Society News

AGA has advocated for provisions to protect our providers and businesses and we’re happy to report that the following provisions are in the third installation of the COVID-19 economic relief legislation.

We’ll continue to push for direct funding for physicians recognizing that many practices and ASCs are struggling.
 

Small business relief

• Small Business Administration (SBA) loans:

Businesses with 500 employees or less are eligible unless the covered industry’s SBA size standard allows more than 500 employees.

Allows 501(c)(3) non-profits to gain access to the program.

Increases the maximum loan amount to $10 million.

Expands allowable uses of loans to include payroll support, such as:

1. Paid sick or medical leave.

2. Employee salaries.

3. Mortgage payments.

Provides a process for loan forgiveness for certain payroll costs as well as mortgage, rent and utility obligations.

• Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund:

$100 billion for health care services related to the COVID-19.

Reimbursement to eligible health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to the pandemic.

• Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act:

$454 billion for loans, loan guarantees and other investments for companies with losses tied to the pandemic that threaten continued operation.
 

Medicare provisions

• Suspension of sequestration – Physicians avoid a 2% cut in their Medicare reimbursement.
• Extension of geographic index floor – Increases Medicare payments for providers in nonurban areas.
• Increased Medicare telehealth flexibilities during the emergency period.
• AGA will continue to advocate for audio-only coverage as this issue is still not resolved.

Other key health care provisions

• Liability protections for health care professionals during the emergency response.
• Coverage of preventive services and vaccines.
• $16 billion to replenish the Strategic National Stockpile.
• $1 billion for the Defense Production Act to ensure production of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Correspondence to congressional leadership

• March 25, 2020 – With the American Medical Association, a letter is sent requesting the inclusion of support for physician practices in any economic stimulus package.
• March 24, 2020 – With the Alliance of Specialty Medicine, a letter is sent asking for relief for independent physicians’ offices.
• March 20, 2020 – A joint society letter is sent asking for increased funding for and access to PPE; softened prior authorization, telehealth reimbursement and Medicare reporting requirements; and financial safeguards for health care professionals and practices.

[email protected]

AGA has advocated for provisions to protect our providers and businesses and we’re happy to report that the following provisions are in the third installation of the COVID-19 economic relief legislation.

We’ll continue to push for direct funding for physicians recognizing that many practices and ASCs are struggling.
 

Small business relief

• Small Business Administration (SBA) loans:

Businesses with 500 employees or less are eligible unless the covered industry’s SBA size standard allows more than 500 employees.

Allows 501(c)(3) non-profits to gain access to the program.

Increases the maximum loan amount to $10 million.

Expands allowable uses of loans to include payroll support, such as:

1. Paid sick or medical leave.

2. Employee salaries.

3. Mortgage payments.

Provides a process for loan forgiveness for certain payroll costs as well as mortgage, rent and utility obligations.

• Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund:

$100 billion for health care services related to the COVID-19.

Reimbursement to eligible health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to the pandemic.

• Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act:

$454 billion for loans, loan guarantees and other investments for companies with losses tied to the pandemic that threaten continued operation.
 

Medicare provisions

• Suspension of sequestration – Physicians avoid a 2% cut in their Medicare reimbursement.
• Extension of geographic index floor – Increases Medicare payments for providers in nonurban areas.
• Increased Medicare telehealth flexibilities during the emergency period.
• AGA will continue to advocate for audio-only coverage as this issue is still not resolved.

Other key health care provisions

• Liability protections for health care professionals during the emergency response.
• Coverage of preventive services and vaccines.
• $16 billion to replenish the Strategic National Stockpile.
• $1 billion for the Defense Production Act to ensure production of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Correspondence to congressional leadership

• March 25, 2020 – With the American Medical Association, a letter is sent requesting the inclusion of support for physician practices in any economic stimulus package.
• March 24, 2020 – With the Alliance of Specialty Medicine, a letter is sent asking for relief for independent physicians’ offices.
• March 20, 2020 – A joint society letter is sent asking for increased funding for and access to PPE; softened prior authorization, telehealth reimbursement and Medicare reporting requirements; and financial safeguards for health care professionals and practices.

[email protected]

AGA has advocated for provisions to protect our providers and businesses and we’re happy to report that the following provisions are in the third installation of the COVID-19 economic relief legislation.

We’ll continue to push for direct funding for physicians recognizing that many practices and ASCs are struggling.
 

Small business relief

• Small Business Administration (SBA) loans:

Businesses with 500 employees or less are eligible unless the covered industry’s SBA size standard allows more than 500 employees.

Allows 501(c)(3) non-profits to gain access to the program.

Increases the maximum loan amount to $10 million.

Expands allowable uses of loans to include payroll support, such as:

1. Paid sick or medical leave.

2. Employee salaries.

3. Mortgage payments.

Provides a process for loan forgiveness for certain payroll costs as well as mortgage, rent and utility obligations.

• Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund:

$100 billion for health care services related to the COVID-19.

Reimbursement to eligible health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to the pandemic.

• Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act:

$454 billion for loans, loan guarantees and other investments for companies with losses tied to the pandemic that threaten continued operation.
 

Medicare provisions

• Suspension of sequestration – Physicians avoid a 2% cut in their Medicare reimbursement.
• Extension of geographic index floor – Increases Medicare payments for providers in nonurban areas.
• Increased Medicare telehealth flexibilities during the emergency period.
• AGA will continue to advocate for audio-only coverage as this issue is still not resolved.

Other key health care provisions

• Liability protections for health care professionals during the emergency response.
• Coverage of preventive services and vaccines.
• $16 billion to replenish the Strategic National Stockpile.
• $1 billion for the Defense Production Act to ensure production of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Correspondence to congressional leadership

• March 25, 2020 – With the American Medical Association, a letter is sent requesting the inclusion of support for physician practices in any economic stimulus package.
• March 24, 2020 – With the Alliance of Specialty Medicine, a letter is sent asking for relief for independent physicians’ offices.
• March 20, 2020 – A joint society letter is sent asking for increased funding for and access to PPE; softened prior authorization, telehealth reimbursement and Medicare reporting requirements; and financial safeguards for health care professionals and practices.

[email protected]

As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense strain on global health systems. With our membership at the epicenter, many of you have experienced firsthand the shortages that result from a surging patient population – lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), access to ventilators, and increasing demand for more qualified health-care workers needed on the front lines to treat and care for patients. As the staff leader of your organization, I feel an immense responsibility to support our community through this crisis.

In recent weeks, CHEST petitioned the federal and local governments on several issues, advocating for tax relief for COVID responders, expansion of liability protections, and the development of a provider relief fund. We will continue to collaborate with other societies and push such efforts. However, we also recognize an obligation to make a more tangible, real-time difference in the circumstances of our membership and the lives of the patients you are working to save.

An opportunity arose when we received a call from Dr. Doreen Addrizzo-Harris, Immediate Past President of the CHEST Foundation and Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone Health. In late March, New York City was seeing an uptick in patients with confirmed COVID infection in critical condition that was escalating by the day. The situation was beginning to resemble the trajectory of hotspots in Wuhan, China and Italy, and it was already taking a toll on health-care teams. Dr. Adrizzo-Harris asked whether there was any way to leverage the strength of the CHEST community to provide help. Already, our headquarters team had received unsolicited offers to travel to areas in need from our members. The question was how could we more proactively identify such willing and able clinicians.

We quickly drew upon our existing CHEST Analytics platform to target physicians outside New York City who might be well-positioned to travel. We harnessed our communication channels to get the word out. The response was immediate, with more than 100 people completing applications to join forces with their colleagues in New York. In the first 10 days of recruitment efforts, we added an additional 250 interested volunteers to the system. The positive response from members showed both the willingness of qualified medical staff to assist on the front lines but also highlighted deficiencies in other registration systems overwhelmed with requests in the face of this pandemic. Finding certified pulmonary and critical care physicians who are willing to step in where they are needed is time- and labor-intensive and detracts from health systems’ ability to focus on care. Watching the projections in other regions, we recognized other areas may soon need this same help.

With this in mind, CHEST approached ATS and our long-time partner PA Consulting to help us address the problem on a national scale. We felt we had the resources to leverage our databases and our analytic tools to create a more efficient process that would put physicians in hospitals where they could do the most good more efficiently. We knew that if we could apply our knowledge and deploy our heroic members, we could develop a solution that could save lives and relieve frontline clinicians. By leveraging the existing CHEST Analytics platform, the team created a solution that can be used by provider institutions, government agencies, and willing clinicians to quickly and effectively provide care where it is needed most. The team has engineered the solution to be scalable nationally and expandable to other critical care specialties (eg, anesthesia, emergency, nursing, respiratory therapy).

The Clinician Matching Network formally launched on April 14, 2020. It provides a two-way input that accepts sign up from individual clinicians and gathers needs and requirements from hospital systems, connecting health-care providers with the systems most in need of the specific support they are equipped to provide. We believe this has the potential to enable us to move ahead of the curve of the crisis.

I am very proud of the teams that lead this effort and have gained a greater appreciation of how CHEST, in partnership with other medical societies, can fully utilize data and analytics toward implementing public health solutions. The design and development of the Clinician Matching Network was accomplished in less than a week, leveraging a methodology that will enable the team to continuously improve and iterate through weekly releases, adding functionality quickly as the pandemic evolves.

In the weeks ahead, communications will be distributed to hospitals and hospital systems to help identify their staffing needs, encourage them to input their needs into the Clinician Matching Network, and expand the clinician-to-hospital matching effort. We aim to increase the number of collaborationg associations to grow the pool of clinicians who can be deployed to areas in need.

Please visit www.chestnet.org/clinician-matching to learn more, sign up to serve, tell us about the needs of your institution, or collaborate toward this cause.

As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense strain on global health systems. With our membership at the epicenter, many of you have experienced firsthand the shortages that result from a surging patient population – lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), access to ventilators, and increasing demand for more qualified health-care workers needed on the front lines to treat and care for patients. As the staff leader of your organization, I feel an immense responsibility to support our community through this crisis.

In recent weeks, CHEST petitioned the federal and local governments on several issues, advocating for tax relief for COVID responders, expansion of liability protections, and the development of a provider relief fund. We will continue to collaborate with other societies and push such efforts. However, we also recognize an obligation to make a more tangible, real-time difference in the circumstances of our membership and the lives of the patients you are working to save.

An opportunity arose when we received a call from Dr. Doreen Addrizzo-Harris, Immediate Past President of the CHEST Foundation and Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone Health. In late March, New York City was seeing an uptick in patients with confirmed COVID infection in critical condition that was escalating by the day. The situation was beginning to resemble the trajectory of hotspots in Wuhan, China and Italy, and it was already taking a toll on health-care teams. Dr. Adrizzo-Harris asked whether there was any way to leverage the strength of the CHEST community to provide help. Already, our headquarters team had received unsolicited offers to travel to areas in need from our members. The question was how could we more proactively identify such willing and able clinicians.

We quickly drew upon our existing CHEST Analytics platform to target physicians outside New York City who might be well-positioned to travel. We harnessed our communication channels to get the word out. The response was immediate, with more than 100 people completing applications to join forces with their colleagues in New York. In the first 10 days of recruitment efforts, we added an additional 250 interested volunteers to the system. The positive response from members showed both the willingness of qualified medical staff to assist on the front lines but also highlighted deficiencies in other registration systems overwhelmed with requests in the face of this pandemic. Finding certified pulmonary and critical care physicians who are willing to step in where they are needed is time- and labor-intensive and detracts from health systems’ ability to focus on care. Watching the projections in other regions, we recognized other areas may soon need this same help.

With this in mind, CHEST approached ATS and our long-time partner PA Consulting to help us address the problem on a national scale. We felt we had the resources to leverage our databases and our analytic tools to create a more efficient process that would put physicians in hospitals where they could do the most good more efficiently. We knew that if we could apply our knowledge and deploy our heroic members, we could develop a solution that could save lives and relieve frontline clinicians. By leveraging the existing CHEST Analytics platform, the team created a solution that can be used by provider institutions, government agencies, and willing clinicians to quickly and effectively provide care where it is needed most. The team has engineered the solution to be scalable nationally and expandable to other critical care specialties (eg, anesthesia, emergency, nursing, respiratory therapy).

