- Email: [email protected]
Peura Outlines Themes for AGA Presidency
Gastroenterology News continued
required, “to analyze the mechanism underlying the different infectivities of recombinant and serum-derived virus particles, especially using the serum from JH1 virus-infected chimpanzee.”
“This system is a powerful tool for studying the viral life cycle and for developing antiviral strategies,” the report concludes. For more details, see Nature
Medicine 2005;11(July 2005) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Early Edition; http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/ content/abstract/1114016
Peura Outlines Themes for AGA Presidency
very strongly on that tradition. One of my goals is to double the AGA endowment,” Peura says, offering a challenge. “I’m going to challenge all of our members, leaders included, to make a personal commitment to the future of gastroenterology. It makes no difference if one is a basic scientist or in academic or clinical practice, the future of medical research benefits us all and it’s our obligation to do something.” The new AGA president makes it clear that not only is he asking individuals to personally contribute “but to support the Foundation by asking others to give,” including “grateful patients.”
As to the final ‘P,’ political action, Peura points out that AGA this year will establish a political action committee (PAC), “which will increase our power of persuasion on Capitol Hill and help us better advocate for the needs of our patients, our profession, for research funding, and reimbursement.” Peura says the PAC’s success in AGA legislative activities will be determined largely by the involvement of individual members. “The PAC is going to rely on their voluntary contributions and a commitment of time.” In that regard, he asks for a commitment to AGA grassroots activities. “In the fall, we have an Advocacy Day, usually in September, where we fly people to Washington, DC, to be updated personally on various issues and to meet with their legislators on Capitol Hill to advocate for the needs of our patients and our specialty. I would like 50 people in DC this year advocating for AGA. If we don’t take an active interest in this, no one else will do it for us.” Peura encourages members to contact AGA and/or visit www. gastro.org for further information regarding Advocacy Day. “Professionalism, philanthropy, and political action—not only are these our responsibility; they are our legacy and obligation.”
D
r. David Peura, Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia, looks ahead to 3 themes that will define his AGA presidency. “I’ve selected the three ‘P’s of the Peura presidency: professionalism, philanthropy, and political action. These are 3 very important concepts that contain a common theme. They deal with who we are as individuals and as an association, what we do with our resources, and what we can do to ensure the future viability of our profession,” he says. Peura insists that professionalism “must be at the core of our activities,” adding that feelings of discouragement in the face of administrative directives and other sources of professional frustration should not “overshadow the prime directive, why we worked so hard to become physicians and specialists. We owe that to our patients who put their trust and faith in us. Professionalism must always underscore the work we do each day and what we do as an association.” In discussing philanthropy, the second ‘P,’ Peura emphasizes the role played by the AGA Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition as a 20-year provider of grants for more than 250 physicians and researchers to advance the science and practice of gastroenterology. “I want to build
David Peura, MD
Stories by Les Lang
405
required, “to analyze the mechanism underlying the different infectivities of recombinant and serum-derived virus particles, especially using the serum from JH1 virus-infected chimpanzee.”
“This system is a powerful tool for studying the viral life cycle and for developing antiviral strategies,” the report concludes. For more details, see Nature
Medicine 2005;11(July 2005) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Early Edition; http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/ content/abstract/1114016
Peura Outlines Themes for AGA Presidency
very strongly on that tradition. One of my goals is to double the AGA endowment,” Peura says, offering a challenge. “I’m going to challenge all of our members, leaders included, to make a personal commitment to the future of gastroenterology. It makes no difference if one is a basic scientist or in academic or clinical practice, the future of medical research benefits us all and it’s our obligation to do something.” The new AGA president makes it clear that not only is he asking individuals to personally contribute “but to support the Foundation by asking others to give,” including “grateful patients.”
As to the final ‘P,’ political action, Peura points out that AGA this year will establish a political action committee (PAC), “which will increase our power of persuasion on Capitol Hill and help us better advocate for the needs of our patients, our profession, for research funding, and reimbursement.” Peura says the PAC’s success in AGA legislative activities will be determined largely by the involvement of individual members. “The PAC is going to rely on their voluntary contributions and a commitment of time.” In that regard, he asks for a commitment to AGA grassroots activities. “In the fall, we have an Advocacy Day, usually in September, where we fly people to Washington, DC, to be updated personally on various issues and to meet with their legislators on Capitol Hill to advocate for the needs of our patients and our specialty. I would like 50 people in DC this year advocating for AGA. If we don’t take an active interest in this, no one else will do it for us.” Peura encourages members to contact AGA and/or visit www. gastro.org for further information regarding Advocacy Day. “Professionalism, philanthropy, and political action—not only are these our responsibility; they are our legacy and obligation.”
D
r. David Peura, Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia, looks ahead to 3 themes that will define his AGA presidency. “I’ve selected the three ‘P’s of the Peura presidency: professionalism, philanthropy, and political action. These are 3 very important concepts that contain a common theme. They deal with who we are as individuals and as an association, what we do with our resources, and what we can do to ensure the future viability of our profession,” he says. Peura insists that professionalism “must be at the core of our activities,” adding that feelings of discouragement in the face of administrative directives and other sources of professional frustration should not “overshadow the prime directive, why we worked so hard to become physicians and specialists. We owe that to our patients who put their trust and faith in us. Professionalism must always underscore the work we do each day and what we do as an association.” In discussing philanthropy, the second ‘P,’ Peura emphasizes the role played by the AGA Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition as a 20-year provider of grants for more than 250 physicians and researchers to advance the science and practice of gastroenterology. “I want to build
David Peura, MD
Stories by Les Lang
405