President's Column – the 1St 6 Months of 2021…
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North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition SUMMER 2021 NEWS VOLUME 22, NO. 1 st President’s Column – The 1 6 months of 2021… President, NASPGHAN: Benjamin D Gold, MD, FAAP, FACG, NASPGHAN-F To my Friends and Colleagues of NASPGHAN, as our colleagues in pediatric GI around the world. This pandemic has CPNP and APGNN: changed every aspect of our lives and the way we live; the way we practice medicine; whether in the hospital or outpatient setting; the manner in Well, it is with fingers crossed and prayers sent which we train/teach our fellows; and yes, how we at NASPGHAN skywards, that I am able to say to you that, function in holding our conferences, including NASPGHAN Fellows although 2021 started off with a bang, literally conferences and our Annual Meeting! and figuratively, and, with the pandemic still raging, there is light at the end of the tunnel!! More importantly, on November 3-7, 2021, NASPGHAN members continue to contribute to a variety of projects, we will all be together again in Nashville, TN at our Annual Meeting, including patient resources made available on our website and at GIKids. Postgraduate and Single Topic Symposium on Aerodigestive Disease at org, multiple articles published in JPGN reporting on member-driven the Grand Old Opryland Hotel and Conference center (see Dr. Jenifer surveys, and a series of practical, evidence-based interactive webinars and Lightdale, President-Elect column, page 2, for details). teleconferences. The ever-popular Virtual Webinar Wednesdays continue to offer a variety of topics for members to contribute to and to learn from, As with my last column, what a year 2020 was for all of us, and . it ranging from effective utilization of the EMR to maintaining a presence on continued into the first 6 months of 2021; a time that I have no question, social media. NASPGHAN’s International Committee, led by Dr. Jose the historians will speak about and debate on centuries from now. A Garza, reached out to our brothers and sisters in Latin America, President pandemic with a virus named SARs-COV2, an explosion of world- Reinaldo Pierre and the NASPGHAN visit LASPGHAN, first ever, wide awareness of human, and, in particular, civil rights violations with series of educational webinars took place over the month of April 2021 the nidus being the uncovering of not just the 400-plus years of racism with topics ranging from extra-hepatic biliary atresia (Jorge Bezerra) to towards people of color, African Americans in particular, but in the first 6 eosinophilic esophagitis (Calies Menard-Katcher) and to new developments months of 2021, racism and violence towards Asian American and Pacific in understanding and management of reflux disease (Rachel Rosen). Islanders, as well as hatred and violence towards the Jewish Community Similarly, despite the impact of the pandemic on the economy, our here in the U.S. Yes, my friends and colleagues, 2021 is a year that began financial status remains strong. In addition to the success of the 2020 when it was only 6 days old, wherein the very essence of U.S. democracy Virtual Annual Meeting, our organization remains economically viable and truth was threatened. The world-wide pandemic has frankly not spared and strong with our industry partners who have continued to step-up even a single member of NASPGHAN, whether COVID-19 infected with their financial support, and the vigilant oversight of our Secretary- us individually or close family/division members and our extended family Treasurer, Norberto Rodriguez-Baez (see Dr Rodriguez-Baez column or for that matter all of North America from Canada to Mexico, as well in this newsletter, page 4). President’s Report continues on the following page TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 2 . President-Elect Page 14–15 . 1st & 2nd Year Fellows Conferences Page 4 . Secretary Treasurer’s Report Page 16–17 . JPGN/JPGN Reports Page 5 . Foundation News Page 18 . SOGHN Corner Page 6 . 2021 Annual Meeting News Page 19 . CoPS Page 7–8 . Learn OnLine News Page 20 . Public Affairs & Advocacy Report Page 9 . CPNP/APGNN News Page 20 . Billing & Coding Page 10–12 . Committee Reports Page 23 . Partner News Page 13 . Bowel Sounds Page 26 . Employment Opportunities Further, social media presence of NASPGHAN has never been stronger, Relevant to the events of the past year, drawing awareness to race and from the ‘twitter-sphere’ to Instagram and the now 1-year-old, increasingly its role in societal and health disparities, NASPGHAN has committed popular Podcast called Bowel Sounds, which launched its inaugural to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in our profession, Society, episode at the 2019 Annual Meeting in Chicago. In particular, Bowel and to improving the social context of the marginalized patients we Sounds (led by Jennifer Lee, Peter Lu, Jason Silverman and Temara Hajjat) serve. TheNASPGHAN Professional Development Committee (PDC), really