The Clinician Matching Network formally launched on April 14, 2020. It provides a two-way input that accepts sign up from individual clinicians and gathers needs and requirements from hospital systems, connecting health-care providers with the systems most in need of the specific support they are equipped to provide. We believe this has the potential to enable us to move ahead of the curve of the crisis.

I am very proud of the teams that lead this effort and have gained a greater appreciation of how CHEST, in partnership with other medical societies, can fully utilize data and analytics toward implementing public health solutions. The design and development of the Clinician Matching Network was accomplished in less than a week, leveraging a methodology that will enable the team to continuously improve and iterate through weekly releases, adding functionality quickly as the pandemic evolves.

In the weeks ahead, communications will be distributed to hospitals and hospital systems to help identify their staffing needs, encourage them to input their needs into the Clinician Matching Network, and expand the clinician-to-hospital matching effort. We aim to increase the number of collaborationg associations to grow the pool of clinicians who can be deployed to areas in need.

Please visit www.chestnet.org/clinician-matching to learn more, sign up to serve, tell us about the needs of your institution, or collaborate toward this cause.

As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense strain on global health systems. With our membership at the epicenter, many of you have experienced firsthand the shortages that result from a surging patient population – lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), access to ventilators, and increasing demand for more qualified health-care workers needed on the front lines to treat and care for patients. As the staff leader of your organization, I feel an immense responsibility to support our community through this crisis.

In recent weeks, CHEST petitioned the federal and local governments on several issues, advocating for tax relief for COVID responders, expansion of liability protections, and the development of a provider relief fund. We will continue to collaborate with other societies and push such efforts. However, we also recognize an obligation to make a more tangible, real-time difference in the circumstances of our membership and the lives of the patients you are working to save.

An opportunity arose when we received a call from Dr. Doreen Addrizzo-Harris, Immediate Past President of the CHEST Foundation and Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone Health. In late March, New York City was seeing an uptick in patients with confirmed COVID infection in critical condition that was escalating by the day. The situation was beginning to resemble the trajectory of hotspots in Wuhan, China and Italy, and it was already taking a toll on health-care teams. Dr. Adrizzo-Harris asked whether there was any way to leverage the strength of the CHEST community to provide help. Already, our headquarters team had received unsolicited offers to travel to areas in need from our members. The question was how could we more proactively identify such willing and able clinicians.

We quickly drew upon our existing CHEST Analytics platform to target physicians outside New York City who might be well-positioned to travel. We harnessed our communication channels to get the word out. The response was immediate, with more than 100 people completing applications to join forces with their colleagues in New York. In the first 10 days of recruitment efforts, we added an additional 250 interested volunteers to the system. The positive response from members showed both the willingness of qualified medical staff to assist on the front lines but also highlighted deficiencies in other registration systems overwhelmed with requests in the face of this pandemic. Finding certified pulmonary and critical care physicians who are willing to step in where they are needed is time- and labor-intensive and detracts from health systems’ ability to focus on care. Watching the projections in other regions, we recognized other areas may soon need this same help.

With this in mind, CHEST approached ATS and our long-time partner PA Consulting to help us address the problem on a national scale. We felt we had the resources to leverage our databases and our analytic tools to create a more efficient process that would put physicians in hospitals where they could do the most good more efficiently. We knew that if we could apply our knowledge and deploy our heroic members, we could develop a solution that could save lives and relieve frontline clinicians. By leveraging the existing CHEST Analytics platform, the team created a solution that can be used by provider institutions, government agencies, and willing clinicians to quickly and effectively provide care where it is needed most. The team has engineered the solution to be scalable nationally and expandable to other critical care specialties (eg, anesthesia, emergency, nursing, respiratory therapy).

The Clinician Matching Network formally launched on April 14, 2020. It provides a two-way input that accepts sign up from individual clinicians and gathers needs and requirements from hospital systems, connecting health-care providers with the systems most in need of the specific support they are equipped to provide. We believe this has the potential to enable us to move ahead of the curve of the crisis.

I am very proud of the teams that lead this effort and have gained a greater appreciation of how CHEST, in partnership with other medical societies, can fully utilize data and analytics toward implementing public health solutions. The design and development of the Clinician Matching Network was accomplished in less than a week, leveraging a methodology that will enable the team to continuously improve and iterate through weekly releases, adding functionality quickly as the pandemic evolves.

In the weeks ahead, communications will be distributed to hospitals and hospital systems to help identify their staffing needs, encourage them to input their needs into the Clinician Matching Network, and expand the clinician-to-hospital matching effort. We aim to increase the number of collaborationg associations to grow the pool of clinicians who can be deployed to areas in need.

Please visit www.chestnet.org/clinician-matching to learn more, sign up to serve, tell us about the needs of your institution, or collaborate toward this cause.

Dear colleagues,

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every facet of society, bringing almost unprecedented challenges to our world, and especially to our world of health care.

But our profession has been ignited in the way only a crisis can spark. Many of you are working on the front lines of patient care, at personal risk, lacking sufficient information and adequate resources. This is heroic work.

AGA’s priority during this time of disruption is to get practical guidance into your hands to help you treat patients, and protect yourselves and your coworkers. We’re also advocating on your behalf to get the resources you need and economic relief necessitated by the measures taken to fight the pandemic.

We are continually updating our COVID-19 website, www.gastro.org/covid. Check it for the latest clinical guidance, practice management information, and advocacy initiatives.

Our journals have started a collection of submissions related to COVID-19. Your AGA colleagues on the Clinical Guidelines Committee and Clinical Practice Updates Committee have been hard at work developing guidance for questions that you have asked us on Twitter, @AmerGastroAssn and the AGA Community. So join us there where resources and insights are being shared in real time.

Your commitment to our patients is a testament to your professionalism. Our commitment at AGA is to support you.

We’ll get through this together.
 

Hashem B. El-Serag, MD, MPH, AGAF
President, AGA Institute

Dear colleagues,

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every facet of society, bringing almost unprecedented challenges to our world, and especially to our world of health care.

But our profession has been ignited in the way only a crisis can spark. Many of you are working on the front lines of patient care, at personal risk, lacking sufficient information and adequate resources. This is heroic work.

AGA’s priority during this time of disruption is to get practical guidance into your hands to help you treat patients, and protect yourselves and your coworkers. We’re also advocating on your behalf to get the resources you need and economic relief necessitated by the measures taken to fight the pandemic.

We are continually updating our COVID-19 website, www.gastro.org/covid. Check it for the latest clinical guidance, practice management information, and advocacy initiatives.

Our journals have started a collection of submissions related to COVID-19. Your AGA colleagues on the Clinical Guidelines Committee and Clinical Practice Updates Committee have been hard at work developing guidance for questions that you have asked us on Twitter, @AmerGastroAssn and the AGA Community. So join us there where resources and insights are being shared in real time.

Your commitment to our patients is a testament to your professionalism. Our commitment at AGA is to support you.

We’ll get through this together.
 

Hashem B. El-Serag, MD, MPH, AGAF
President, AGA Institute

Dear colleagues,

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every facet of society, bringing almost unprecedented challenges to our world, and especially to our world of health care.

But our profession has been ignited in the way only a crisis can spark. Many of you are working on the front lines of patient care, at personal risk, lacking sufficient information and adequate resources. This is heroic work.

AGA’s priority during this time of disruption is to get practical guidance into your hands to help you treat patients, and protect yourselves and your coworkers. We’re also advocating on your behalf to get the resources you need and economic relief necessitated by the measures taken to fight the pandemic.

We are continually updating our COVID-19 website, www.gastro.org/covid. Check it for the latest clinical guidance, practice management information, and advocacy initiatives.

Our journals have started a collection of submissions related to COVID-19. Your AGA colleagues on the Clinical Guidelines Committee and Clinical Practice Updates Committee have been hard at work developing guidance for questions that you have asked us on Twitter, @AmerGastroAssn and the AGA Community. So join us there where resources and insights are being shared in real time.

Your commitment to our patients is a testament to your professionalism. Our commitment at AGA is to support you.

We’ll get through this together.
 

Hashem B. El-Serag, MD, MPH, AGAF
President, AGA Institute

Based on a review of available evidence, we have published guidance for clinicians in gastroenterology: AGA Institute Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic. AGA recommends increasing personal protective equipment (PPE) during all GI procedures during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as triaging procedures following a decision-making framework outlined in the recommendations document.

Review this guidance, as well as the latest AGA resources and information on coronavirus, at www.gastro.org/COVID.
 

Masks

1. In health care workers performing upper GI procedures, regardless of COVID-19 status,* AGA recommends use of N95 (or N99 or PAPR) instead of surgical masks, as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, moderate certainty of evidence)

2. In health care workers performing lower GI procedures regardless of COVID-19 status,* AGA recommends the use of N95 (or N99 or PAPR) masks instead of surgical masks as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, low certainty of evidence)

3. In health care workers performing upper GI procedures, in known or presumptive COVID-19 patients, AGA recommends against the use of surgical masks only, as part of adequate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, low certainty of evidence)
 

Limited resource settings

4. In extreme resource-constrained settings involving health care workers performing any GI procedures, regardless of COVID-19 status,* AGA suggests extended use/re-use of N95 masks over surgical masks, as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Conditional recommendation, very low certainty evidence)
 

Gloves

5. In health care workers performing any GI procedure, regardless of COVID-19 status, AGA recommends the use of double gloves compared with single gloves as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, moderate certainty of evidence)
 

Negative pressure rooms

6. In health care workers performing any GI procedures with known or presumptive COVID-19, AGA suggests the use of negative pressure rooms over regular endoscopy rooms when available. (Conditional recommendation, very low certainty of evidence)
 

Endoscopic disinfection

7. For endoscopes utilized on patients regardless of COVID-status, AGA recommends continuing standard cleaning endoscopic disinfection and reprocessing protocols. (Good practice statement)
 

Triage

8. All procedures should be reviewed by trained medical personnel and categorized as time-sensitive or not time-sensitive as a framework for triaging procedures. (Good practice statement)

9. In an open access endoscopy system where the listed indication alone may provide insufficient information to make a determination about the time-sensitive nature of the procedure, consideration should be given for the following options (i) a telephone consultation with the referring provider or (ii) a telehealth visit with the patient or (iii) a multidisciplinary team approach to facilitate decision-making for complicated patients. (Good practice statement)


*These recommendations assume the absence of widespread reliable rapid testing for the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection or immunity

For a detailed discussion, review the full publication in Gastroenterology.

This rapid recommendation document was commissioned and approved by the AGA Institute Clinical Guidelines Committee, AGA Institute Clinical Practice Updates Committee, and the AGA Governing Board to provide timely, methodologically rigorous guidance on a topic of high clinical importance to the AGA membership and the public. Our goal is to protect health care providers and patients from coronavirus during GI procedures.
 

[email protected]

Based on a review of available evidence, we have published guidance for clinicians in gastroenterology: AGA Institute Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic. AGA recommends increasing personal protective equipment (PPE) during all GI procedures during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as triaging procedures following a decision-making framework outlined in the recommendations document.

Review this guidance, as well as the latest AGA resources and information on coronavirus, at www.gastro.org/COVID.
 

