Resiliency, respect, relationships: A ‘laser-focused’ mission for ACG
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LAS VEGAS – Resiliency, respect and relationships allowed the ACG to thrive during the pandemic, pushed the careers of its leaders forward and brought the association back to in-person meetings.
“It has been a remarkable year. ... I also saw a focus for the year that would clearly be defined by COVID-19 and those three R words: resiliency, respect and relationships,” David A. Greenwald, MD, FACG, outgoing ACG president, said during his President’s Address at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting. “To keep laser focused on that mission, I posted those three words on a sticky note on my computer monitor.”
Greenwald recapped how these three “R words” directed his year as ACG President, an honor for which he thanked the audience.
“Serving as president of the American College of Gastroenterology has been by far the most gratifying thing I’ve done in my professional career,” he said. “Helping others in the ACG do so much for our members and for our patients has been extraordinary.”
Given the challenges of COVID-19 and social unrest and division faced by the world, Greenwald said resiliency of the ACG and its members led to both maintenance of progress and new successes.
“The challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and issues of racial and ethnic inequity and social division, have dominated the landscape this past year,” he said. “The response by ACG and the community of gastroenterologists is, to me, the embodiment of the word resilience.”
Greenwald commended his colleagues who went to the frontline of the fight against COVID and those who led the way to resuming endoscopy and other return-to-care efforts.
In the midst of the pandemic, Greenwald said ACG and its membership worked tirelessly to counter the impact of lockdown on colorectal cancer screening.
“We all know a significant amount of routine health care maintenance, including CRC screening, was put on pause by many patients throughout the pandemic and the result is a clearly documented rise in the incidence of late-stage colorectal cancers, which in turn will predictably lead to increased mortality from colorectal cancer in the coming years and decades,” he said. “ACG has been a loud and effective voice supporting our patients, advocating the need to continue regular screening.”
Benjamin Levy, MD, put on the “Tune It Up: A Concert to Raise Colorectal Cancer Awareness” and James C. Hobley, MD, pushed to pass the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Screening Act, helping patients get the care they need without unnecessary hurdles.
The resiliency of ACG led to 2020 and 2021 milestones such as the creation of Virtual Grand Rounds and The Center for Leadership, Ethics & Equity, Greenwald said, adding the center’s tagline: “Seizing the moment but transforming the future.”
While the center will fund a Health Equity Research Award in the future, Greenwald said ACG is already leading the way for gender equity with women representing 22% of the ACG Board of Trustees, 25% of the Board of Governors, 21% of ACG physician membership and 24% of overall membership.
“Resiliency carried the day. We did it and continue to take on these new challenges,” Greenwald said.
Greenwald continued to delineate how the tumultuous year reminded him about the need for continued respect for colleagues and patients alike.
“One of the clear lessons of the pandemic and the social unrest in our world has been the need to listen carefully and respect each other,” he said.
ACG exemplified this with the respect shown between the Board of Trustees members and then again between the Board of Governors and their respective regions.
But members also had the opportunity to extend this respect to patients by having frank, open conversations about issues such as vaccine hesitancy.
“Vaccine hesitancy, for example, has been an enormous issue and can be addressed by respecting an individual’s concerns, really listening to what they’re saying and working with them individually to provide accurate information,” Greenwald said. “Listening is key everywhere.”
Nearing the end of his talk, Greenwald returned to the relationships, encouraging the audience to look around them, physically.
“What you see around you is camaraderie. You see collegiality. You see friendship. We would be nowhere without any of that,” he said. “There’s no doubt it’s a big reason – camaraderie, collegiality, friendship – that you all chose to come here to reconnect with your friends, your teachers, your colleagues. Those relationships are everything.”
Greenwald reflected on his own relationships with the ACG Boards, his predecessor Mark B. Pochapin, MD, the ACG staff, his mentors and his family.
“Many of us went into gastroenterology due to strong role models. Those lifelong relationships are what get us through each day, each month and each year. My advice? Treasure those relationships. Nurture those friendships. They’re special,” he said.
His other advice was to recognize that the small pieces of resiliency, respect and relationships add up.
“Small acts of kindness go a long way, are easy to do and add up to meaningful impact,” he said. “I try to approach each day that way and urge you to do the same.”
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Greenwald DA. President’s Address. Presented at: ACG Annual Scientific Meeting; Oct. 22-27, 2021 (hybrid meeting).
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