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New ASGE president hopes to expand leadership training, promote innovation
Last month, the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy selected Steven A. Edmundowicz, MD, FASGE, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, as its new president.
Edmundowicz officially began his tenure as president in June at Digestive Disease Week in Washington, D.C., and will hold the role until May 2019. He has been a member of the society since 1989 and previously held the roles of governing board councilor and treasurer.
He received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College and completed his residency training at Washington University School of Medicine. Over his career, Edmundowicz has held leadership positions at Washington University School of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College and the University of Colorado.
Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease spoke with Edmundowicz about what he hopes to accomplish in his new role.
Healio: How does it feel to serve as ASGE president?
Edmundowicz : It is an honor and a responsibility that one does not take lightly. I am proud to be a longstanding member of this society and I look forward to working with our outstanding staff, officers, governing board, committee chairs, and ASGE members this year. I hope to have a positive impact on our society and the practice of gastrointestinal endoscopy. Our field is evolving rapidly, allowing us to make a greater impact than ever on the health of our patients. This is extremely motivating for our leadership and members as we aim to sustain and power this ongoing progress.
Healio: How will your personal interests or experience shape your time as ASGE president?
Edmundowicz : I have a passion for teaching and developing outstanding physician scientists with clinical skills. I hope to expand our society’s efforts with a leadership training program for early career members and an expanded program in competency-based education for all members this year. In addition, I have a great interest in seeing mobile technology used to its fullest capabilities for bringing information and learning opportunities to our members.
Healio: Do you have any research or advocacy priorities that you would like to focus on?
Edmundowicz : I hope to continue our advocacy for the treatment of obesity and our society’s support of innovative new technologies for patients with this condition. We will continue our strong advocacy for colon cancer screening programs and expansion to additional key populations. A key project for our society has been the recent development of an esophageal cancer public awareness program that we will expand this year. We will continue to support and advocate for additional research funding for clinical trials in gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Healio: Are there any issues within the GI endoscopy community that you would like to address?
Edmundowicz : There are many, including maintenance of certification reform for gastroenterologists, expanded competency-based training for practitioners, advocacy for patients with gastrointestinal disorders and continued quality improvement in endoscopic practice. Fortunately, with the strength and depth of ASGE, we will have the ability to address all these topics and more this coming year. I welcome input from our members and I want to be responsive to their needs in all practice situations. We have the ability to build on the programs we have developed in the past decade to be even more impactful in the practice of gastrointestinal endoscopy now and in the years to come.
Disclosures:Edmundowicz reports financial ties to Olympus, Endostim, Check-Cap, Motus GI, and Elira
Editor's note: This article was updated on July 16, to include Edmundowicz's relevant financial disclosures.