State and Local Chapters Committee

Please note that the State and Local Chapters Committee is not accepting new member applications at this time. Committee membership is currently by appointment only. Click here to learn more about our State Chapters

Judy Chen, FACS ABOM FASMBS
Chair

Dino Spaniolas, MD FACS FASMBS
Co-Chair

Shanu Kothari, MD FASMBS
Executive Council Liaison

Members | Chapter Presidents

Christopher Daigle, FRCSC FACS FASMBS, Immediate Past Chair
Forrest Ringold, MD FACS, Alabama
David Podkameni, MD, Arizona
Pearl Ma, MD FACS ABOM DABS-FPMS FASMBS California/Nevada
Ken Mitchell, MD FASMBS, Carolinas
Jonathan Schoen, MD, Colorado
Saber Ghiassi, MD MPH FASMBS, Connecticut
John Pender, MD, Dakota Yellowstone
Isaias Irgau, MD, Delaware
Christopher DuCoin, MD MPH FACS FASMBS, Florida, Puerto Rico & The Caribbean
Renee Hilton, MD FASMBS, Georgia
Brian Wong, MD, Hawaii
Jessica Smith, MD, Iowa
Amir Heydari, MD FASMBS, Illinois
Dimitrios Stefanidis, MD FACS, Indiana
G. Brice Hamilton, MD FASMBS, Kansas
Shauna Levy, MD, Louisiana
Barry Greene, MD, Maryland
Jon Schram, MD, Michigan
Jayson Dock, MD, Minnesota
Deepu Sudhakaran, MD, Missouri
David Carroll, MD FASMBS, Mississippi
Vishal Kothari, MD FACS, Nebraska
Matthew Hutter, MD MPH FASMBS, New England
Prakash Paragi, MD, New Jersey
Konstantinos Spaniolas, MD FACS FASMBS, New York
Leslie Pristas, DO FACS FASMBS, Ohio/Kentucky
Laura Fischer, MD FASMBS, Oklahoma/Arkansas
Erika La Vella, DO FASMBS, Oregon
Ann M. Rogers, MD FASMBS, Pennsylvania
Matthew Spann, MD MMHC FACS FASMBS, Tennessee
Luis Reyes, MD FACS DABPM, Texas
Jennifer Salluzzo, MD FACS FASMBS, Virginia/West Virginia
Sara Martin del Campo, MD, Washington
Daniel McKenna, MD, Wisconsin

Members | Integrated Health Leaders

Carah Horn, MBA-HCA BSN RN, Integrated Health Lead
Lauren Pellizzon, MS RD, Arizona
Lynelle Diede, MS RN-BC CBN, Colorado
Dawn Garcia, APRN, Connecticut
Kristen Gordon, BSN RN CBN, Dakota Yellowstone (ID,MT,SD,ND,WY)
Gwen Crispell, MSN RN, Florida, Puerto Rico & The Caribbean
Alissa Lilla, MPAS PA-C CSOWM, Iowa
Betsy Felde, MBA RDN LDN, Illinois
Sarah Muntel, RD, Indiana
Laura Boyer, FNP-C CBN, Louisiana
Natalie Stephens, RDN, Maryland
Rachel Blind, NP-BC, Michigan
Michelle Cusumano, NP-C, Missouri
Kristin Turek, CNP, Mississippi
Melissa Page, MS RD CSOWM LDN, New England (ME, NH, MA, RI, VT)
Catherine Tuppo, PT MS CLT-LANA, New York
Jaime Lee Bull, PA-C, Carolinas
Amy Laktash, MSN APRN NP-C, Ohio/Kentucky
Shirly Bearden, RN CBN, Arkansas
Greg Showell, RN CBN, Oregon
Cynthia Hipszer, RN MSN CNML CBN, Pennsylvania
Cindy Blalock, MSN AGPCNP-BC, Tennessee
Connie Klein, APRNC, Texas
Leah Loomis, DNP ACNP-BC, Virginia/West Virginia
Julie Vieselmeyer, PhD, Washington

ASMBS Staff Liaison

Kayla McCray

Mission

  • To foster communication between health professionals on obesity and related conditions
  • To be the recognized authority and resource on metabolic and bariatric surgery
  • To be a highly valued specialty society that serves the educational and professional needs of its diverse membership

Description

The State and Local Chapters Committee is charged with promoting the ASMBS state chapter initiative and advancing the work of the chapters. They are responsible for reviewing applications and charter agreements, assisting chapters in the formation process, and ongoing monitoring of chapter activities.

Objectives

  1. Improve communication between individual members and the ASMBS leadership
  2. Promote collegiality among colleagues and programs in the chapter
  3. Encourage participation of practicing metabolic and bariatric surgeons in ASMBS
  4. Offer joint sponsorship to provide CME credits during chapter meetings
  5. Provide accounting and tax filing assistance for the chapters
  6. Help implement projects from other committees as they roll out to the general ASMBS membership

Committee Goals

Short-Term

  1. Strengthen existing Chapters
  2. Increase regional collaboration within and between states to foster best practices and improve quality outcomes

Mid-Term

  1. Increase administrative and committee-assisted support to individual chapters to help promote increased membership, involvement and ASMBS-related educational content
  2. Dissemination and follow-up on utility and potential improvements to the Chapter Toolkit to ensure it is as comprehensive as possible – we anticipate improved access to administrative help (if desired) will alleviate many issues Toolkit would have addressed

Long-Term

  1. Promote positive relations and ongoing clear communication between committee members and national ASMBS
  2. Continue Chapter presence and support in all 50 states and encourage all ASMBS members to become State Chapter members
  3. Increase membership of practicing bariatric surgeons and integrated health in ASMBS
  4. Collaborate with other committees to implement projects as they roll out to the general ASMBS membership – Access and Insurance updates, ASMBS Foundation Walk from Obesity

Specific Projects that Achieve Goals and Objectives

Short-Term

  1. Development of a State Chapters Toolkit; in progress
  2. Discussing a shared administrator who would assist several states without access to administrative support

Mid-Term

  1. Completion of a State Chapters Toolkit
  2. Help facilitate shared regional administrative support to chapters in need
  3. Integration of both #s 1 & 2
  4. Follow-up committee meetings to ensure Toolkit is useful and comprehensive

Long-Term

  1. Continued support of all Chapters as needs arise/via communication of important national and state initiatives to Chapter members
  2. Provide opportunity for individual State Chapter meetings at Annual Meeting and encourage Chapter meetings throughout the year
  3. Provide ASMBS-sponsored CME/CEU for State Chapter meetings
  4. Committee Chair participation in the Insurance Committee and IH Access to Care/State Chapters Leaders Group
  5. Support of IH and MD STARs and Super STARs in all 50 states to coordinate with Access to Care Committee as needs arise
  6. Collect State Chapter Annual Reports submitted by the State Chapter Presidents and compile them into one report for the Executive Council prior to Annual Meeting
  7. Maintain Chapter webpages with leadership, and meeting/event announcements as per Chapter communication with ASMBS Staff Liaison; encourage Chapters to set up and use websites more often
  8. Collect State Chapter dues (for all but HI, NJ, and New England) and distribute quarterly dues reports and member lists to Chapter Presidents and leadership to assist with communication
  9. Provide tax filing assistance for the Chapters

2022-2023 Completed Projects

  1. State Chapter meetings at the 2022 ASMBS Annual Meeting in Dallas, TX
  2. State Chapter meetings at the 2023 ASMBS Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, NV
  3. Completed project proposal and toolkit workgroup formed with subject matter experts confirmed

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