Victor J. Bernet, MD Secretary/Chief Operating Officer

Secretary's Update, November 2016

Well, here we are at Thanksgiving, a time to appreciate our many blessings. First, let me take the opportunity to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to our entire ATA family. I believe I can speak for the ATA membership when I say the ATA in general and our wonderful office staff are a blessing both on a personal and professional basis. We, as an organization, have much for which to be thankful. Bobbi, Adonia, Sharleene, Kelly, Josette and Danielle are such a dedicated group always ready to assist and with a constant eye on improving our association. Our Board of Directors are very active, generous with their time and focused on the best interests of the ATA. Our editors, committee and task force chairs and members work diligently on many projects, the fruits of which advance the ATA mission to include improving patient care. Also, we are fortunate to have active partners who support our patients thru our ATA Alliance for Thyroid Patient Education.

I have been impressed by the generous support of the Braverman and Ridgway Legacy Funds as well as the ATA General Fund. After surviving Black Friday and Cyber Monday, consider supporting the ATA during Giving Tuesday activities on 29 November, 2016. The ATA appreciates the philanthropic spirit of so many of our members.

Each year we ask membership to put forth candidates for consideration to run for election for potential service in ATA leadership positions. For 2017, we anticipate having 3 openings to fill for the Board of Directors and the President-elect position as well. Please consider nominating one or more of your deserving colleagues to be a potential candidate for these leadership positions. Also, it is time to contemplate nominations to the Awards Committee for the 2017 Van Meter Award Lectureship, the Sidney H. Ingbar Distinguished Award Lectureship, Lewis E. Braverman Distinguished Award Lectureship, the Paul Starr Award Lectureship, the American Thyroid Association Distinguished Service Award, and the John B. Stanbury Thyroid Pathophysiology Medal. See the press releases from 2016 Awards.

At this time, we are announcing that we will soon be starting the selection process to identify the next Editor-in-Chief (EIC) for VideoEndocrinology. Jerry Doherty has done a fantastic job launching VideoEndocrinology as its first EIC. We could not have asked for better leadership for this new journal. Nomination instructions are forthcoming and a Selection Task Force will be formed to lead the process in identifying the next EIC for VideoEndocrinology.

Your ATA leadership continues to work on initiatives related to our four strategic goals: 1. Sustaining global leadership in the field of thyroidology; 2. Being the preferred educational resource for patients with thyroid disorders; 3. Enhance/increase support for research within the field of thyroidology and 4. Development efforts to fund ATA missions and goals. Success in these endeavors will require the active engagement by the plurality of our membership. There is a potential role for each and every one of us. Please contact John Morris, Bobbi Smith or myself if you would like to participate in the efforts to achieve these society goals.

The handling of industry relationships and potential conflict of interest (COI) issues has become a prominent issue within the field of medicine both for individuals and for associations such as ours. This year Tony Bianco led our effort to develop a policy which achieves transparency for ATA-industry relationships. This information is now published on the ATA website and will be updated annually. We hope such transparency will reassure those who have previously voiced concerns about potential industry influence on our society, that the ATA is independent of any undue financial influence by outside entities. In recent years, our guidelines and guideline members themselves have received severe criticism as some voiced concerns over what were felt to be at least perceived COI issues with guideline development. The ATA COI task force was launched during John Morris' term as Secretary with Bob Smallridge as chair. Much work and consideration has been placed into the new proposed policy which has been developed. Due to its importance, the membership was given an opportunity to review and comment on the document prior to any final implementation and action by the BOD. The handling of COI related issues will be an ongoing effort into the future.

We want to remember our friend and colleague, Professor Shigenobu Nagataki, who passed away at 84 years of age, this month in Tokyo.  A member of the American Thyroid Association since 1969 and a founding member and president of Asia & Oceania Thyroid Association (AOTA), he  welcomed us to the 13th International Thyroid Congress (ITC) held in Kyoto, 2000.  His postgraduate work with Dr. Sidney H. Ingbar at the Thorndike Laboratory and Harvard Unit at Boston City Hospital focused on iodine metabolism in health and disease and the utility of radioisotopes in the study of overall thyroidal economy and pathophysiology.  With his return to Japan began a long, extraordinary and highly productive career that rendered him an internationally acknowledged leader in radiation health issues and the thyroid gland.

This being my last Signal message prior to the New Year, I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone peace and joy during the December holiday season and for the New Year! You will get to hear more from me in January 2017.

Sincerely,

Victor J. Bernet, MD
Secretary/Chief Operating Officer