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Presidents’ Plenary emphasizes collaboration, consistency in research
LAS VEGAS — Collaboration between societies was the focus of the Presidents Plenary: Endocrinology Directions for the Future at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 23rd Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Leaders of the five societies that provide top research and education for both specialists and patients were invited to comment on the commonalities and differences of their respective organizations, and where they might intersect to affect real change in endocrinology.
Jeffrey I. Mechanick, MD, president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) shared its mission to support members in providing patient care and noted its newly-defined focus for the future with medically meaningful and actionable steps.
“We realize we simply can’t do everything, and we’ve gone through a process of prioritizing based on certain principles,” Mechanick said. “We know that we need better collaboration with sister societies.”
From Samuel Dagogo-Jack, MD, president of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), plenary attendees learned its core areas of focus lie in advocacy, research funding, delivery of educational content and outreach. Dagogo-Jack proudly reported the association surpassed the projected number of lives reached through its high risk programs in 2013, helping an estimated 2 million people with diabetes. “If we broaden the practice of diabetes preventology, if you will, I think there’s going to be a sea change,” Dagogo-Jack said.
From the American College for Endocrinology (ACE), president Daniel Einhorn, MD, shared its society’s commitment to being the educational arm of AACE, handling the clinical and academic aspects. Finding new ways to “stay relevant” is a focus for the society moving forward, Einhorn said. He also noted collective efforts should be made to streamline what appear to be contradictions in societies’ guidelines. “When the societies collaborate, we really can move the FDA and public opinion in the right direction,” Einhorn said.
Hossein Gharib, MD, president of the American Thyroid Association, reported the new thyroid cancer guidelines currently being developed are anticipated to be revealed at the 2014 conference in California. Gharib was equally eager to share his personal vision for the outcomes working together could have. “Collectively, our group carries with it a lot more numbers, weight and funding, so we could form a union [that could] promote our agenda and get others to listen,” Gharib said. “We share the same mission: to improve endocrine care and serve our members. We are better through collaborative efforts, rather than individual strategies.”
Endocrine Society president William F. Young, Jr., MD, shared about the “year of change” the society has had, from re-branding to hiring a new CEO to purchasing its first building in Washington D.C. The 17,000-member organization continues its core mission of translating research into clinical practice as it approaches its 100th anniversary, but Young said they also see combining forces as a future strategy for advances in research. “Clinical research in endocrinology is under siege,” Young said. “It isn’t going to get fixed soon. We really need to rally around research together.”
For more information:
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
American College of Endocrinology