Masks

1. In health care workers performing upper GI procedures, regardless of COVID-19 status,* AGA recommends use of N95 (or N99 or PAPR) instead of surgical masks, as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, moderate certainty of evidence)

2. In health care workers performing lower GI procedures regardless of COVID-19 status,* AGA recommends the use of N95 (or N99 or PAPR) masks instead of surgical masks as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, low certainty of evidence)

3. In health care workers performing upper GI procedures, in known or presumptive COVID-19 patients, AGA recommends against the use of surgical masks only, as part of adequate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, low certainty of evidence)
 

Limited resource settings

4. In extreme resource-constrained settings involving health care workers performing any GI procedures, regardless of COVID-19 status,* AGA suggests extended use/re-use of N95 masks over surgical masks, as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Conditional recommendation, very low certainty evidence)
 

Gloves

5. In health care workers performing any GI procedure, regardless of COVID-19 status, AGA recommends the use of double gloves compared with single gloves as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, moderate certainty of evidence)
 

Negative pressure rooms

6. In health care workers performing any GI procedures with known or presumptive COVID-19, AGA suggests the use of negative pressure rooms over regular endoscopy rooms when available. (Conditional recommendation, very low certainty of evidence)
 

Endoscopic disinfection

7. For endoscopes utilized on patients regardless of COVID-status, AGA recommends continuing standard cleaning endoscopic disinfection and reprocessing protocols. (Good practice statement)
 

Triage

8. All procedures should be reviewed by trained medical personnel and categorized as time-sensitive or not time-sensitive as a framework for triaging procedures. (Good practice statement)

9. In an open access endoscopy system where the listed indication alone may provide insufficient information to make a determination about the time-sensitive nature of the procedure, consideration should be given for the following options (i) a telephone consultation with the referring provider or (ii) a telehealth visit with the patient or (iii) a multidisciplinary team approach to facilitate decision-making for complicated patients. (Good practice statement)


*These recommendations assume the absence of widespread reliable rapid testing for the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection or immunity

For a detailed discussion, review the full publication in Gastroenterology.

This rapid recommendation document was commissioned and approved by the AGA Institute Clinical Guidelines Committee, AGA Institute Clinical Practice Updates Committee, and the AGA Governing Board to provide timely, methodologically rigorous guidance on a topic of high clinical importance to the AGA membership and the public. Our goal is to protect health care providers and patients from coronavirus during GI procedures.
 

[email protected]

Based on a review of available evidence, we have published guidance for clinicians in gastroenterology: AGA Institute Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic. AGA recommends increasing personal protective equipment (PPE) during all GI procedures during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as triaging procedures following a decision-making framework outlined in the recommendations document.

Review this guidance, as well as the latest AGA resources and information on coronavirus, at www.gastro.org/COVID.
 

Masks

1. In health care workers performing upper GI procedures, regardless of COVID-19 status,* AGA recommends use of N95 (or N99 or PAPR) instead of surgical masks, as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, moderate certainty of evidence)

2. In health care workers performing lower GI procedures regardless of COVID-19 status,* AGA recommends the use of N95 (or N99 or PAPR) masks instead of surgical masks as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, low certainty of evidence)

3. In health care workers performing upper GI procedures, in known or presumptive COVID-19 patients, AGA recommends against the use of surgical masks only, as part of adequate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, low certainty of evidence)
 

Limited resource settings

4. In extreme resource-constrained settings involving health care workers performing any GI procedures, regardless of COVID-19 status,* AGA suggests extended use/re-use of N95 masks over surgical masks, as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Conditional recommendation, very low certainty evidence)
 

Gloves

5. In health care workers performing any GI procedure, regardless of COVID-19 status, AGA recommends the use of double gloves compared with single gloves as part of appropriate personal protective equipment. (Strong recommendation, moderate certainty of evidence)
 

Negative pressure rooms

6. In health care workers performing any GI procedures with known or presumptive COVID-19, AGA suggests the use of negative pressure rooms over regular endoscopy rooms when available. (Conditional recommendation, very low certainty of evidence)
 

Endoscopic disinfection

7. For endoscopes utilized on patients regardless of COVID-status, AGA recommends continuing standard cleaning endoscopic disinfection and reprocessing protocols. (Good practice statement)
 

Triage

8. All procedures should be reviewed by trained medical personnel and categorized as time-sensitive or not time-sensitive as a framework for triaging procedures. (Good practice statement)

9. In an open access endoscopy system where the listed indication alone may provide insufficient information to make a determination about the time-sensitive nature of the procedure, consideration should be given for the following options (i) a telephone consultation with the referring provider or (ii) a telehealth visit with the patient or (iii) a multidisciplinary team approach to facilitate decision-making for complicated patients. (Good practice statement)


*These recommendations assume the absence of widespread reliable rapid testing for the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection or immunity

For a detailed discussion, review the full publication in Gastroenterology.

This rapid recommendation document was commissioned and approved by the AGA Institute Clinical Guidelines Committee, AGA Institute Clinical Practice Updates Committee, and the AGA Governing Board to provide timely, methodologically rigorous guidance on a topic of high clinical importance to the AGA membership and the public. Our goal is to protect health care providers and patients from coronavirus during GI procedures.
 

[email protected]

Physicians with difficult patient scenarios regularly bring their questions to the AGA Community to seek advice from colleagues about therapy and disease management options, best practices, and diagnoses.

Here are some recent discussions addressing clinical concerns and issues arising from the COVID-19 epidemic:

eQ&A on recommendations for GI procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic – Join guideline authors in discussing AGA Institute Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic, published in Gastroenterology.



1. IBD patients and COVID-19 – To allow for timely dissemination throughout the IBD and international gastroenterology communities, members are sharing important updates regarding COVID-19 and IBD management.



2. Medicare COVID-19 changes and telehealth reimbursement – Share your experiences and difficulties using telehealth platforms like Skype and facetime to connect with Medicare beneficiaries during the coronavirus epidemic.



3. Anesthesia options for in-patient endoscopy – Colleagues examine whether intubation is the best approach for EGDs to minimize COVID-19 transmission risk.



Access these and more discussions at https://community.gastro.org/discussions.

Physicians with difficult patient scenarios regularly bring their questions to the AGA Community to seek advice from colleagues about therapy and disease management options, best practices, and diagnoses.

Here are some recent discussions addressing clinical concerns and issues arising from the COVID-19 epidemic:

eQ&A on recommendations for GI procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic – Join guideline authors in discussing AGA Institute Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic, published in Gastroenterology.



1. IBD patients and COVID-19 – To allow for timely dissemination throughout the IBD and international gastroenterology communities, members are sharing important updates regarding COVID-19 and IBD management.



2. Medicare COVID-19 changes and telehealth reimbursement – Share your experiences and difficulties using telehealth platforms like Skype and facetime to connect with Medicare beneficiaries during the coronavirus epidemic.



3. Anesthesia options for in-patient endoscopy – Colleagues examine whether intubation is the best approach for EGDs to minimize COVID-19 transmission risk.



Access these and more discussions at https://community.gastro.org/discussions.

Physicians with difficult patient scenarios regularly bring their questions to the AGA Community to seek advice from colleagues about therapy and disease management options, best practices, and diagnoses.

Here are some recent discussions addressing clinical concerns and issues arising from the COVID-19 epidemic:

eQ&A on recommendations for GI procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic – Join guideline authors in discussing AGA Institute Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic, published in Gastroenterology.



1. IBD patients and COVID-19 – To allow for timely dissemination throughout the IBD and international gastroenterology communities, members are sharing important updates regarding COVID-19 and IBD management.



2. Medicare COVID-19 changes and telehealth reimbursement – Share your experiences and difficulties using telehealth platforms like Skype and facetime to connect with Medicare beneficiaries during the coronavirus epidemic.



3. Anesthesia options for in-patient endoscopy – Colleagues examine whether intubation is the best approach for EGDs to minimize COVID-19 transmission risk.



Access these and more discussions at https://community.gastro.org/discussions.

Coronavirus 101 for gastroenterologists

Now in AGA University: Gain a clear understanding of the lifespan and gastrointestinal manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 and best practices for protecting yourself while working with at-risk patients. http://agau.gastro.org/diweb/catalog/item/eid/COVID-19

Get the latest information and resources on coronavirus by visiting www.gastro.org/COVID.

A message from our president to the GI community

“Our commitment at AGA is to support you. We’ll get through this together,” says AGA President Hashem El-Serag, MD, MPH, AGAF.

Dear colleagues,

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every facet of society, bringing almost unprecedented challenges to our world, and especially to our world of health care.

But our profession has been ignited in the way only a crisis can spark. Many of you are working on the front lines of patient care, at personal risk, lacking sufficient information and adequate resources. This is heroic work.

AGA’s priority during this time of disruption is to get practical guidance into your hands to help you treat patients, and protect yourselves and your coworkers. We’re also advocating on your behalf to get the resources you need and economic relief necessitated by the measures taken to fight the pandemic.

We are continually updating our COVID-19 website, www.gastro.org/covid. Check it for the latest clinical guidance, practice management information, and advocacy initiatives.

Our journals have started a collection of submissions related to COVID-19. Your AGA colleagues on the Clinical Guidelines Committee and Clinical Practice Updates Committee have been hard at work developing guidance for questions that you have asked us on Twitter, @AmerGastroAssn, and the AGA Community. So join us there where resources and insights are being shared in real time.

Your commitment to our patients is a testament to your professionalism. Our commitment at AGA is to support you.

We’ll get through this together.

Hashem B. El-Serag, MD, MPH, AGAF
President, AGA Institute

AGA selects two new social media editors

Congratulations to our new social media editors, Mindy Engevik, PhD, and Sultan Mahmood, MD.

Both editors will have the opportunity to positively impact AGA journal engagement by increasing the dissemination of each of the AGA publications’ content across their social media platforms. Dr. Engevik will focus on basic and translational science research and Dr. Mahmood will focus on clinical research. They will be sharing noteworthy research and news across AGA’s diverse publication portfolio, which includes Gastroenterology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Techniques and Innovations in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, GI & Hepatology News, and the New Gastroenterologist.
 

Melinda Engevik, PhD
@MicroMindy

Dr. Engevik is an instructor at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, in the department of pathology and immunology. She has a PhD in systems biology and physiology from the University of Cincinnati and completed her postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine. Her research focuses on microbe-epithelial interactions in the gastrointestinal tract, with a particular focus on infection and inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Engevik currently serves as an AGA Young Delegate and enjoys her involvement in the GI community.

Sultan Mahmood, MD
@SultanMahmoodMD

Dr. Mahmood finished his medical school in King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan. He did his internal medicine residency as well as GI fellowship training in University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, where he also served as the chief fellow from 2017 to 2018. He is the cofounder of @GIjournal, which is a weekly GI journal club on Twitter. He is currently an assistant professor in the department of medicine, division of gastroenterology, at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.). He also serves the role of coprogram director of the GI fellowship program in University at Buffalo. His research interests include medical education, work-life balance, quality improvement in the endoscopy suite, and cold snare.

The journals’ board of editors and editorial staff congratulate the new social media editors and are excited to work with them over the next 3 years.
 

Diversify GI: Fola May

We’re celebrating diversity in our field with a new series spotlighting members of the AGA Diversity Committee and AGA FORWARD Program.

The University of California, Los Angeles, Women’s Basketball Program recognized AGA FORWARD Scholar Fola May, MD, PhD, MPhil, for exemplifying their values of being “uncommon” and going above and beyond.

You’ll find proof she meets these criteria through extracurriculars like her participation in the AGA FORWARD program – a National Institute of Health–funded initiative that supports underrepresented minority physician scientists – and as a GI patient advocate on Capitol Hill.

Dr. May’s unconventional career path is also testament to her ability to color outside the lines while creating a masterpiece.

“Realizing late in my training that I wanted a career in research, I joined the STAR program at UCLA which allowed me to complete a PhD in health policy and management [a health services research degree] during my GI fellowship. With this training, I have been able to pursue a career in research and clinical care far beyond what I ever imagined.”

But she noticed a void along her career path that she couldn’t fill on her own: limited access to diverse research leaders in the field who can serve as her mentors, supporters, and advocators.

“Though I have a wonderful mentorship team that has been instrumental to my success thus far, there are currently no senior health services researchers in gastroenterology or gastroenterologists of color at my institution.”

At Dr. May’s institution, there are about 60 faculty members – only 1 Hispanic female. At the academic health center where Dr. May works, she is the only African American gastroenterologist. Other divisions and departments do not look much different, she explained.

“We serve a massive, diverse urban center. I don’t understand it, and I feel strongly that we can do better.”

She stressed that the key to breaking unjust cultural norms is for white colleagues to acknowledge the issues minorities face and to make intentional efforts to increase diversity in the workforce.

“We can’t expect black and brown faculty to do it on their own. The ‘minority tax’ that we face is a heavy toll and has the potential to paralyze our careers. We need members of the majority populations to also embrace diversity issues.”
 

