Dear colleagues:
Your AAAAI Board of Directors met from November 2-4, 2007 in Washington, DC to discuss current and proposed activities, and to monitor progress on the AAAAI 2006-2009 Strategic Plan. Over the course of the weekend, a number of important decisions were made. Highlights of those discussions include:
- Ratification of the slate of candidates for the 2008 Board of Directors election. Candidate confirmation is now taking place, and information about the individuals will be available on the AAAAI Web site in mid-December
- Approval to allow the Health Care Education, Delivery & Quality (HCEDQ) Interest Section to survey the AAAAI membership regarding a potential change to the name of the Interest Section
- Approval of the inaugural JACI Advisory Board members, who will serve five-year terms beginning in 2008
- Approval of the recipient of the 2008 AAAAI Allied Health Professional Recognition Award
- Approval of a revised AAAAI-wide Disclosure Policy and Form
- Concept approval to eliminate the positions of Vice President and Past Past-President from the AAAAI Board of Directors. This will become official upon approval of the associated bylaws changes by AAAAI Fellows at the 2008 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. These changes will decrease the overall term of an AAAAI President to four years. Detailed information about this and other bylaw changes will appear in the January issue of the AAAAI News
Division Meetings
There are three Divisions of the Board of Directors : Education, Chaired by James T. Li, MD, PhD, FAAAAI; Practice & Policy, Chaired by Linda Cox, MD, FAAAAI; and Research & Training, Chaired by Bruce S. Bochner, MD, FAAAAI. Each met during the Board meeting to discuss committee activities and requests, and to make recommendations to the full Board of Directors. Highlights of these discussions included:
- Budgetary approval to support operation of the National Allergy Bureau (NAB) in 2008
- Approval of the concept and associated budget allowing the Committee on A/I Consultation and Referral to conduct 2-3 focus groups during the 2008 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia to determine how AAAAI members are using the Referral Guidelines in their local area/region
- Approval of the Allied Health Professionals Assembly Purpose, Structure, and Policies By-Laws document
- Approval to hire an outside consultant to review the AAAAI Web site and to recommend possible improvements
- Approve the recommendation from the Venue Committee to hold the 2015 AAAAI Annual Meeting in Boston, MA from Friday, February 27 – Tuesday, March 3, 2015
- Budgetary approval to cover the costs associated with printing the 2008 Mini-Primer on Allergic & Immunologic Diseases
- Approval of disbursement of $95,000 in grants to lay organization
- Approval of a measure to ensure that the Practice, Diagnostics & Therapeutics (PDT) Committee has equitable representation from each Interest Section, as well as additional representation from the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (JCAAI) and the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters
In addition to business decisions affecting the AAAAI, this Board of Directors meeting also included several informative presentations including Anthony S. Fauci, MD, FAAAAI representing the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID); Susan Shurin, MD from the National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI); and Terri Weaver, PhD, RN, past president of the American Lung Association (ALA). The Board also met with Drs Dan Ein and Jim Sublett about strategies to help promote the specialty.
Finally, the BOD approved grant funds of $650,000 for fellows in training and junior faculty, in addition to those funds disbursed through ART.
Sincerely,
Thomas B. Casale, MD, FAAAAI
AAAAI President
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