January 2022 Edition
1. Presidential Messages
Shanu Kothari, MD FASMBS and Nate Sann, MSN FNP-BC deliver their monthly Presidential Video Message. Hear about the current state of the Society and upcoming events.
ASMBS Presidential Message
ASMBS Integrated Health Presidential Message
2. Featured Sessions & Education
Focus Practice Designation Review Course
ASMBS re-UNITED will feature a new comprehensive Focus Practice Designation Review Course designed to enhance the understanding of high-yield topics in metabolic and bariatric surgery. In addition to expanding the existing knowledge of obesity and its treatments, the course will also prepare attendees to succeed on the American Board of Surgery Bariatric Surgery FPD examination. The course agenda is structured in 24 concise, yet in-depth, lectures delivered over the span of 1 day by a variety of leading content experts and surgical educators. This activity is accredited for a maximum of (#) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s).
Call for Integrated Health Challenging Cases
Have a tough case? Complicated clinical dilemma? Bring it to ASMBS re-UNITED. The Integrated Health Program and Professional Education Committee would like your input on the course curriculum for the upcoming ASMBS re-UNITED Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
You are invited to submit challenging cases to be discussed amongst a panel of interdisciplinary experts during the Hot Topics in Integrated Health: What every IH Practitioner Wants to Know session, scheduled for Saturday, January 22nd, 2022, at 1pm PST. Submissions may be a specific case presentation or clinical dilemmas that you encounter in your practice. Members are encouraged to submit sufficient background information, along with a list of two-three questions for the panelists to discuss.
Please submit your challenging cases via the shared folder or email education@asmbs.org by January 7th, 2022. Thank you for your support – we’ll see you in Las Vegas!
3. Networking Opportunities & Special Events
Corporate Sponsored Symposia & Welcome Reception
Join our expert industry partners at the breakfast Corporate Sponsored Symposia on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 7:30am – 8:15am PST. One of our Platinum Sponsors, Medtronic, will also be hosting an evening reception on Friday night, 5:00pm – 6:00 pm PST. Then afterwards, head over to the Welcome Reception to unwind and relax with fellow attendees at the Welcome Reception. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
ASMBS Foundation LEAD Awards
Join the ASMBS Foundation as they honor excellence in bariatric surgery during the LEAD Awards on Saturday, January 22nd at 3:30pm PST. Thank you for helping us celebrate the success of these well-deserved recipients:
- Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award: Jaques Himpens, MD PhD
- Excellence in Clinical Care Award: Rami Lutfi, MD FACS FASMBS ABOM
- Dr. Ronald Clements Patient Safety and Quality Award: Matthew Hutter, MD MPH
- Excellence in Nutrition Award: Lillian Craggs-Dino, DHA RDN LDN CLT
- Surgical Innovation Award: Roger A. de la Torre, MD FACS FASMBS
- Master Educator Award: Ranjan Sudan, MD FACS
- Distinguished Industry Partner Award: Tim Berghuis, W.L. Gore & Associates
ASMBS Leadership Academy
ASMBS is pleased to share a new initiative our Executive Committee has been hard at work planning – The ASMBS Leadership Academy is a unique career development seminar and workshop for 50 invited bariatric/advanced GI MIS fellows. The inaugural event will take place January 19th & 20th prior to the re-UNITED meeting. The program will provide young surgeons with tools they’ll need to successfully navigate life after fellowship and prepare them to become leaders in their practices, communities, and the field as a whole.
4. Know Before You Go
COVID-19 Precautions
The safety of our members, supporters, and all attendees is our number one priority. We continue to monitor developments with regards to the Omicron variant and will be honoring local Nevada and CDC guidelines. Please be aware that masks are currently required inside all public spaces in Nevada, regardless of vaccination status. The Mirage Hotel will offer onsite COVID-19 testing in the event that an attendee would like to be tested due to travel requirements, personal requests, or are exhibiting symptoms. Tests can be administered for a fee on property by contacting Guest Services to schedule an appointment.
We will also be offering complimentary color-coded wristbands that signify your comfort level with contact with other attendees. We look forward to re-UNITING safely with you soon!
Social Media Ambassadors
Become a Social Media Ambassador for ASMBS re-UNITED and share your meeting experience with fellow attendees. We’re looking for ASMBS members who are active on social media and would like to spark engaging conversations around important topics presented at the meeting. Social Media Ambassadors will coordinate with the ASMBS Surgeon and Integrated Health Communications Committees to help amplify research and engage attendees in meaningful online discussions. Contact info@asmbs.org to get involved.
Alternative Housing Options
While ASMBS hotel room block at The Mirage is sold out, you can still book your room at the venue through the online reservation system on ASMBSreUNITED.com. Rates and availability may be limited. Alternative nearby hotels, such as Caesars Palace or The Venetian, may also have availability. Please note, however; that there is no special conference rate Caesars Palace, The Venetian, or any other nearby hotels.
5. The ASMBS 2022 Annual Meeting
Keynote Speakers Announced
ASMBS is excited to announce Edward Sauter, MD PhD MHA, as the 2022 Mason Lecture. He will deliver his address, "From Bench to Bedside: Translating Clinic Evidence to Scientific Proof that Bariatric Surgery Decreases Cancer Risk" at the 38th ASMBS Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Sauter serves as a medical and program officer in the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Group (BGCRG). His research has centered on the prevention and early detection of breast cancer using noninvasive and minimally invasive approaches, and pregnancy associated breast cancer.
Lisa Tussings-Humphreys, PhD, MS, RD will serve as the 2022 Integrated Health Keynote Speaker. Join us for her lecture "Obesity & Colorectal Cancer: Weighing the Mechanistic and Interventional Evidence". Dr. Tussing-Humphreys is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois, Chicago, and co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control program of the University of Illinois Cancer Center. She received her doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Illinois, Chicago and is a registered and licensed dietitian. After leaving a research scientist position with the USDA-ARS, she’s spent the last 9+ years in academia establishing and leading an American Cancer Society and NIH funded laboratory focused on nutrition, energy balance and colorectal health and cancer health disparities.
ASMBS’s Got Talent
Now accepting auditions for ASMBS’s Got Talent! This initiative from the Program Committee is a great way to get more involved with the Society and have a chance to speak during an educational session at The ASMBS 2022 Annual Meeting. All members who have not presented at an ASMBS meeting in the last two years are eligible to participate. Submit your CV and a 2-3 minute video specifying at least three areas of interest for your potential presentation to education@asmbs.org by February 28th.