 108 ways to educate, these faculty members have exceeded expectations by serving as CHEST committee chairs, vice-chairs, faculty, and peer reviewers for programs such as the CHEST Annual Meeting.

“The greatest achievement I can imagine is seen in the people we train—as that lives on. Real values in medicine live only by being handed down to others. Over the past decade, CHEST has afforded me the privilege to represent the organization on a national platform, and, in doing so, I have been able to refine my own skills and those of my peers, as well as adding both quality and detail to my understanding of how young physicians learn,” says Nader Kamangar, MD, FCCP, of UCLA, CHEST member since 2000, and Distinguished CHEST Educator.

This designation will be granted to select clinical educators each year. The inaugural class of Distinguished CHEST Educators was honored at the end of October at CHEST 2017 in Toronto, as will be the tradition for the classes that follow.
 

Distinguished CHEST Educator

Congratulations to the inaugural class of Distinguished CHEST Educators.

Sandra Adams, MD, MS, FCCP

Doreen Addrizzo-Harris, MD, FCCP

A. Christine Argento, MD, FCCP

Robert Arntfield, MD, FCCP

Anthony Asciutto, RRT

Olivier Axler, MD, PhD, FCCP

Meyer Balter, MD, FCCP

Gisela Banauch, MD, MS, FCCP

Robert Baughman, MD, FCCP

David Bell, MD, FCCP

Michel Boivin, MD, FCCP

Gabriel Bosslet, MD, FCCP

Jean Bourbeau, MD, MS, FCCP

David Bowton, MD, FCCP

Kevin Brown, MD, FCCP

Jack Buckley, MD, MPH, FCCP

Kristin Burkart, MD, MS, FCCP

Brian Carlin, MD, FCCP

Christopher Carroll, MD, FCCP

Roberto Casal, MD

Richard Castriotta, MD, FCCP

Kevin Chan, MD, FCCP

Alexander Chen, MD

Michael Christian, MD, FCCP

Nancy Collop, MD, FCCP

Clayton Cowl, MD, MS, FCCP

Angel Coz Yataco, MD, FCCP

Gerard Criner, MD, FCCP

Carolyn D’Ambrosio, MD, FCCP

Mauricio Danckers, MD, FCCP

Aneesa Das, MD, FCCP

John Davies, RRT, MA, FCCP

Frank Detterbeck, MD, FCCP

Emily Diederich, MD, FCCP

Kevin Doerschug, MD, MS, FCCP

Meagan Dubosky, RRT-ACCS

Kevin Dushay, MD, FCCP

Eric Edell, MD, FCCP

William Enfinger

Michael Ezzie, MD, FCCP

David Feller-Kopman, MD, FCCP

Kevin Felner, MD, FCCP

Neil Freedman, MD, FCCP

Thomas Fuhrman, MD, MS, FCCP

John Gaillard, MD, FCCP

Colin Gillespie, MD

Maritza Groth, MD, FCCP

Mark Hall, MD

Jesse Hall, MD, FCCP

Nicola Hanania, MD, MBBS, FCCP

D. Kyle Hogarth, MD, FCCP

Steven Hollenberg, MD, FCCP

Robert Hyzy, MD, FCCP

Richard Irwin, MD, Master FCCP

Nader Kamangar, MD, MS, FCCP

Carl Kaplan, MD, FCCP

Brian Kaufman, MD, FCCP

William Kelly, MD, FCCP

Seth Koenig, MD, FCCP

Anastassios Koumbourlis, MD, MPH, FCCP

Lindsey Kreisher, RRT

Karol Kremens, MD, FCCP

Sunita Kumar, MD, MBBS, FCCP

Viera Lakticova, MD

Carla Lamb, MD, FCCP

Hans Lee, MD, FCCP

Peter Lenz, MD, MEd, FCCP

Stephanie Levine, MD, FCCP

Deborah Levine, MD, MS, FCCP

Kenneth Lyn-Kew, MD

Joao Alberto de Andrade, MD, FCCP

Neil MacIntyre, MD, FCCP

Donald Mahler, MD, FCCP

Fabien Maldonado, MD, FCCP

Atul Malhotra, MD, FCCP

Haney Mallemat, MD

Darcy Marciniuk, MD, FCCP

Diego Maselli Caceres, MD, FCCP

Paul Mayo, MD, FCCP

Peter Mazzone, MD, MPH, FCCP

John McIlwaine, DO, MBA, FCCP

Mark Metersky, MD, FCCP

Scott Millington, MD

Taro Minami, MD, FCCP

Lisa Moores, MD, FCCP

Amy Morris, MD

John Mullon, MD, FCCP

Septimiu Murgu, MD, FCCP

Mangala Narasimhan, DO, FCCP

Michael Niederman, MD, FCCP

Alexander Niven, MD, FCCP

Anne O’Donnell, MD, FCCP

Erik Osborn, MD

David Ost, MD, MPH, FCCP

Ronald Oudiz, MD, FCCP

Daniel Ouellette, MD, MS, FCCP

Nicholas Pastis, MD, FCCP

Paru Patrawalla, MD, FCCP

Jay Peters, MD, FCCP

Barbara Phillips, MD, MSPH, FCCP

Margaret Pisani, MD, MS, FCCP

Janos Porszasz, MD, PhD

Whitney Prince, MD, FCCP