Let’s get personal

• What do you know now that you wish someone told you when you started your career? “I wish that someone told me earlier that there will come a time when you will transition from working hard to check off all the check boxes to working hard in the things that make you happy. So much of medical school and residency is about doing what you are told you have to do to succeed. Finally, I feel that I am encouraged to find the research topics and patient populations that I am most passionate about. In dedicating ourselves to the things we care most about we have the best opportunity for real impact.”
• Who is your professional hero and why? “Wow. Honestly, I do not have one. Maybe Michelle Obama. I know she is not in medicine, but I pick her because she is an African American women who I know has been put through a lot and has to put up with a lot. But she keeps her head up high and stays strong. Reading her book transformed me. You can’t tell by just looking at her, all that she’s had to deal with. I would like to be seen as someone who is strong despite all of the background noise.”
• Something you may not know about me is: “I am pretty obsessed with CrossFit and fitness. I really enjoy staying active.”
• If I weren’t in gastroenterology, I would be: “A television/movie writer or movie producer.”
• In my free time I like to: “Spend time with my husband and kids, travel, stay active.”

Coronavirus 101 for gastroenterologists

Now in AGA University: Gain a clear understanding of the lifespan and gastrointestinal manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 and best practices for protecting yourself while working with at-risk patients. http://agau.gastro.org/diweb/catalog/item/eid/COVID-19

Get the latest information and resources on coronavirus by visiting www.gastro.org/COVID.

A message from our president to the GI community

“Our commitment at AGA is to support you. We’ll get through this together,” says AGA President Hashem El-Serag, MD, MPH, AGAF.

Dear colleagues,

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every facet of society, bringing almost unprecedented challenges to our world, and especially to our world of health care.

But our profession has been ignited in the way only a crisis can spark. Many of you are working on the front lines of patient care, at personal risk, lacking sufficient information and adequate resources. This is heroic work.

AGA’s priority during this time of disruption is to get practical guidance into your hands to help you treat patients, and protect yourselves and your coworkers. We’re also advocating on your behalf to get the resources you need and economic relief necessitated by the measures taken to fight the pandemic.

We are continually updating our COVID-19 website, www.gastro.org/covid. Check it for the latest clinical guidance, practice management information, and advocacy initiatives.

Our journals have started a collection of submissions related to COVID-19. Your AGA colleagues on the Clinical Guidelines Committee and Clinical Practice Updates Committee have been hard at work developing guidance for questions that you have asked us on Twitter, @AmerGastroAssn, and the AGA Community. So join us there where resources and insights are being shared in real time.

Your commitment to our patients is a testament to your professionalism. Our commitment at AGA is to support you.

We’ll get through this together.

Hashem B. El-Serag, MD, MPH, AGAF
President, AGA Institute

AGA selects two new social media editors

Congratulations to our new social media editors, Mindy Engevik, PhD, and Sultan Mahmood, MD.

Both editors will have the opportunity to positively impact AGA journal engagement by increasing the dissemination of each of the AGA publications’ content across their social media platforms. Dr. Engevik will focus on basic and translational science research and Dr. Mahmood will focus on clinical research. They will be sharing noteworthy research and news across AGA’s diverse publication portfolio, which includes Gastroenterology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Techniques and Innovations in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, GI & Hepatology News, and the New Gastroenterologist.
 

Melinda Engevik, PhD
@MicroMindy

Dr. Engevik is an instructor at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, in the department of pathology and immunology. She has a PhD in systems biology and physiology from the University of Cincinnati and completed her postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine. Her research focuses on microbe-epithelial interactions in the gastrointestinal tract, with a particular focus on infection and inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Engevik currently serves as an AGA Young Delegate and enjoys her involvement in the GI community.

Sultan Mahmood, MD
@SultanMahmoodMD

Dr. Mahmood finished his medical school in King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan. He did his internal medicine residency as well as GI fellowship training in University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, where he also served as the chief fellow from 2017 to 2018. He is the cofounder of @GIjournal, which is a weekly GI journal club on Twitter. He is currently an assistant professor in the department of medicine, division of gastroenterology, at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.). He also serves the role of coprogram director of the GI fellowship program in University at Buffalo. His research interests include medical education, work-life balance, quality improvement in the endoscopy suite, and cold snare.

The journals’ board of editors and editorial staff congratulate the new social media editors and are excited to work with them over the next 3 years.
 

Diversify GI: Fola May

We’re celebrating diversity in our field with a new series spotlighting members of the AGA Diversity Committee and AGA FORWARD Program.

The University of California, Los Angeles, Women’s Basketball Program recognized AGA FORWARD Scholar Fola May, MD, PhD, MPhil, for exemplifying their values of being “uncommon” and going above and beyond.

You’ll find proof she meets these criteria through extracurriculars like her participation in the AGA FORWARD program – a National Institute of Health–funded initiative that supports underrepresented minority physician scientists – and as a GI patient advocate on Capitol Hill.

Dr. May’s unconventional career path is also testament to her ability to color outside the lines while creating a masterpiece.

“Realizing late in my training that I wanted a career in research, I joined the STAR program at UCLA which allowed me to complete a PhD in health policy and management [a health services research degree] during my GI fellowship. With this training, I have been able to pursue a career in research and clinical care far beyond what I ever imagined.”

But she noticed a void along her career path that she couldn’t fill on her own: limited access to diverse research leaders in the field who can serve as her mentors, supporters, and advocators.

“Though I have a wonderful mentorship team that has been instrumental to my success thus far, there are currently no senior health services researchers in gastroenterology or gastroenterologists of color at my institution.”

At Dr. May’s institution, there are about 60 faculty members – only 1 Hispanic female. At the academic health center where Dr. May works, she is the only African American gastroenterologist. Other divisions and departments do not look much different, she explained.

“We serve a massive, diverse urban center. I don’t understand it, and I feel strongly that we can do better.”

She stressed that the key to breaking unjust cultural norms is for white colleagues to acknowledge the issues minorities face and to make intentional efforts to increase diversity in the workforce.

“We can’t expect black and brown faculty to do it on their own. The ‘minority tax’ that we face is a heavy toll and has the potential to paralyze our careers. We need members of the majority populations to also embrace diversity issues.”
 

Let’s get personal

• What do you know now that you wish someone told you when you started your career? “I wish that someone told me earlier that there will come a time when you will transition from working hard to check off all the check boxes to working hard in the things that make you happy. So much of medical school and residency is about doing what you are told you have to do to succeed. Finally, I feel that I am encouraged to find the research topics and patient populations that I am most passionate about. In dedicating ourselves to the things we care most about we have the best opportunity for real impact.”
• Who is your professional hero and why? “Wow. Honestly, I do not have one. Maybe Michelle Obama. I know she is not in medicine, but I pick her because she is an African American women who I know has been put through a lot and has to put up with a lot. But she keeps her head up high and stays strong. Reading her book transformed me. You can’t tell by just looking at her, all that she’s had to deal with. I would like to be seen as someone who is strong despite all of the background noise.”
• Something you may not know about me is: “I am pretty obsessed with CrossFit and fitness. I really enjoy staying active.”
• If I weren’t in gastroenterology, I would be: “A television/movie writer or movie producer.”
• In my free time I like to: “Spend time with my husband and kids, travel, stay active.”

Coronavirus 101 for gastroenterologists

Now in AGA University: Gain a clear understanding of the lifespan and gastrointestinal manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 and best practices for protecting yourself while working with at-risk patients. http://agau.gastro.org/diweb/catalog/item/eid/COVID-19

Get the latest information and resources on coronavirus by visiting www.gastro.org/COVID.

A message from our president to the GI community

“Our commitment at AGA is to support you. We’ll get through this together,” says AGA President Hashem El-Serag, MD, MPH, AGAF.

Dear colleagues,

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every facet of society, bringing almost unprecedented challenges to our world, and especially to our world of health care.

But our profession has been ignited in the way only a crisis can spark. Many of you are working on the front lines of patient care, at personal risk, lacking sufficient information and adequate resources. This is heroic work.

AGA’s priority during this time of disruption is to get practical guidance into your hands to help you treat patients, and protect yourselves and your coworkers. We’re also advocating on your behalf to get the resources you need and economic relief necessitated by the measures taken to fight the pandemic.

We are continually updating our COVID-19 website, www.gastro.org/covid. Check it for the latest clinical guidance, practice management information, and advocacy initiatives.

Our journals have started a collection of submissions related to COVID-19. Your AGA colleagues on the Clinical Guidelines Committee and Clinical Practice Updates Committee have been hard at work developing guidance for questions that you have asked us on Twitter, @AmerGastroAssn, and the AGA Community. So join us there where resources and insights are being shared in real time.

Your commitment to our patients is a testament to your professionalism. Our commitment at AGA is to support you.

We’ll get through this together.

Hashem B. El-Serag, MD, MPH, AGAF
President, AGA Institute

AGA selects two new social media editors

Congratulations to our new social media editors, Mindy Engevik, PhD, and Sultan Mahmood, MD.

Both editors will have the opportunity to positively impact AGA journal engagement by increasing the dissemination of each of the AGA publications’ content across their social media platforms. Dr. Engevik will focus on basic and translational science research and Dr. Mahmood will focus on clinical research. They will be sharing noteworthy research and news across AGA’s diverse publication portfolio, which includes Gastroenterology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Techniques and Innovations in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, GI & Hepatology News, and the New Gastroenterologist.
 

Melinda Engevik, PhD
@MicroMindy

Dr. Engevik is an instructor at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, in the department of pathology and immunology. She has a PhD in systems biology and physiology from the University of Cincinnati and completed her postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine. Her research focuses on microbe-epithelial interactions in the gastrointestinal tract, with a particular focus on infection and inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Engevik currently serves as an AGA Young Delegate and enjoys her involvement in the GI community.

Sultan Mahmood, MD
@SultanMahmoodMD

Dr. Mahmood finished his medical school in King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan. He did his internal medicine residency as well as GI fellowship training in University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, where he also served as the chief fellow from 2017 to 2018. He is the cofounder of @GIjournal, which is a weekly GI journal club on Twitter. He is currently an assistant professor in the department of medicine, division of gastroenterology, at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.). He also serves the role of coprogram director of the GI fellowship program in University at Buffalo. His research interests include medical education, work-life balance, quality improvement in the endoscopy suite, and cold snare.

The journals’ board of editors and editorial staff congratulate the new social media editors and are excited to work with them over the next 3 years.
 

Diversify GI: Fola May

We’re celebrating diversity in our field with a new series spotlighting members of the AGA Diversity Committee and AGA FORWARD Program.

The University of California, Los Angeles, Women’s Basketball Program recognized AGA FORWARD Scholar Fola May, MD, PhD, MPhil, for exemplifying their values of being “uncommon” and going above and beyond.

You’ll find proof she meets these criteria through extracurriculars like her participation in the AGA FORWARD program – a National Institute of Health–funded initiative that supports underrepresented minority physician scientists – and as a GI patient advocate on Capitol Hill.

Dr. May’s unconventional career path is also testament to her ability to color outside the lines while creating a masterpiece.

“Realizing late in my training that I wanted a career in research, I joined the STAR program at UCLA which allowed me to complete a PhD in health policy and management [a health services research degree] during my GI fellowship. With this training, I have been able to pursue a career in research and clinical care far beyond what I ever imagined.”

But she noticed a void along her career path that she couldn’t fill on her own: limited access to diverse research leaders in the field who can serve as her mentors, supporters, and advocators.

“Though I have a wonderful mentorship team that has been instrumental to my success thus far, there are currently no senior health services researchers in gastroenterology or gastroenterologists of color at my institution.”

At Dr. May’s institution, there are about 60 faculty members – only 1 Hispanic female. At the academic health center where Dr. May works, she is the only African American gastroenterologist. Other divisions and departments do not look much different, she explained.

“We serve a massive, diverse urban center. I don’t understand it, and I feel strongly that we can do better.”

She stressed that the key to breaking unjust cultural norms is for white colleagues to acknowledge the issues minorities face and to make intentional efforts to increase diversity in the workforce.

