May | June 2010 www.asge.org
VOL. 17, NO. 3
An Official Publication of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
6;Ask the expert: Endoscopic
management of foreign bodies
8 Dr. Fennerty took the ASGE helm
in May
11;CDC urges participation in state
CRC programs
17;New practice management
resources available
27;Inaugural Ambassador Program
in Cairo a success
37;ASGE updates live endoscopy
demonstration guidelines
See;Inside;this;issue;on;pg.;2;for
a;detailed;list;of;contents.
Colon Cancer:
Preventable.;Treatable.;Beatable.
Order Blue Star pins online
now at www.asge.org.
Made possible, in part, through the
ASGE Foundation.
Electronic health records and the
physician’s practice
by James S. Leavitt, MD
In;the;December;30,;2009,;issue;of;the;New;England;Journal;of
Medicine,;David;Blumenthal,;MD,;the;National;Coordinator;of
Health;Information;Technology,;stated:
“Information;is;the;lifeblood;of;modern;medicine.;Health
information;technology;(HIT);is;destined;to;be;its;circulatory
system.;Without;that;system,;neither;individual;physicians
nor;healthcare;institutions;can;perform;at;their;best;or;deliver;the
highest-quality;care,;any;more;than;an;Olympian;could;excel;with;a;failing;heart.”
James;S.;Leavitt,;MD
With;that;in;mind,;in;December;of;2009,;the;U.S.;government;took;several;critical;steps
toward;a;nationwide,;interoperable,;private;and;secure;electronic;health;information;system.
The;Department;of;Health;and;Human;Services;(HHS);released;two;proposed;regulations
affecting;HIT.
government proposes two HIT regulations
The;first;regulation,;a;notice;of;proposed;rule-making;(NPRM),;describes;how;hospitals,
physicians;and;other;healthcare;professionals;can;qualify;(in;aggregate);for;billions;of
dollars;of;extra;Medicare;and;Medicaid;payments;through;the;meaningful;use;of;electronic
continued;on;page;20
President’s message
Jacques Van Dam, MD, PhD, FASGE
2009-2010 ASGE President
Critically important issues overlap presidencies
To;be;sure,;being;elected;ASGE;President;is;an;honor,;and;to;serve;is;a;great;privilege.;My;goal;as
president;of;the;society;has;been;to;further;ASGE’s;mission;of;“advancing;patient;care;and;digestive
health;through;promoting;excellence;in;endoscopy.”;However,;no;matter;what;experiences;we;bring
to;the;office,;or;what;programs;and;initiatives;we;intend,;sometimes;unplanned;events;override;our
carefully;planned;agendas.;This;past;year;has;been;no;exception.
As;this;year’s;events;have;their;roots;in;last;year’s;presidential;term;and;will;no;doubt;trespass;into
next;year’s,;I;have;asked;ASGE’s;2008-09;President,;John;L.;Petrini,;MD,;FASGE,;and;2010-11;ASGE
President,;M.;Brian;Fennerty,;MD,;FASGE,;to;join;me,;in;my;last;President’s;message,;to;offer;our
assessment;of;this;year’s;watershed;moments.