Suhail Raoof, MBBS, FCCP

Marcos Restrepo, MD, MSc, FCCP

Otis Rickman, DO, FCCP

Roy Ridgeway

Mary Ried, RN, CCRN

Antoni Rosell, MD

Mark Rosen, MD, Master FCCP

Bernard Roth, MD, FCCP

Anthony Saleh, MD, FCCP

Juan Sanchez, MD, FCCP

Pralay Sarkar, MBBS, FCCP

Lewis Satterwhite, MD, FCCP

Paul Scanlon, MD, FCCP

Gregory Schmidt, MD, FCCP

David Schulman, MD, MPH, FCCP

Brady Scott, RRT, MS

Bernardo Selim, MD, FCCP

Curtis Sessler, MD, FCCP

Rakesh Shah, MD, FCCP

Ray Wes Shepherd, MD, FCCP

John Sherner, MD, FCCP

Ariel Shiloh, MD

Samira Shojaee, MD, FCCP

Gerard Silvestri, MD, MS, FCCP

Steven Simpson, MD, FCCP

James Stoller, MD, MS, FCCP

Mary Strek, MD, FCCP

William Stringer, MD, FCCP

Eleanor Summerhill, MD, FCCP

Lynn Tanoue, MD, FCCP

Victor Test, MD, FCCP

Arthur Tokarczyk, MD, FCCP

Anil Vachani, MD, FCCP

Momen Wahidi, MD, MBA, FCCP

Keith Wille, MD, FCCP

Lisa Wolfe, MD, FCCP

Richard Wunderink, MD, FCCP

Lonny Yarmus, DO, FCCP

Kazuhiro Yasufuku, MD, PhD, FCCP

Gulrukh Zaidi, MD

Stephen J. Welch was officially appointed Executive Vice President and CEO in April after serving as the interim for both positions since May 2016. Here’s a little “inside look” at what Steve is all about.

What is one major accomplishment you hope to achieve as Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer?

My goal as EVP/CEO is fairly simple and straightforward: to ensure the organization remains relevant and viable as a leader in providing clinically focused, innovative educational programs and content. I don’t really have one accomplishment that I’m focused on, but I do want to ensure that we achieve our annual organizational goals that support CHEST’s strategic plan. That may sound a little vague, but it’s true. We have so many outstanding programs and initiatives that I’d be doing a disservice to identify a single goal.

How does your previous experience with CHEST help you successfully lead the organization?

With CHEST being a not-for-profit organization, which relies on volunteer leadership and faculty, I think the relationships I’ve built over the past 23 years within the organization and the chest medicine community are invaluable. I personally know so many of our leadership because I’ve been part of the organization at the executive level working with them for those 23 years. They know me and how I approach opportunities, address issues, and handle challenges, which has helped build an immediate level of mutual respect, trust, and confidence between the staff and leadership. In addition, there was no disruption from having someone come in from the outside and have to get up to speed. It made the transition pretty seamless for the staff, as well.

During my time at CHEST, I’ve seen how the organization operates, from the journal, to the annual meeting and board reviews, to the simulation and hands-on skills training, to operational activities like the management of our finances and new global headquarters and training center. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet with many of our international members and sister societies. Those experiences have allowed me to work closely with many of our faculty, authors, and educators to understand their educational and professional needs, so we can ensure that we meet them.

CHEST is only as good as the education we provide, and it’s our subject matter experts who drive that content engine. In my previous role leading the Publishing Division and working on our journal CHEST® and programs like SEEK, I’ve had the honor and pleasure of working with some of the greatest minds in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. It’s humbling.
 

What will be some of the underlying themes as you work to outline the strategic plan for the next 5 years?

