Dear colleagues:

The members of the AAAAI Board of Directors met several times during the course of the 2008 AAAAI Annual Meeting in Philadelphia to discuss current and proposed activities, and to review progress on the AAAAI 2006-2009 Strategic Plan. The group also spent time learning about the activities of other related organizations with the intention of looking for potential areas of future collaboration.

Over the course of the weekend, a number of decisions were made on issues and recommendations that rose from the membership to the Board level through Committees, Interest Sections and Divisions. Here is a brief review of highlights. A detailed summary will appear in the May issue of AAAAI News.

Committee and Task Force Changes

• Name change of the HCEDQ Interest Section to Health outcomes, Education, Delivery & Quality (HEDQ);
• Name change of the Veterans Administration Task Force to the Veterans Health Administration Allergists Task Force;
• Financial support for the leadership of the Committee on the Underserved to attend the AMA’s Commission to End Health Care Disparities meeting;
• Transition of the Complementary & Alternative Practices in Allergy Committee from the Practice & Policy Division to the FADDA Interest Section; and
• Transition of the Mast Cell Disorders Task Force to the Mast Cell Disorders Committee.

Impetus from Interest Sections
Based on input gained from the Interest Section Joint Leadership Meeting, and recognizing: 1) the increasing number of AAAAI committees and Task Forces 2) the overlap of charges among some committees, and 3) the need to reexamine some policies and procedures, the Board of Directors approved:

• Formation of a task force to examine the current AAAAI committee structure and number of existing committees;
• Formation of a task force to examine the AAAAI abstract submission policies; and
• Formation of a task force to examine conflict of interest issues related to individuals who work for commercial interests holding AAAAI leadership positions.

We are fully aware that this creates additional Task Forces, yet we are confident the end result will streamline committee structures and policies.

Focused Division Meetings
The three Divisions of the Board of Directors – Education, Practice & Policy, and Research & Training – met individually to discuss committee activities and requests, and to make recommendations to the full Board of Directors. Highlights of these discussions included:

• Budgetary approval for the development of an on-line application for submission and review of AAAAI grants;
• Approval to waive the fees associated with posting full-time academic positions through the online AAAAI Job Placement Center;
• Approval to offer the 2008 Fellows-in-Training In-Training Examination to all AAAAI members;
• Budgetary approval to support the 2009 ST*AR Program to take place at the 2009 AAAAI Annual Meeting in Washington, DC; and
• Approval of revised eligibility criteria for the AAAAI Faculty K to R Award Bridge Grant.

Reaching out to Related Organizations
In an effort to strengthen relationships with other organizations, the AAAAI Board of Directors invited several related organizations to present in-person reports, including:

• American Board of Allergy & Immunology (ABAI)
• American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI)
• European Academy of Allergology & Clinical Immunology (EAACI)
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
• Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (JCAAI)
• National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI)
• World Allergy Organization (WAO)

The members of the AAAAI Board of Directors appreciate the work these organizations do toward our common goal of providing optimal patient care. All groups related their interest in working together with the AAAAI in the future.

The AAAAI Board of Directors next meeting is scheduled for June 27-29, 2008 and will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Sincerely,






Hugh A. Sampson, MD, FAAAAI
AAAAI President

• Dr. Casale Goes to Washington
  
• Annual Meeting Resources Online

April Patient Update Handout
Select Your Seed to Avoid the Sneeze

The AAAAI keeps previous copies of Patient Update online. For additional patient handouts, visit the Patients & Consumers Center of the AAAAI Web site.

If you would like to receive a hardcopy of this supplement, please call AAAAI Membership Services at (414) 272-6071, or e-mail info@aaaai.org. A copy will be mailed at no charge as a benefit to AAAAI members.

It's Time to Raise Your IQ
ASTHMA IQ had its much anticipated launch at the 2008 AAAAI Annual Meeting. ASTHMA IQ is now available free of charge as a benefit to AAAAI members. This Web-based tool was designed to help allergist/immunologists and other asthma specialists learn about and apply in everyday practice the key components of the new EPR-3 asthma guidelines.

To access ASTHMA IQ, click here. To set up an account, e-mail ASTHMA-IQ@aaaai.org to obtain a registration key.

FOCIS Meeting to Host AAAAI Satellite Symposium
The AAAAI, along with the Society for Mucosal Immunology (SMI) and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), will jointly sponsor a satellite program during the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) Annual Meeting, June 5-9, in Boston, MA. The satellite symposium, "Antigen Recognition at Mucosal Surfaces: Implications for Allergic, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases," will be held Thursday, June 5, from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Online registration and additional information is available on the FOCIS Web site.

2008 Annual Meeting CME/CE Credits
Remember to claim your CME/CE credits from the 2008 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Please visit the AAAAI Web site to access the self-report system. Contact Lori Rathje at the AAAAI executive office at lrathje@aaaai.org or 414-272-6071 with any questions.

2008 Practice Management Financial Data and Manpower Survey
The AAAAI Practice Management Committee is once again conducting the Practice Management Financial Data Survey. It is accessible through the AAAAI Web site, www.aaaai.org, and will be available through September 30. The survey is 23 questions, and only the responses will be recorded. Although you must log in with your AAAAI member ID and password, the survey will not record personal respondent information to ensure anonymity.

To access the survey, please click here.