“We can’t expect black and brown faculty to do it on their own. The ‘minority tax’ that we face is a heavy toll and has the potential to paralyze our careers. We need members of the majority populations to also embrace diversity issues.”
 

Let’s get personal

• What do you know now that you wish someone told you when you started your career? “I wish that someone told me earlier that there will come a time when you will transition from working hard to check off all the check boxes to working hard in the things that make you happy. So much of medical school and residency is about doing what you are told you have to do to succeed. Finally, I feel that I am encouraged to find the research topics and patient populations that I am most passionate about. In dedicating ourselves to the things we care most about we have the best opportunity for real impact.”
• Who is your professional hero and why? “Wow. Honestly, I do not have one. Maybe Michelle Obama. I know she is not in medicine, but I pick her because she is an African American women who I know has been put through a lot and has to put up with a lot. But she keeps her head up high and stays strong. Reading her book transformed me. You can’t tell by just looking at her, all that she’s had to deal with. I would like to be seen as someone who is strong despite all of the background noise.”
• Something you may not know about me is: “I am pretty obsessed with CrossFit and fitness. I really enjoy staying active.”
• If I weren’t in gastroenterology, I would be: “A television/movie writer or movie producer.”
• In my free time I like to: “Spend time with my husband and kids, travel, stay active.”

Occupational and Environmental Health

Severe silicosis in engineered stone fabrication workers: An emerging epidemic

Silicosis is an irreversible fibrotic lung disease caused by inhalation of respirable forms of crystalline silica. Silica exposure is also associated with increased risk for mycobacterial infections, lung cancer, emphysema, autoimmune diseases, and kidney disease (Leung CC, et al. Lancet. 2012;379[9830]:2008; Bang KM, et al. MMWR. 2015;64[5]:117). Engineered stone is a manufactured quartz-based composite increasingly used for countertops in the United States where imports of engineered stone for this use have increased around 800% from 2010 to 2018. With this, reported silicosis cases among engineered stone fabrication workers have risen. Silica content in different stones varies from up to 45% in natural stones (granite) to >90% in engineered stone and quartz. The act of cutting, grinding, sanding, drilling, polishing, and installing this stone puts workers with direct and indirect contact with these tasks at risk for hazardous levels of inhaled silica exposure (OSHA et al. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3768.pdf. 2015).

A growing number of cases associated with stone fabrication have been reported worldwide (Kramer MR, et al. Chest. 2012;142[2]:419; Kirby T. Lancet. 2019;393:861). The CDC recently published a report of 18 cases of accelerated silicosis over a two-year period among engineered stone fabrication workers. The majority of patients were aged <50 years, five patients had autoimmune disease, two patients had latent TB, and two died (Rose C, et al. MMWR. 2019;68[38]:813). Thus, the experience of engineered stone fabrication workers appears to parallel that of patient exposed to silica in other occupations.

Control measures (see resources below) for silica exposure, prevention, and medical surveillance have been updated since 2016 at the federal level prompting a recent revision of OSHA’s National Emphasis Program for respirable crystalline silica as of February 2020 (OSHA, https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/trade/02052020, published February 5, 2020). Despite these measures, enforcement within the stone fabrication industry remains challenging. Small-scale operations with limited expertise in exposure control combined with high density of immigrant workers with limited health-care access and potential threat of retaliation have limited compliance with updated standards (Rose C, et al. MMWR. 2019;68[38]:813).

Silicosis is preventable, and efforts to minimize workplace exposure and enhance medical surveillance of stone fabrication workers should be prioritized.

Useful resources for silica workplace control measures:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/silica-stonefabricators

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/silica/

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/directives/CPL_03-00-023.pdf

Sujith Cherian MD, FCCP

Haala Rokadia MD, FCCP

Steering Committee Members

Palliative and end-of-life care

Building primary palliative care competencies in the CHEST community

The CHEST community cares for many patients with serious illnesses characterized by a high risk of mortality, burdensome symptoms or treatments, and caregiver distress, which negatively impact quality of life (QOL) (Kelly, et al. J Palliat Med. 2018;21[S2]:S7). Specialist palliative care (PC) clinicians work in partnership with other specialties to optimize QOL and alleviate suffering for seriously ill patients (i.e., advanced or chronic respiratory disease and/or critical illness).

Referral for specialist PC integration should be based on the complex needs of patients and not prognosis. PC can and should be delivered alongside disease-directed and life-prolonging therapies. Early PC referral in serious illness has been associated with improved QOL, better prognostic awareness, and, in some instances, increased survival. Additionally, reductions in medical costs at the end-of-life have been observed with early PC integration (Parikh, et al. N Engl J Med. 2013;369[24]:2347). However, patients with chronic or advanced respiratory diseases often receive PC late, if at all (Brown, et al. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2016;13[5]:684). This might be explained by significant shortages within the PC workforce, misconceptions that PC is only delivered at the end of life, and limited proficiency or comfort in primary PC delivery. Primary PC competencies have already been defined for pulmonary and critical care clinicians (Lanken, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2008;177:912). The Palliative and End-of-Life Care NetWork is focused on promoting awareness of specialty PC while providing education and resources to support primary PC competencies within the CHEST community. Look for NetWork-sponsored sessions at the annual meeting and follow conversations on social media using the hashtag #CHESTPalCare.

Dina Khateeb, DO

Fellow-in-Training Member

Respiratory care

I am a new respiratory therapist and a team member

It’s 11:00 pm and relatively quiet in the ICU. Then, that all too familiar sound, Code Blue. I rush to the room and assess the situation. As a new grad, this is one of the skills I am still developing; balancing my adrenaline with critical thinking in order to help manage the situation. Whether it is an unplanned extubation, acute respiratory failure, or cardiac arrest, as the respiratory therapist, I am there to bring an expertise to the assessment and management of airway and breathing. Once the crisis is resolved, my work is not done. I remain at the bedside to ensure ventilator management, explain to the family the respiratory interventions, and work with the medical team to implement the best plan of care.

As the bedside RT, I have unique perspective and training. My education prepared me with the knowledge base to work in this arena, but I still have so much to learn. And, as a new grad, one of the biggest lessons I have learned so far is to speak up. Whether it is during rounds, a code situation, or just conversations with the team. I owe it to my patients to advocate for their care and provide the expertise that I bring to the team. To the doctor or nurse, I hope you will give me that opportunity to help care for our patients; to learn; and even teach to improve that care.

Bethlehem Markos

Fellow-in-Training Member

Sleep medicine

What’s new in the sleep apnea treatment pipeline?

While weight loss in obese patients with sleep apnea is an effective treatment strategy, researchers honed in on a particular site of impact – the tongue fat (Wang SH, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med.2020;201[6]:718). After a weight loss program, they studied the changes in the tongue, pterygoid, lateral pharyngeal wall, and abdominal fat volumes using MRI. It turned out that reduced tongue fat volume was the primary mediator associated with AHI improvement. The authors suggested a reduction in tongue fat volume may be a potential OSA treatment strategy. Future studies will tell whether this is feasible and effective.

Recently, the FDA approved a new medication to treat residual daytime sleepiness in patients with sleep apnea – solriamfetol. Like other wake-promoting agents, it acts on the central nervous system and improves the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine. We look forward to head-to-head studies with current agents (modafinil or armodafinil).

Though not entirely new, two devices have been gaining popularity for sleep apnea treatment. Both are nerve stimulators: one designed for obstructive sleep apnea, is a hypoglossal nerve stimulator; the other, a treatment for central sleep apnea, is a phrenic nerve stimulator. They are slowly gaining popularity, though their invasive nature, patient selection criteria, and cost may limit their widespread adaption. More importantly, data on long-term outcomes and impact on hard endpoints such as mortality and reduction in cardiovascular morbidity are sparse.

Ritwick Agrawal, MD, MS, FCCP

Steering Committee Member
 

Thoracic oncology

The long and winding treatment road of advanced lung cancer: Long-term outcomes with immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the landscape in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment, extending progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Pembrolizumab is approved in advanced NSCLC with ≥50% PD-L1 expression based on KEYNOTE-024 trial.¹ Recent updated analysis of KEYNOTE 024 trial² showed that patients with advanced NSCLC treated with pembrolizumab had a median OS of 30.0 months compared with 14.2 months for those treated with chemotherapy. More recently, 5-year outcomes of KEYNOTE-001 trial³ showed that OS was 23.2% for treatment-naive patients and 15.5% for previously treated patients with no grade 4 or 5 treatment-related adverse events.

Nivolumab is approved for the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC with progression of disease after standard chemotherapy (regardless of PD-L1 expression) based on CHECKMATE 017/057 trials.^4,5 OS at 5 years in recently presented pooled analysis of these trials was 13.4% in nivolumab arm compared to 2.6% in docetaxel arm with a PFS of 8% and 0% respectively.^6,7 Median duration of response was 19.9 months vs 5.6 months. At 5 years, almost one-third of patients who responded to the nivolumab were without disease progression. Similarly, a recent 5-year analysis of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab showed OS of 16%, identical for squamous and nonsquamous histology. 75% of 5-year survivors were without disease progression.⁸

Treatment with immunotherapy in advanced NSCLC has resulted in a dramatic change in outcomes with a small percent of patients able to achieve durable responses.

Hiren Mehta, MD, FCCP

Steering Committee Member
 

References

1. N Engl J Med. 2016; 375:1823.

2. J Clin Oncol. 2019; 37:537.

3. J Clin Oncol. 2019; 37:2518.

4. N Engl J Med. 2015; 373:123.

5. N Engl J Med. 2015; 373:1627.6. J Clin Oncol 2017; 35:3924.

7. https://wclc2019.iaslc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WCLC2019-Abstract-Book_web-friendly.pdf

8. J Clin Oncol. 2018;36:1675.

Occupational and Environmental Health

Severe silicosis in engineered stone fabrication workers: An emerging epidemic

Silicosis is an irreversible fibrotic lung disease caused by inhalation of respirable forms of crystalline silica. Silica exposure is also associated with increased risk for mycobacterial infections, lung cancer, emphysema, autoimmune diseases, and kidney disease (Leung CC, et al. Lancet. 2012;379[9830]:2008; Bang KM, et al. MMWR. 2015;64[5]:117). Engineered stone is a manufactured quartz-based composite increasingly used for countertops in the United States where imports of engineered stone for this use have increased around 800% from 2010 to 2018. With this, reported silicosis cases among engineered stone fabrication workers have risen. Silica content in different stones varies from up to 45% in natural stones (granite) to >90% in engineered stone and quartz. The act of cutting, grinding, sanding, drilling, polishing, and installing this stone puts workers with direct and indirect contact with these tasks at risk for hazardous levels of inhaled silica exposure (OSHA et al. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3768.pdf. 2015).

A growing number of cases associated with stone fabrication have been reported worldwide (Kramer MR, et al. Chest. 2012;142[2]:419; Kirby T. Lancet. 2019;393:861). The CDC recently published a report of 18 cases of accelerated silicosis over a two-year period among engineered stone fabrication workers. The majority of patients were aged <50 years, five patients had autoimmune disease, two patients had latent TB, and two died (Rose C, et al. MMWR. 2019;68[38]:813). Thus, the experience of engineered stone fabrication workers appears to parallel that of patient exposed to silica in other occupations.

Control measures (see resources below) for silica exposure, prevention, and medical surveillance have been updated since 2016 at the federal level prompting a recent revision of OSHA’s National Emphasis Program for respirable crystalline silica as of February 2020 (OSHA, https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/trade/02052020, published February 5, 2020). Despite these measures, enforcement within the stone fabrication industry remains challenging. Small-scale operations with limited expertise in exposure control combined with high density of immigrant workers with limited health-care access and potential threat of retaliation have limited compliance with updated standards (Rose C, et al. MMWR. 2019;68[38]:813).

Silicosis is preventable, and efforts to minimize workplace exposure and enhance medical surveillance of stone fabrication workers should be prioritized.