stepped up its game this year – now appearing two times monthly, led by Gitit Toomer and Rina Sanghavi, continues to keep the issues of and bringing key issues to our members including those that are relevant gender representation, equality and participation at the forefront, and as to the society as a whole to clinical aspects of pediatric gastroenterology, mentioned, the PDC, in conjunction with the Diversity Special Interest hepatology, pancreatology and nutrition. Group led by Conrad Cole is undertaking a systematic assessment of our Society with respect to gender designation, ethnicity and race. It is With respect to training our fellows, we owe our gratitude to the critical to know where we are in order to optimally plan and strategize enthusiastic leadership of Christine Lee, Danny Mallon and all of the about where we need to be as a Society. members of the Training Committee who were able to reformat and then execute the first ever virtual st1 year Fellows Conference and a virtual 2nd In closing, there are so many wonderful aspects to our Society, so many year Fellows Conference – with ongoing activities dedicated to keeping people who stepped up and made a difference, and so many wide-ranging accomplishments that shine brightly despite all we have been through our fellows of all years connected – to each other, to the organization to remind us that there is much to look forward to and with excitement and to mentors (see related story, pages 14-15). As with the 2021 about the future. Annual Meeting, our hope is that 3rd year Fellows Conference will be held in-person in September 2021. The enthusiastic and talented Fellows My wife Wanda, my family and I want to extend our warm wishes and love Committee, which has been incredible this past year and a half, continue to you all for a safe and fantastic summer. I look forward to seeing you all to be involved and contribute to all aspects of our organization. Having in-person at our 2021 Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN November 3-7, interacted with many of the Fellows Committee, including its amazing 2021. leadership, Sarah Kemme and Alison (Ally) Ta, throughout this past year, I truly believe that our organization, NASPGHAN will be in good Stay safe, stay healthy and may you and your families be blessed and have hands for many years to come. a wonderful, fulfilling summer! On the advocacy and professional development front, our Society Respectfully yours, continues to tirelessly speak up for our patients and more broadly advocate for the welfare of children. NASPGHAN has continued to lobby our representatives and senators about magnet safety, medical nutrition and equity and about pediatric gastrointestinal disease in general. NASPGHAN’s members dedicated to Advocacy and Public Policy will Benjamin D Gold, MD, FAAP, FACG, NASPGHAN-F be involved with the upcoming Virtual Day on the Hill – June 15, 2021, in President, NASPGHAN which all of our members can be involved, even if in a small way. Children’s Center for Digestive Healthcare | Atlanta, GA President–Elect Report President-Elect, NASPGHAN: Jenifer Lightdale, MD, MPH Get ready, y’all!!! The 49th NASPGHAN I extend much thanks and appreciation to the Planning Committee, Annual Meeting and Postgraduate Course which has worked hard to organize the most intentionally diverse will be held November 3-6, 2021, at the meeting ever–with various sessions devoted to exploring hot topics in Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention hepatology, gastroenterology, pancreatology, nutrition and many other Center in Nashville, Tennessee. After a special interest areas. Rest assured that we are actively arranging post year like no other, it is truly exciting for event on-demand access for anyone who will be holding down the fort me–as your new President-Elect–to write at home. But, bless all your hearts for allowing me to express my unabashed in affirmation that NASPGHAN IS hope that the rest of you will be saving the dates and making plans to join us! GETTING TOGETHER IN PERSON for a COVID-safe, rocking reunion of The week promises to be a wonderful celebration of our professional our pediatric gastroenterology family. society’s return to the “new normal”. It will kick into gear with a Single Topic President-Elect Report continues on the following page 2 Symposium dedicated to “Pediatric Aerodigestive Medicine: Advancing surviving and succeeding in today’s academic research career environment. Collaborative Care” on Wednesday, November 3. Co-chaired by Drs. The meeting will also hold sessions dedicated to a few guidelines/clinical Hayat Mousa and José Cocjin, this fully packed, all-day session will reports published by NASPGHAN in 2020/2021 (Training standards provide an all-inclusive tour of both fundamentals and emerging topics for pediatric neurogastroenterology and motility; pancreatitis; central venous in aerodigestive medicine, including economics of multi-disciplinary access) and video abstracts, as well as technology tips for pediatric GIs.