We are in the final stages of planning for 2018 and beyond, and although our proposed roadmap isn’t significantly different than what we have been doing, there’s some greater emphasis on a few key areas. For example, we’re looking at innovations in educational delivery. We’ve got some very forward thinking faculty educators and staff who are collaborating to develop innovations like gamification of educational and simulation programs, and augmented reality. Globalization and growth are also a key part of our strategic plan, and we are committed to the broad delivery of our educational programs and content both here and around the world. Finally, we have invested in a data analytics project that is maturing, and we’ll be leveraging that information to provide more personalized education plans – not just for the physician but for the entire health-care team. It’s important for us to stay relevant and viable.

Why has CHEST shifted to an interdisciplinary, team-focused approach?

I look at it as simply an evolution that reflects how health care is changing. It’s a team sport now, and our advanced practice providers (APPs) play a huge role in patient management and care. To be as effective and efficient as possible, and ensure the best patient outcomes, the whole team needs to be on the same page, and we believe that providing education for the interdisciplinary care team will help ensure that the best patient care is delivered.

There’s also a need for this education, and we want to fill it. Our APPs tell us that there is no formal pulmonary training or post-masters fellowship in pulmonary medicine for them. They are often left on their own to fill any gaps in knowledge and skills. That’s where our CHEST programs, such as our CHEST Annual Meeting, come in. We have an Interprofessional NetWork made up of APPs and physicians, and they were integral in working with the CHEST 2017 Program Committee to ensure plenty of relevant content was offered. Moving forward, we will continue to offer and build interdisciplinary programs designed for the entire team, as well as programs that address clinical issues across disciplines.

What are some of the critical skills CHEST physicians need to keep the population healthy during the ever-evolving field?

Educationally, we recognize that conferences like the annual CHEST meeting must provide more than just talking heads. We’ve invested heavily in high-fidelity medical simulation through small group, hands-on skill training in critical care techniques, airway management, EBUS, critical care ultrasound, bronchoscopy, and other chest medicine content. It’s like the old adage about fishing: instead of telling people how to fish, we teach them to fish.

Any final thoughts?

I always encourage our members to get involved with CHEST and experience the camaraderie and connectivity of the CHEST family. Ask any of our leadership, and you will surely hear their story of that special person who first introduced them to the College. Reach out and tell a colleague about CHEST. We are focused on clinically relevant education that our members can take back and put into action immediately. At the end of the day, it’s about providing state-of-the-art education via high fidelity medical simulation, hands-on skills training, clinically focused courses, case-based programming, and more—all intended to be immediately implemented to improve patient care and patient outcomes. That’s what the CHEST organization is all about.

Stephen J. Welch was officially appointed Executive Vice President and CEO in April after serving as the interim for both positions since May 2016. Here’s a little “inside look” at what Steve is all about.

What is one major accomplishment you hope to achieve as Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer?

My goal as EVP/CEO is fairly simple and straightforward: to ensure the organization remains relevant and viable as a leader in providing clinically focused, innovative educational programs and content. I don’t really have one accomplishment that I’m focused on, but I do want to ensure that we achieve our annual organizational goals that support CHEST’s strategic plan. That may sound a little vague, but it’s true. We have so many outstanding programs and initiatives that I’d be doing a disservice to identify a single goal.

How does your previous experience with CHEST help you successfully lead the organization?

With CHEST being a not-for-profit organization, which relies on volunteer leadership and faculty, I think the relationships I’ve built over the past 23 years within the organization and the chest medicine community are invaluable. I personally know so many of our leadership because I’ve been part of the organization at the executive level working with them for those 23 years. They know me and how I approach opportunities, address issues, and handle challenges, which has helped build an immediate level of mutual respect, trust, and confidence between the staff and leadership. In addition, there was no disruption from having someone come in from the outside and have to get up to speed. It made the transition pretty seamless for the staff, as well.

During my time at CHEST, I’ve seen how the organization operates, from the journal, to the annual meeting and board reviews, to the simulation and hands-on skills training, to operational activities like the management of our finances and new global headquarters and training center. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet with many of our international members and sister societies. Those experiences have allowed me to work closely with many of our faculty, authors, and educators to understand their educational and professional needs, so we can ensure that we meet them.

CHEST is only as good as the education we provide, and it’s our subject matter experts who drive that content engine. In my previous role leading the Publishing Division and working on our journal CHEST® and programs like SEEK, I’ve had the honor and pleasure of working with some of the greatest minds in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. It’s humbling.
 