Useful resources for silica workplace control measures:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/silica-stonefabricators

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/silica/

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/directives/CPL_03-00-023.pdf

Sujith Cherian MD, FCCP

Haala Rokadia MD, FCCP

Steering Committee Members

Palliative and end-of-life care

Building primary palliative care competencies in the CHEST community

The CHEST community cares for many patients with serious illnesses characterized by a high risk of mortality, burdensome symptoms or treatments, and caregiver distress, which negatively impact quality of life (QOL) (Kelly, et al. J Palliat Med. 2018;21[S2]:S7). Specialist palliative care (PC) clinicians work in partnership with other specialties to optimize QOL and alleviate suffering for seriously ill patients (i.e., advanced or chronic respiratory disease and/or critical illness).

Referral for specialist PC integration should be based on the complex needs of patients and not prognosis. PC can and should be delivered alongside disease-directed and life-prolonging therapies. Early PC referral in serious illness has been associated with improved QOL, better prognostic awareness, and, in some instances, increased survival. Additionally, reductions in medical costs at the end-of-life have been observed with early PC integration (Parikh, et al. N Engl J Med. 2013;369[24]:2347). However, patients with chronic or advanced respiratory diseases often receive PC late, if at all (Brown, et al. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2016;13[5]:684). This might be explained by significant shortages within the PC workforce, misconceptions that PC is only delivered at the end of life, and limited proficiency or comfort in primary PC delivery. Primary PC competencies have already been defined for pulmonary and critical care clinicians (Lanken, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2008;177:912). The Palliative and End-of-Life Care NetWork is focused on promoting awareness of specialty PC while providing education and resources to support primary PC competencies within the CHEST community. Look for NetWork-sponsored sessions at the annual meeting and follow conversations on social media using the hashtag #CHESTPalCare.

Dina Khateeb, DO

Fellow-in-Training Member

Respiratory care

I am a new respiratory therapist and a team member

It’s 11:00 pm and relatively quiet in the ICU. Then, that all too familiar sound, Code Blue. I rush to the room and assess the situation. As a new grad, this is one of the skills I am still developing; balancing my adrenaline with critical thinking in order to help manage the situation. Whether it is an unplanned extubation, acute respiratory failure, or cardiac arrest, as the respiratory therapist, I am there to bring an expertise to the assessment and management of airway and breathing. Once the crisis is resolved, my work is not done. I remain at the bedside to ensure ventilator management, explain to the family the respiratory interventions, and work with the medical team to implement the best plan of care.

As the bedside RT, I have unique perspective and training. My education prepared me with the knowledge base to work in this arena, but I still have so much to learn. And, as a new grad, one of the biggest lessons I have learned so far is to speak up. Whether it is during rounds, a code situation, or just conversations with the team. I owe it to my patients to advocate for their care and provide the expertise that I bring to the team. To the doctor or nurse, I hope you will give me that opportunity to help care for our patients; to learn; and even teach to improve that care.

Bethlehem Markos

Fellow-in-Training Member

Sleep medicine

What’s new in the sleep apnea treatment pipeline?

While weight loss in obese patients with sleep apnea is an effective treatment strategy, researchers honed in on a particular site of impact – the tongue fat (Wang SH, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med.2020;201[6]:718). After a weight loss program, they studied the changes in the tongue, pterygoid, lateral pharyngeal wall, and abdominal fat volumes using MRI. It turned out that reduced tongue fat volume was the primary mediator associated with AHI improvement. The authors suggested a reduction in tongue fat volume may be a potential OSA treatment strategy. Future studies will tell whether this is feasible and effective.

Recently, the FDA approved a new medication to treat residual daytime sleepiness in patients with sleep apnea – solriamfetol. Like other wake-promoting agents, it acts on the central nervous system and improves the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine. We look forward to head-to-head studies with current agents (modafinil or armodafinil).

Though not entirely new, two devices have been gaining popularity for sleep apnea treatment. Both are nerve stimulators: one designed for obstructive sleep apnea, is a hypoglossal nerve stimulator; the other, a treatment for central sleep apnea, is a phrenic nerve stimulator. They are slowly gaining popularity, though their invasive nature, patient selection criteria, and cost may limit their widespread adaption. More importantly, data on long-term outcomes and impact on hard endpoints such as mortality and reduction in cardiovascular morbidity are sparse.

Ritwick Agrawal, MD, MS, FCCP

Steering Committee Member
 

Thoracic oncology

The long and winding treatment road of advanced lung cancer: Long-term outcomes with immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the landscape in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment, extending progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Pembrolizumab is approved in advanced NSCLC with ≥50% PD-L1 expression based on KEYNOTE-024 trial.¹ Recent updated analysis of KEYNOTE 024 trial² showed that patients with advanced NSCLC treated with pembrolizumab had a median OS of 30.0 months compared with 14.2 months for those treated with chemotherapy. More recently, 5-year outcomes of KEYNOTE-001 trial³ showed that OS was 23.2% for treatment-naive patients and 15.5% for previously treated patients with no grade 4 or 5 treatment-related adverse events.

Nivolumab is approved for the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC with progression of disease after standard chemotherapy (regardless of PD-L1 expression) based on CHECKMATE 017/057 trials.^4,5 OS at 5 years in recently presented pooled analysis of these trials was 13.4% in nivolumab arm compared to 2.6% in docetaxel arm with a PFS of 8% and 0% respectively.^6,7 Median duration of response was 19.9 months vs 5.6 months. At 5 years, almost one-third of patients who responded to the nivolumab were without disease progression. Similarly, a recent 5-year analysis of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab showed OS of 16%, identical for squamous and nonsquamous histology. 75% of 5-year survivors were without disease progression.⁸

Treatment with immunotherapy in advanced NSCLC has resulted in a dramatic change in outcomes with a small percent of patients able to achieve durable responses.

Hiren Mehta, MD, FCCP

Steering Committee Member
 

References

1. N Engl J Med. 2016; 375:1823.

2. J Clin Oncol. 2019; 37:537.

3. J Clin Oncol. 2019; 37:2518.

4. N Engl J Med. 2015; 373:123.

5. N Engl J Med. 2015; 373:1627.6. J Clin Oncol 2017; 35:3924.

7. https://wclc2019.iaslc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WCLC2019-Abstract-Book_web-friendly.pdf

8. J Clin Oncol. 2018;36:1675.

Occupational and Environmental Health

Severe silicosis in engineered stone fabrication workers: An emerging epidemic

Silicosis is an irreversible fibrotic lung disease caused by inhalation of respirable forms of crystalline silica. Silica exposure is also associated with increased risk for mycobacterial infections, lung cancer, emphysema, autoimmune diseases, and kidney disease (Leung CC, et al. Lancet. 2012;379[9830]:2008; Bang KM, et al. MMWR. 2015;64[5]:117). Engineered stone is a manufactured quartz-based composite increasingly used for countertops in the United States where imports of engineered stone for this use have increased around 800% from 2010 to 2018. With this, reported silicosis cases among engineered stone fabrication workers have risen. Silica content in different stones varies from up to 45% in natural stones (granite) to >90% in engineered stone and quartz. The act of cutting, grinding, sanding, drilling, polishing, and installing this stone puts workers with direct and indirect contact with these tasks at risk for hazardous levels of inhaled silica exposure (OSHA et al. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3768.pdf. 2015).

A growing number of cases associated with stone fabrication have been reported worldwide (Kramer MR, et al. Chest. 2012;142[2]:419; Kirby T. Lancet. 2019;393:861). The CDC recently published a report of 18 cases of accelerated silicosis over a two-year period among engineered stone fabrication workers. The majority of patients were aged <50 years, five patients had autoimmune disease, two patients had latent TB, and two died (Rose C, et al. MMWR. 2019;68[38]:813). Thus, the experience of engineered stone fabrication workers appears to parallel that of patient exposed to silica in other occupations.

Control measures (see resources below) for silica exposure, prevention, and medical surveillance have been updated since 2016 at the federal level prompting a recent revision of OSHA’s National Emphasis Program for respirable crystalline silica as of February 2020 (OSHA, https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/trade/02052020, published February 5, 2020). Despite these measures, enforcement within the stone fabrication industry remains challenging. Small-scale operations with limited expertise in exposure control combined with high density of immigrant workers with limited health-care access and potential threat of retaliation have limited compliance with updated standards (Rose C, et al. MMWR. 2019;68[38]:813).

Silicosis is preventable, and efforts to minimize workplace exposure and enhance medical surveillance of stone fabrication workers should be prioritized.

Useful resources for silica workplace control measures:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/silica-stonefabricators

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/silica/

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/directives/CPL_03-00-023.pdf

Sujith Cherian MD, FCCP

Haala Rokadia MD, FCCP

Steering Committee Members

Palliative and end-of-life care

Building primary palliative care competencies in the CHEST community

The CHEST community cares for many patients with serious illnesses characterized by a high risk of mortality, burdensome symptoms or treatments, and caregiver distress, which negatively impact quality of life (QOL) (Kelly, et al. J Palliat Med. 2018;21[S2]:S7). Specialist palliative care (PC) clinicians work in partnership with other specialties to optimize QOL and alleviate suffering for seriously ill patients (i.e., advanced or chronic respiratory disease and/or critical illness).

Referral for specialist PC integration should be based on the complex needs of patients and not prognosis. PC can and should be delivered alongside disease-directed and life-prolonging therapies. Early PC referral in serious illness has been associated with improved QOL, better prognostic awareness, and, in some instances, increased survival. Additionally, reductions in medical costs at the end-of-life have been observed with early PC integration (Parikh, et al. N Engl J Med. 2013;369[24]:2347). However, patients with chronic or advanced respiratory diseases often receive PC late, if at all (Brown, et al. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2016;13[5]:684). This might be explained by significant shortages within the PC workforce, misconceptions that PC is only delivered at the end of life, and limited proficiency or comfort in primary PC delivery. Primary PC competencies have already been defined for pulmonary and critical care clinicians (Lanken, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2008;177:912). The Palliative and End-of-Life Care NetWork is focused on promoting awareness of specialty PC while providing education and resources to support primary PC competencies within the CHEST community. Look for NetWork-sponsored sessions at the annual meeting and follow conversations on social media using the hashtag #CHESTPalCare.

Dina Khateeb, DO

Fellow-in-Training Member

Respiratory care

I am a new respiratory therapist and a team member

It’s 11:00 pm and relatively quiet in the ICU. Then, that all too familiar sound, Code Blue. I rush to the room and assess the situation. As a new grad, this is one of the skills I am still developing; balancing my adrenaline with critical thinking in order to help manage the situation. Whether it is an unplanned extubation, acute respiratory failure, or cardiac arrest, as the respiratory therapist, I am there to bring an expertise to the assessment and management of airway and breathing. Once the crisis is resolved, my work is not done. I remain at the bedside to ensure ventilator management, explain to the family the respiratory interventions, and work with the medical team to implement the best plan of care.

As the bedside RT, I have unique perspective and training. My education prepared me with the knowledge base to work in this arena, but I still have so much to learn. And, as a new grad, one of the biggest lessons I have learned so far is to speak up. Whether it is during rounds, a code situation, or just conversations with the team. I owe it to my patients to advocate for their care and provide the expertise that I bring to the team. To the doctor or nurse, I hope you will give me that opportunity to help care for our patients; to learn; and even teach to improve that care.

Bethlehem Markos

Fellow-in-Training Member

Sleep medicine

What’s new in the sleep apnea treatment pipeline?

While weight loss in obese patients with sleep apnea is an effective treatment strategy, researchers honed in on a particular site of impact – the tongue fat (Wang SH, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med.2020;201[6]:718). After a weight loss program, they studied the changes in the tongue, pterygoid, lateral pharyngeal wall, and abdominal fat volumes using MRI. It turned out that reduced tongue fat volume was the primary mediator associated with AHI improvement. The authors suggested a reduction in tongue fat volume may be a potential OSA treatment strategy. Future studies will tell whether this is feasible and effective.

Recently, the FDA approved a new medication to treat residual daytime sleepiness in patients with sleep apnea – solriamfetol. Like other wake-promoting agents, it acts on the central nervous system and improves the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine. We look forward to head-to-head studies with current agents (modafinil or armodafinil).

