State Chapters Committee Grows by >50%

The ASMBS State and Local Chapters Committee is proud to announce a tremendous growth in the number of state chapters. This year, the committee has revitalized three dormant chapters, gained five new chapters, and inspired one regional chapter and five other preliminary/pending chapters in states across the nation! If all these states finalize their full chapter applications by winter 2012, the State Chapters Committee will have grown by 11 chapters, or nearly 58 percent, in one calendar year!

New Chapters:
Alabama
Canada
Indiana
Maryland
Washington

Revitalized Chapters:
Georgia
Hawaii
Mississippi

Pending Chapters:
Connecticut
Iowa
Louisiana
Minnesota
Mountain Region (ND, SD, WY, MT, CO)
Nebraska

This growth is due to the leadership of Dr. Lloyd Stegemann, Chairman of the ASMBS State Chapters Committee, and Joe Nadglowski, President/CEO of the Obesity Action Coalition, whose joint efforts of holding educational symposiums in interested states helped facilitate chapter development. The aim of the symposiums is to help organize an ASMBS chapter in each state, ultimately providing bariatric professionals with a centralized means for advocating on behalf of their patients and programs.

In the new healthcare climate, we will need to fight for access to treatment for obesity on a state by state basis; thus, it is vital to have a local, unifying body through which to advocate. We need each and every one of you in this ongoing fight for access to bariatric care!

If your state does not currently have a chapter and you would like to help organize one, contact Nooriel Nolan at Nooriel@asmbs.org, or 352.331.4900 (for help getting the process started or to arrange for the symposium to come to your state.)

Join us in strengthening state chapters. They can really make a difference!

State and Local Chapters Committee