What will be some of the underlying themes as you work to outline the strategic plan for the next 5 years?

We are in the final stages of planning for 2018 and beyond, and although our proposed roadmap isn’t significantly different than what we have been doing, there’s some greater emphasis on a few key areas. For example, we’re looking at innovations in educational delivery. We’ve got some very forward thinking faculty educators and staff who are collaborating to develop innovations like gamification of educational and simulation programs, and augmented reality. Globalization and growth are also a key part of our strategic plan, and we are committed to the broad delivery of our educational programs and content both here and around the world. Finally, we have invested in a data analytics project that is maturing, and we’ll be leveraging that information to provide more personalized education plans – not just for the physician but for the entire health-care team. It’s important for us to stay relevant and viable.

Why has CHEST shifted to an interdisciplinary, team-focused approach?

I look at it as simply an evolution that reflects how health care is changing. It’s a team sport now, and our advanced practice providers (APPs) play a huge role in patient management and care. To be as effective and efficient as possible, and ensure the best patient outcomes, the whole team needs to be on the same page, and we believe that providing education for the interdisciplinary care team will help ensure that the best patient care is delivered.

There’s also a need for this education, and we want to fill it. Our APPs tell us that there is no formal pulmonary training or post-masters fellowship in pulmonary medicine for them. They are often left on their own to fill any gaps in knowledge and skills. That’s where our CHEST programs, such as our CHEST Annual Meeting, come in. We have an Interprofessional NetWork made up of APPs and physicians, and they were integral in working with the CHEST 2017 Program Committee to ensure plenty of relevant content was offered. Moving forward, we will continue to offer and build interdisciplinary programs designed for the entire team, as well as programs that address clinical issues across disciplines.

What are some of the critical skills CHEST physicians need to keep the population healthy during the ever-evolving field?

Educationally, we recognize that conferences like the annual CHEST meeting must provide more than just talking heads. We’ve invested heavily in high-fidelity medical simulation through small group, hands-on skill training in critical care techniques, airway management, EBUS, critical care ultrasound, bronchoscopy, and other chest medicine content. It’s like the old adage about fishing: instead of telling people how to fish, we teach them to fish.

Any final thoughts?

I always encourage our members to get involved with CHEST and experience the camaraderie and connectivity of the CHEST family. Ask any of our leadership, and you will surely hear their story of that special person who first introduced them to the College. Reach out and tell a colleague about CHEST. We are focused on clinically relevant education that our members can take back and put into action immediately. At the end of the day, it’s about providing state-of-the-art education via high fidelity medical simulation, hands-on skills training, clinically focused courses, case-based programming, and more—all intended to be immediately implemented to improve patient care and patient outcomes. That’s what the CHEST organization is all about.

Stephen J. Welch was officially appointed Executive Vice President and CEO in April after serving as the interim for both positions since May 2016. Here’s a little “inside look” at what Steve is all about.

What is one major accomplishment you hope to achieve as Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer?

My goal as EVP/CEO is fairly simple and straightforward: to ensure the organization remains relevant and viable as a leader in providing clinically focused, innovative educational programs and content. I don’t really have one accomplishment that I’m focused on, but I do want to ensure that we achieve our annual organizational goals that support CHEST’s strategic plan. That may sound a little vague, but it’s true. We have so many outstanding programs and initiatives that I’d be doing a disservice to identify a single goal.

How does your previous experience with CHEST help you successfully lead the organization?

With CHEST being a not-for-profit organization, which relies on volunteer leadership and faculty, I think the relationships I’ve built over the past 23 years within the organization and the chest medicine community are invaluable. I personally know so many of our leadership because I’ve been part of the organization at the executive level working with them for those 23 years. They know me and how I approach opportunities, address issues, and handle challenges, which has helped build an immediate level of mutual respect, trust, and confidence between the staff and leadership. In addition, there was no disruption from having someone come in from the outside and have to get up to speed. It made the transition pretty seamless for the staff, as well.

During my time at CHEST, I’ve seen how the organization operates, from the journal, to the annual meeting and board reviews, to the simulation and hands-on skills training, to operational activities like the management of our finances and new global headquarters and training center. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet with many of our international members and sister societies. Those experiences have allowed me to work closely with many of our faculty, authors, and educators to understand their educational and professional needs, so we can ensure that we meet them.

CHEST is only as good as the education we provide, and it’s our subject matter experts who drive that content engine. In my previous role leading the Publishing Division and working on our journal CHEST® and programs like SEEK, I’ve had the honor and pleasure of working with some of the greatest minds in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. It’s humbling.
 