Though not entirely new, two devices have been gaining popularity for sleep apnea treatment. Both are nerve stimulators: one designed for obstructive sleep apnea, is a hypoglossal nerve stimulator; the other, a treatment for central sleep apnea, is a phrenic nerve stimulator. They are slowly gaining popularity, though their invasive nature, patient selection criteria, and cost may limit their widespread adaption. More importantly, data on long-term outcomes and impact on hard endpoints such as mortality and reduction in cardiovascular morbidity are sparse.

Ritwick Agrawal, MD, MS, FCCP

Steering Committee Member
 

Thoracic oncology

The long and winding treatment road of advanced lung cancer: Long-term outcomes with immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the landscape in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment, extending progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Pembrolizumab is approved in advanced NSCLC with ≥50% PD-L1 expression based on KEYNOTE-024 trial.¹ Recent updated analysis of KEYNOTE 024 trial² showed that patients with advanced NSCLC treated with pembrolizumab had a median OS of 30.0 months compared with 14.2 months for those treated with chemotherapy. More recently, 5-year outcomes of KEYNOTE-001 trial³ showed that OS was 23.2% for treatment-naive patients and 15.5% for previously treated patients with no grade 4 or 5 treatment-related adverse events.

Nivolumab is approved for the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC with progression of disease after standard chemotherapy (regardless of PD-L1 expression) based on CHECKMATE 017/057 trials.^4,5 OS at 5 years in recently presented pooled analysis of these trials was 13.4% in nivolumab arm compared to 2.6% in docetaxel arm with a PFS of 8% and 0% respectively.^6,7 Median duration of response was 19.9 months vs 5.6 months. At 5 years, almost one-third of patients who responded to the nivolumab were without disease progression. Similarly, a recent 5-year analysis of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab showed OS of 16%, identical for squamous and nonsquamous histology. 75% of 5-year survivors were without disease progression.⁸

Treatment with immunotherapy in advanced NSCLC has resulted in a dramatic change in outcomes with a small percent of patients able to achieve durable responses.

Hiren Mehta, MD, FCCP

Steering Committee Member
 

References

1. N Engl J Med. 2016; 375:1823.

2. J Clin Oncol. 2019; 37:537.

3. J Clin Oncol. 2019; 37:2518.

4. N Engl J Med. 2015; 373:123.

5. N Engl J Med. 2015; 373:1627.6. J Clin Oncol 2017; 35:3924.

7. https://wclc2019.iaslc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WCLC2019-Abstract-Book_web-friendly.pdf

8. J Clin Oncol. 2018;36:1675.

CHEST 2019 marked the inaugural FISH Bowl competition for attendees. Inspired by Shark Tank, our kinder, gentler, yet still competitive and cutting-edge FISH Bowl (Furthering Innovation and Science for Health) featured CHEST members disrupting our beliefs about how clinical care and education are performed. As health-care providers, they presented innovative ideas pertaining to education and clinical disease for pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Six finalists were chosen from dozens of submissions, and three emerged winners. In this new Meet the FISH Bowl Finalists series, CHEST introduces you to many of them – including Education Category Finalist Dr. Cota.

Name: Donna Cota, DO

Institutional Affiliation: Baystate Medical Center, PGY5 Critical Care

Position: 2nd Year Fellow in PGY5 Critical Care



Title: Time to Vent: A Blended Learning Experience

Brief Summary of Submission: Time to Vent is a blended learning experience focused on ventilator management that incorporates modalities for all learning types. It includes a handout, audio/visual presentation, and practice case scenarios.



1. What inspired your innovation? I remembered that as a resident, I had a very difficult time understanding ventilators and worked hard to try to understand them on my own. When I started fellowship, I thought I understood ventilator management and then realized I was still wrong. I have focused my training on education, and I wanted to create a concise resource geared toward the fundamentals of ventilators for the benefit of educational levels.

2. Who do you think can benefit most from it, and why? Right now, I have focused the project on teaching residents of varying specialties, such as internal medicine and emergency medicine. They are still in training and rotate through ICUs, needing to understand ventilators for effective patient care and questions are present on their board examinations.

3. What do you see as challenges to your innovation gaining widespread acceptance? How can they be overcome? The biggest challenge is making the website able to be found on Google. This is a work in progress. However, right now, the link is sent via email to interested parties.

4. Why was it meaningful for you to emerge as a finalist in FISH Bowl 2019? It built confidence that my lifelong project is important and has merit to it. And, it ended up becoming a way for people to learn about the project and ask me for the link.

5. What future do you envision for your innovation beyond FISH Bowl 2019? I am still going to continue to improve the project with current endeavors to include a piece on waveforms and dyssynchrony of the ventilator. My ultimate goal is to create a free virtual ventilator simulator with practice cases.

CHEST 2019 marked the inaugural FISH Bowl competition for attendees. Inspired by Shark Tank, our kinder, gentler, yet still competitive and cutting-edge FISH Bowl (Furthering Innovation and Science for Health) featured CHEST members disrupting our beliefs about how clinical care and education are performed. As health-care providers, they presented innovative ideas pertaining to education and clinical disease for pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Six finalists were chosen from dozens of submissions, and three emerged winners. In this new Meet the FISH Bowl Finalists series, CHEST introduces you to many of them – including Education Category Finalist Dr. Cota.

Name: Donna Cota, DO

Institutional Affiliation: Baystate Medical Center, PGY5 Critical Care

Position: 2nd Year Fellow in PGY5 Critical Care



Title: Time to Vent: A Blended Learning Experience

Brief Summary of Submission: Time to Vent is a blended learning experience focused on ventilator management that incorporates modalities for all learning types. It includes a handout, audio/visual presentation, and practice case scenarios.



1. What inspired your innovation? I remembered that as a resident, I had a very difficult time understanding ventilators and worked hard to try to understand them on my own. When I started fellowship, I thought I understood ventilator management and then realized I was still wrong. I have focused my training on education, and I wanted to create a concise resource geared toward the fundamentals of ventilators for the benefit of educational levels.

2. Who do you think can benefit most from it, and why? Right now, I have focused the project on teaching residents of varying specialties, such as internal medicine and emergency medicine. They are still in training and rotate through ICUs, needing to understand ventilators for effective patient care and questions are present on their board examinations.

3. What do you see as challenges to your innovation gaining widespread acceptance? How can they be overcome? The biggest challenge is making the website able to be found on Google. This is a work in progress. However, right now, the link is sent via email to interested parties.

4. Why was it meaningful for you to emerge as a finalist in FISH Bowl 2019? It built confidence that my lifelong project is important and has merit to it. And, it ended up becoming a way for people to learn about the project and ask me for the link.

5. What future do you envision for your innovation beyond FISH Bowl 2019? I am still going to continue to improve the project with current endeavors to include a piece on waveforms and dyssynchrony of the ventilator. My ultimate goal is to create a free virtual ventilator simulator with practice cases.

CHEST 2019 marked the inaugural FISH Bowl competition for attendees. Inspired by Shark Tank, our kinder, gentler, yet still competitive and cutting-edge FISH Bowl (Furthering Innovation and Science for Health) featured CHEST members disrupting our beliefs about how clinical care and education are performed. As health-care providers, they presented innovative ideas pertaining to education and clinical disease for pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. Six finalists were chosen from dozens of submissions, and three emerged winners. In this new Meet the FISH Bowl Finalists series, CHEST introduces you to many of them – including Education Category Finalist Dr. Cota.

Name: Donna Cota, DO

Institutional Affiliation: Baystate Medical Center, PGY5 Critical Care

Position: 2nd Year Fellow in PGY5 Critical Care



Title: Time to Vent: A Blended Learning Experience

Brief Summary of Submission: Time to Vent is a blended learning experience focused on ventilator management that incorporates modalities for all learning types. It includes a handout, audio/visual presentation, and practice case scenarios.



1. What inspired your innovation? I remembered that as a resident, I had a very difficult time understanding ventilators and worked hard to try to understand them on my own. When I started fellowship, I thought I understood ventilator management and then realized I was still wrong. I have focused my training on education, and I wanted to create a concise resource geared toward the fundamentals of ventilators for the benefit of educational levels.

2. Who do you think can benefit most from it, and why? Right now, I have focused the project on teaching residents of varying specialties, such as internal medicine and emergency medicine. They are still in training and rotate through ICUs, needing to understand ventilators for effective patient care and questions are present on their board examinations.

3. What do you see as challenges to your innovation gaining widespread acceptance? How can they be overcome? The biggest challenge is making the website able to be found on Google. This is a work in progress. However, right now, the link is sent via email to interested parties.

4. Why was it meaningful for you to emerge as a finalist in FISH Bowl 2019? It built confidence that my lifelong project is important and has merit to it. And, it ended up becoming a way for people to learn about the project and ask me for the link.

5. What future do you envision for your innovation beyond FISH Bowl 2019? I am still going to continue to improve the project with current endeavors to include a piece on waveforms and dyssynchrony of the ventilator. My ultimate goal is to create a free virtual ventilator simulator with practice cases.

CHEST Annual Meeting 2020 will be here before you know it and we’re here to guide you through our Second City home, Chicago, Illinois. We’re so excited to be hosting CHEST 2020 in our backyard this year and want to help you experience everything that the city has to offer when you aren’t taking in the latest education in clinical chest medicine.

Whether you’re looking to embrace the culture, discover new shops, seeking entertainment, or just looking for a photo opportunity, we’ve got you covered. There’s something for everyone! Here are a few suggestions to keep you busy after your courses and sessions end.

Millennium Park Campus

Located in the heart of the city, Millennium Park is home to the Art Institute of Chicago, Cloud Gate (“The Bean”), Maggie Daley Park, Crown Fountain, Park Grill restaurant, and more. This is the perfect place to take a fall stroll this October. 

Cloud Gate (the bean)

Undoubtedly, one of Chicago’s most popular attractions, this reflective sculpture opposite of Millennium Park is a must for the perfect selfie. Don’t forget to bring your selfie stick to optimize your angles!

Field Museum

One of the largest history museums in the world, this space is filled with an extensive collection of artifacts and scientific-specimens, along with educational programs. Whether you’re interested in browsing through photo archives, taking a public tour, or strolling through the library of over 275,000 books, it would be easy to spend a few hours here during your breaks. (Kids will love it too!)

Wrigley Field Tours

The World Series is set to start during the meeting, fingers crossed the Cubs will be making a return to Wrigley Field. Regardless, you can still attend an off-season tour allowing you to visit the Visitors’ clubhouse, Cubs’ dugout, field, American Airlines 1914 Club, Maker’s Mark Barrel Room, and The W Club at the home of the Chicago Cubs.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery

While you’re strolling on Michigan Avenue, be sure to stop by the world’s largest Starbucks. Enjoy a latte while you take a tour of the roastery or even experience a master tasting.

Take a river boat tour

Embrace the outdoors by taking a scenic cruise on the Chicago River during a boat tour. Choose from tours that highlight architecture, classic Chicago spots, a dinner cruise, and more.

Skydeck Chicago

Take a step out on the Ledge during your stay in Chicago. Test your limits on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower by stepping onto a glass platform 1,353 feet in the air. Skydeck Chicago also features museum-quality exhibits and theater presentation, Reaching For The Sky.

Navy Pier

Stretching more than 3,000 feet along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier offers access to parks, gardens, shops, dining experiences, live entertainment, and more. If you’re looking for an engaging experience for kids, Navy Pier is also home to the Chicago Children’s Museum.

Frank Lloyd Wright Tours

Wrap up your time in Chicago with the Wright Along the Lake tour, a half-day guided bus tour featuring some of Wright’s most iconic sites in Chicago. Tours are also available for select sites including the Frederick C. Robie House and the Rookery Light Court.

The Magnificent Mile

One of the most iconic shopping centers in the world, The Magnificent Mile stretches across downtown Michigan Avenue and features historic landmarks, more than 460 retailers, and more than 275 restaurants.

Don’t forget to bring your jacket for outdoor activities! They don’t call Chicago the Windy City for nothing.

We look forward to exploring clinical chest medicine and the city of Chicago with you at CHEST Annual Meeting 2020 in October. See you there!

