Dear colleagues:
Next month, thousands of us will gather at the 2008 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. This year’s event promises to capture and hold the attention of practicing allergist/immunologists, academicians and allied health professionals alike. You can catch the latest developments regarding the meeting in the upcoming issue of AAAAI News.”
The meeting will also be my final act as AAAAI President. It has been both an honor and a pleasure to serve in this role, and I thank you for placing your trust in me during this very productive year.
The focus of my scientific theme has been immunomodulators. I sincerely believe that our specialty is best equipped to understand the nuances of their use and manage adverse events as a result of their use. The Annual Meeting includes a number of outstanding sessions related to this theme. Additionally, Program Directors have discussed the need to specifically develop curriculum-based materials for our training programs on immunomodulators. I am confident these initiatives will enhance the visibility of our membership as experts in the use of immunomodulators.
In 2007, the revised NAEPP guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma were published, and each of you received a summary report published by The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Several former Academy presidents and many current members took leadership roles in the development of these vital guidelines.
It is essential that we continue to be recognized as the experts in the care of patients with asthma. With the help of Michael Schatz, we are pleased to announce the release of ASTHMA IQ, a web-based tool to help physicians understand and apply the new NAEPP asthma guidelines and fulfill both pay for performance parameters and maintenance of certification requirements by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. This tool will help our membership and our training programs. I encourage you to visit the ASTHMA IQ headquarters at the Annual Meeting for a demonstration, or register as a user. This valuable program is free to our members.
Going into my presidency, I articulated a desire to develop and strengthen public awareness of the Academy’s mission and goals through enhanced ties with lay organizations and other specialty societies. I am excited about new collaborations taking place with the American Lung Association (ALA). This month, I had the opportunity to meet with leadership of the ALA to discuss several exciting joint initiatives. I have also been exploring initiatives with professional societies with overlapping interests, most notably the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS). Finally, our membership and the specialty have benefited from this past year’s close relationship with the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), and we all can look forward to continuing these interactions with the College in the future.
The interaction between the Academy and other international societies with overlapping interests continues to be very strong. We have several new collaborative efforts with the World Allergy Organization, the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and the World Health Organization.
As discussed multiple times over the last several years, we must enhance and support our academic allergy and immunology programs. I am pleased that we have increased the corpus of ART and encourage all of you to contribute to the success of our specialty by making a financial contribution. Please also join us on Saturday night at the ART benefit.
Finally, at the Annual Meeting you will vote on recommended changes to the Executive Committee. There are many talented individuals within our specialty who would make outstanding presidents. However, the time commitment can be a deterrent. We have proposed to eliminate the positions of Vice President, and Past Past-President, making the commitment to the Executive Committee four instead of six years. In addition, we proposed the hiring of an Executive Vice President who would help the leadership of the Academy, and especially the President, fulfill the goals of AAAAI and the specialty.
This organization’s two greatest strengths have been and will continue to be our members and staff. You are the individuals making positive differences in the lives of patients afflicted with allergic and immunologic diseases. You are the individuals making positive differences in our specialty through your active memberships in the Academy.
Sincerely,
Thomas B. Casale, MD, FAAAAI
AAAAI President
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