What will be some of the underlying themes as you work to outline the strategic plan for the next 5 years?

We are in the final stages of planning for 2018 and beyond, and although our proposed roadmap isn’t significantly different than what we have been doing, there’s some greater emphasis on a few key areas. For example, we’re looking at innovations in educational delivery. We’ve got some very forward thinking faculty educators and staff who are collaborating to develop innovations like gamification of educational and simulation programs, and augmented reality. Globalization and growth are also a key part of our strategic plan, and we are committed to the broad delivery of our educational programs and content both here and around the world. Finally, we have invested in a data analytics project that is maturing, and we’ll be leveraging that information to provide more personalized education plans – not just for the physician but for the entire health-care team. It’s important for us to stay relevant and viable.

Why has CHEST shifted to an interdisciplinary, team-focused approach?

I look at it as simply an evolution that reflects how health care is changing. It’s a team sport now, and our advanced practice providers (APPs) play a huge role in patient management and care. To be as effective and efficient as possible, and ensure the best patient outcomes, the whole team needs to be on the same page, and we believe that providing education for the interdisciplinary care team will help ensure that the best patient care is delivered.

There’s also a need for this education, and we want to fill it. Our APPs tell us that there is no formal pulmonary training or post-masters fellowship in pulmonary medicine for them. They are often left on their own to fill any gaps in knowledge and skills. That’s where our CHEST programs, such as our CHEST Annual Meeting, come in. We have an Interprofessional NetWork made up of APPs and physicians, and they were integral in working with the CHEST 2017 Program Committee to ensure plenty of relevant content was offered. Moving forward, we will continue to offer and build interdisciplinary programs designed for the entire team, as well as programs that address clinical issues across disciplines.

What are some of the critical skills CHEST physicians need to keep the population healthy during the ever-evolving field?

Educationally, we recognize that conferences like the annual CHEST meeting must provide more than just talking heads. We’ve invested heavily in high-fidelity medical simulation through small group, hands-on skill training in critical care techniques, airway management, EBUS, critical care ultrasound, bronchoscopy, and other chest medicine content. It’s like the old adage about fishing: instead of telling people how to fish, we teach them to fish.

Any final thoughts?

I always encourage our members to get involved with CHEST and experience the camaraderie and connectivity of the CHEST family. Ask any of our leadership, and you will surely hear their story of that special person who first introduced them to the College. Reach out and tell a colleague about CHEST. We are focused on clinically relevant education that our members can take back and put into action immediately. At the end of the day, it’s about providing state-of-the-art education via high fidelity medical simulation, hands-on skills training, clinically focused courses, case-based programming, and more—all intended to be immediately implemented to improve patient care and patient outcomes. That’s what the CHEST organization is all about.

Original Research

Burden of Adult Community-Acquired, Health-care-Associated, Hospital-Acquired, and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: New York City, 2010 to 2014. By R. E. Corrado, et al.

Evidence-Based Medicine

Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Treatment for Acute Cough Associated With the Common Cold: CHEST Expert Panel Report. By M. A. Malesker, et al, on behalf of the CHEST Expert Cough Panel.

Cough in Ambulatory Immunocompromised Adults: CHEST Expert Panel Report. By M. J. Rosen, et al, on behalf of the CHEST Expert Cough Panel.

Original Research

Burden of Adult Community-Acquired, Health-care-Associated, Hospital-Acquired, and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: New York City, 2010 to 2014. By R. E. Corrado, et al.

Evidence-Based Medicine

Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Treatment for Acute Cough Associated With the Common Cold: CHEST Expert Panel Report. By M. A. Malesker, et al, on behalf of the CHEST Expert Cough Panel.

Cough in Ambulatory Immunocompromised Adults: CHEST Expert Panel Report. By M. J. Rosen, et al, on behalf of the CHEST Expert Cough Panel.

Original Research

Burden of Adult Community-Acquired, Health-care-Associated, Hospital-Acquired, and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: New York City, 2010 to 2014. By R. E. Corrado, et al.

Evidence-Based Medicine

Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Treatment for Acute Cough Associated With the Common Cold: CHEST Expert Panel Report. By M. A. Malesker, et al, on behalf of the CHEST Expert Cough Panel.

Cough in Ambulatory Immunocompromised Adults: CHEST Expert Panel Report. By M. J. Rosen, et al, on behalf of the CHEST Expert Cough Panel.