CHEST Annual Meeting 2020 will be here before you know it and we’re here to guide you through our Second City home, Chicago, Illinois. We’re so excited to be hosting CHEST 2020 in our backyard this year and want to help you experience everything that the city has to offer when you aren’t taking in the latest education in clinical chest medicine.

Whether you’re looking to embrace the culture, discover new shops, seeking entertainment, or just looking for a photo opportunity, we’ve got you covered. There’s something for everyone! Here are a few suggestions to keep you busy after your courses and sessions end.

Millennium Park Campus

Located in the heart of the city, Millennium Park is home to the Art Institute of Chicago, Cloud Gate (“The Bean”), Maggie Daley Park, Crown Fountain, Park Grill restaurant, and more. This is the perfect place to take a fall stroll this October. 

Cloud Gate (the bean)

Undoubtedly, one of Chicago’s most popular attractions, this reflective sculpture opposite of Millennium Park is a must for the perfect selfie. Don’t forget to bring your selfie stick to optimize your angles!

Field Museum

One of the largest history museums in the world, this space is filled with an extensive collection of artifacts and scientific-specimens, along with educational programs. Whether you’re interested in browsing through photo archives, taking a public tour, or strolling through the library of over 275,000 books, it would be easy to spend a few hours here during your breaks. (Kids will love it too!)

Wrigley Field Tours

The World Series is set to start during the meeting, fingers crossed the Cubs will be making a return to Wrigley Field. Regardless, you can still attend an off-season tour allowing you to visit the Visitors’ clubhouse, Cubs’ dugout, field, American Airlines 1914 Club, Maker’s Mark Barrel Room, and The W Club at the home of the Chicago Cubs.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery

While you’re strolling on Michigan Avenue, be sure to stop by the world’s largest Starbucks. Enjoy a latte while you take a tour of the roastery or even experience a master tasting.

Take a river boat tour

Embrace the outdoors by taking a scenic cruise on the Chicago River during a boat tour. Choose from tours that highlight architecture, classic Chicago spots, a dinner cruise, and more.

Skydeck Chicago

Take a step out on the Ledge during your stay in Chicago. Test your limits on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower by stepping onto a glass platform 1,353 feet in the air. Skydeck Chicago also features museum-quality exhibits and theater presentation, Reaching For The Sky.

Navy Pier

Stretching more than 3,000 feet along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier offers access to parks, gardens, shops, dining experiences, live entertainment, and more. If you’re looking for an engaging experience for kids, Navy Pier is also home to the Chicago Children’s Museum.

Frank Lloyd Wright Tours

Wrap up your time in Chicago with the Wright Along the Lake tour, a half-day guided bus tour featuring some of Wright’s most iconic sites in Chicago. Tours are also available for select sites including the Frederick C. Robie House and the Rookery Light Court.

The Magnificent Mile

One of the most iconic shopping centers in the world, The Magnificent Mile stretches across downtown Michigan Avenue and features historic landmarks, more than 460 retailers, and more than 275 restaurants.

Don’t forget to bring your jacket for outdoor activities! They don’t call Chicago the Windy City for nothing.

We look forward to exploring clinical chest medicine and the city of Chicago with you at CHEST Annual Meeting 2020 in October. See you there!

CHEST Annual Meeting 2020 will be here before you know it and we’re here to guide you through our Second City home, Chicago, Illinois. We’re so excited to be hosting CHEST 2020 in our backyard this year and want to help you experience everything that the city has to offer when you aren’t taking in the latest education in clinical chest medicine.

Whether you’re looking to embrace the culture, discover new shops, seeking entertainment, or just looking for a photo opportunity, we’ve got you covered. There’s something for everyone! Here are a few suggestions to keep you busy after your courses and sessions end.

Millennium Park Campus

Located in the heart of the city, Millennium Park is home to the Art Institute of Chicago, Cloud Gate (“The Bean”), Maggie Daley Park, Crown Fountain, Park Grill restaurant, and more. This is the perfect place to take a fall stroll this October. 

Cloud Gate (the bean)

Undoubtedly, one of Chicago’s most popular attractions, this reflective sculpture opposite of Millennium Park is a must for the perfect selfie. Don’t forget to bring your selfie stick to optimize your angles!

Field Museum

One of the largest history museums in the world, this space is filled with an extensive collection of artifacts and scientific-specimens, along with educational programs. Whether you’re interested in browsing through photo archives, taking a public tour, or strolling through the library of over 275,000 books, it would be easy to spend a few hours here during your breaks. (Kids will love it too!)

Wrigley Field Tours

The World Series is set to start during the meeting, fingers crossed the Cubs will be making a return to Wrigley Field. Regardless, you can still attend an off-season tour allowing you to visit the Visitors’ clubhouse, Cubs’ dugout, field, American Airlines 1914 Club, Maker’s Mark Barrel Room, and The W Club at the home of the Chicago Cubs.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery

While you’re strolling on Michigan Avenue, be sure to stop by the world’s largest Starbucks. Enjoy a latte while you take a tour of the roastery or even experience a master tasting.

Take a river boat tour

Embrace the outdoors by taking a scenic cruise on the Chicago River during a boat tour. Choose from tours that highlight architecture, classic Chicago spots, a dinner cruise, and more.

Skydeck Chicago

Take a step out on the Ledge during your stay in Chicago. Test your limits on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower by stepping onto a glass platform 1,353 feet in the air. Skydeck Chicago also features museum-quality exhibits and theater presentation, Reaching For The Sky.

Navy Pier

Stretching more than 3,000 feet along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier offers access to parks, gardens, shops, dining experiences, live entertainment, and more. If you’re looking for an engaging experience for kids, Navy Pier is also home to the Chicago Children’s Museum.

Frank Lloyd Wright Tours

Wrap up your time in Chicago with the Wright Along the Lake tour, a half-day guided bus tour featuring some of Wright’s most iconic sites in Chicago. Tours are also available for select sites including the Frederick C. Robie House and the Rookery Light Court.

The Magnificent Mile

One of the most iconic shopping centers in the world, The Magnificent Mile stretches across downtown Michigan Avenue and features historic landmarks, more than 460 retailers, and more than 275 restaurants.

Don’t forget to bring your jacket for outdoor activities! They don’t call Chicago the Windy City for nothing.

We look forward to exploring clinical chest medicine and the city of Chicago with you at CHEST Annual Meeting 2020 in October. See you there!

On Thursday, March 12, The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and the National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care (NAMDRC) announced publicly our official intent to come together as one association, integrating all NAMDRC activities and operations into CHEST.

This integration launch followed months of discussion between CHEST and NAMDRC leadership. Our respective Boards agreed that united efforts will amplify our individual involvement in patient advocacy and policy.

CHEST and NAMDRC have an intertwined purpose of delivering the highest standard of care for our patients. For this reason, our likeminded advocacy agendas can be even better fulfilled when we can leverage strengths from both associations.

CHEST and NAMDRC have shared an overlapping membership and collaborative history of empowering patients through the advancement of public policy and clinical education for decades. In additional to our individual efforts, our associations historically leveraged a combined advocacy presence in Washington D.C. to advance legislation against major tobacco corporations.

Coming together as a joint advocacy-focused organization, the initiation of CHEST’s Health Policy and Advocacy Committee, which will be comprised of an equal selection of CHEST and NAMDRC leadership, will drive CHEST’s advocacy agenda. The committee will work directly with policymakers, and target legislative and regulatory issues impacting pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

A committee of this kind, dedicated strictly to advocacy efforts, will be absolutely invaluable to our united organization. This group will be a true asset for membership to turn, to voice concerns within our practice, and to direct action on policies that matter to our patients.

Members of both organizations were notified of the integration by email on Wednesday, March 11. Along with email notification, NAMDRC members also received a voting ballot, as the dissolution of a nonprofit organization for Virginia-based organizations requires a vote of approval by membership within a 25-day waiting period.

NAMDRC’s long regarded monthly publication, Washington Watchline, will continue through CHEST, as will the NAMDRC Annual Meeting, slated for next March 18-20, 2021 in Sonoma, California, in conjunction with the CHEST Spring Leadership Meeting.

Concentrating our efforts under one organization allows us offer the best possible opportunities to our membership, patients, and far-reaching network. This is an exciting time for everyone involved, and we are looking forward to seeing all we can accomplish together.

On Thursday, March 12, The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and the National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care (NAMDRC) announced publicly our official intent to come together as one association, integrating all NAMDRC activities and operations into CHEST.

This integration launch followed months of discussion between CHEST and NAMDRC leadership. Our respective Boards agreed that united efforts will amplify our individual involvement in patient advocacy and policy.

CHEST and NAMDRC have an intertwined purpose of delivering the highest standard of care for our patients. For this reason, our likeminded advocacy agendas can be even better fulfilled when we can leverage strengths from both associations.

CHEST and NAMDRC have shared an overlapping membership and collaborative history of empowering patients through the advancement of public policy and clinical education for decades. In additional to our individual efforts, our associations historically leveraged a combined advocacy presence in Washington D.C. to advance legislation against major tobacco corporations.

Coming together as a joint advocacy-focused organization, the initiation of CHEST’s Health Policy and Advocacy Committee, which will be comprised of an equal selection of CHEST and NAMDRC leadership, will drive CHEST’s advocacy agenda. The committee will work directly with policymakers, and target legislative and regulatory issues impacting pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

A committee of this kind, dedicated strictly to advocacy efforts, will be absolutely invaluable to our united organization. This group will be a true asset for membership to turn, to voice concerns within our practice, and to direct action on policies that matter to our patients.

Members of both organizations were notified of the integration by email on Wednesday, March 11. Along with email notification, NAMDRC members also received a voting ballot, as the dissolution of a nonprofit organization for Virginia-based organizations requires a vote of approval by membership within a 25-day waiting period.

NAMDRC’s long regarded monthly publication, Washington Watchline, will continue through CHEST, as will the NAMDRC Annual Meeting, slated for next March 18-20, 2021 in Sonoma, California, in conjunction with the CHEST Spring Leadership Meeting.

Concentrating our efforts under one organization allows us offer the best possible opportunities to our membership, patients, and far-reaching network. This is an exciting time for everyone involved, and we are looking forward to seeing all we can accomplish together.

On Thursday, March 12, The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and the National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care (NAMDRC) announced publicly our official intent to come together as one association, integrating all NAMDRC activities and operations into CHEST.

This integration launch followed months of discussion between CHEST and NAMDRC leadership. Our respective Boards agreed that united efforts will amplify our individual involvement in patient advocacy and policy.

CHEST and NAMDRC have an intertwined purpose of delivering the highest standard of care for our patients. For this reason, our likeminded advocacy agendas can be even better fulfilled when we can leverage strengths from both associations.

CHEST and NAMDRC have shared an overlapping membership and collaborative history of empowering patients through the advancement of public policy and clinical education for decades. In additional to our individual efforts, our associations historically leveraged a combined advocacy presence in Washington D.C. to advance legislation against major tobacco corporations.

Coming together as a joint advocacy-focused organization, the initiation of CHEST’s Health Policy and Advocacy Committee, which will be comprised of an equal selection of CHEST and NAMDRC leadership, will drive CHEST’s advocacy agenda. The committee will work directly with policymakers, and target legislative and regulatory issues impacting pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

A committee of this kind, dedicated strictly to advocacy efforts, will be absolutely invaluable to our united organization. This group will be a true asset for membership to turn, to voice concerns within our practice, and to direct action on policies that matter to our patients.

Members of both organizations were notified of the integration by email on Wednesday, March 11. Along with email notification, NAMDRC members also received a voting ballot, as the dissolution of a nonprofit organization for Virginia-based organizations requires a vote of approval by membership within a 25-day waiting period.

NAMDRC’s long regarded monthly publication, Washington Watchline, will continue through CHEST, as will the NAMDRC Annual Meeting, slated for next March 18-20, 2021 in Sonoma, California, in conjunction with the CHEST Spring Leadership Meeting.

Concentrating our efforts under one organization allows us offer the best possible opportunities to our membership, patients, and far-reaching network. This is an exciting time for everyone involved, and we are looking forward to seeing all we can accomplish together.