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| Charles H. Emerson, M.D. President, American Thyroid Association |
President's Update
June 2018
It is hard to believe that over 70 percent of the ATA's year has already passed. In fact, only ten days after the summer we are now enjoying, it will be time to gather for our annual meeting. Gregory Randolph and Mabel Ryder, our capable Program Cochairs, have worked with the 21 other members of the committee to craft an exciting and innovative program with ample time for attendees to network at social events, private meetings, group discussions, and thousands of "chance" encounters. The Program-AT-A-Glance is now available at the ATA website, featuring a broad range of clinical and basic sessions in a variety of formats. Several of these are worth mentioning here as they are ground breaking as far as previous ATA annual meetings are concerned and are in keeping with the ATA's strategic goal of promoting the visibility of the ATA as the global leader in thyroid health. The first is the ATA Latin American Satellite Symposium from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Wednesday. Please note that separate registration for this event is required. On Saturday, from 1:00 to 6:00 PM, the 1st Annual ATA Advanced Practice Providers (APP) Satellite Symposium will occur. This event is intended to bring together the entire spectrum of health care professionals with a focus on thyroid disease as encountered by Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Advanced Degree Nurses, and Physician Assistants. Another of the ATA's four strategic goals is to "establish an integrative process that catalyzes innovative, meaningful and fundable thyroid research". In this regard stay tuned for more information about an exciting new ATA supported resource that will help investigators keep abreast on newly reported thyroid hormone actions and facilitate their interaction with colleagues. Recognizing the importance of this, vigorous efforts are now underway to develop a preview of this during the meeting.
As has been the case in the past, the venue for the 88th Annual Meeting of the ATA is quite attractive for attendees and accompanying persons. A healthy number of people have already registered and a record setting attendance is well within reach. The ATA staff, the Program Committee, and the Board all look forward to seeing as many of the thyroid community as possible at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington DC in October.
Just as annual meetings are a part of the ATA's life, so are transitions and changes. As most of you know by now, Jerome "Jerry" Hershman, Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Thyroidology is retiring from this post at the end of this year. Writing in the February issue of the journal, Jerry indicated that this was the 8th year of his editorship and that he enjoyed it immensely. I think we can all agree that the ATA® has also benefited immensely from Jerry's tenure. During his time at the helm the number of Associate Editors has tripled, from 4 in 2011 to the current number of 12. As most of the material in Clinical Thyroidology® is produced by the Editor and Associate Editors there has been a tremendous expansion of its coverage of the thyroid literature. Thanks to the efforts of Jerry and Steve Spaulding, the longest tenured Associate Editor, Clinical Thyroidology® is now increasingly covered by Google Scholar™.
Several months ago, the ATA formed a search committee, chaired by Dr. Brendan Stack, to find a suitable individual as the next Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of Clinical Thyroidology. A number of strong candidates answered the committee's call and, amongst them, the committee recommended Dr. Angela M. Leung of the UCLA Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine for the position. Shortly thereafter the ATA Board offered Dr. Leung the EIC of Clinical Thyroidology starting in January 2019; this offer was enthusiastically accepted by Dr. Leung. Dr. Leung's track record as an Associate Editor of Clinical Thyroidology, editorial board of Clinical Thyroidology for the Public, chair of the Program committee and the Public Health Committee, and a member of numerous journal Editorial Boards, bode well for the future of Clinical Thyroidology.
Having joined Dr. Hershman's staff of Associate Editors several years ago I am confident that Jerry's goal has been for his Editors to recognize and critique some of the most timely and informative papers in the thyroid literature, not merely offer a second-hand reiteration of any paper relating to the thyroid. Hopefully Clinical Thyroidology meets this goal in fair measure. If it does, the ATA with its independent arms-length publication of Thyroid® and Clinical Thyroidology, has a combination of publications that is rare among medical societies. With Dr. Leung's appointment to Clinical Thyroidology, and Dr. Kopp's ongoing editorship of Thyroid we can be confident that this dynamic will remain intact.
One constant of ATA life is that we elect certain new officers and directors each year. The ATA Nomination Committee, chaired by David Steward, has recommended a slate of nominations for contested elections for the 2018-19 year. This has been approved by the BOD. Before listing these nominees please be aware that the Bylaws committee and BOD have recommended a change in one of the bylaws that relates to nominations of directors. Article II, Section 2. (a) currently reads "There shall be 13-15 directors, consisting of the officers, and 8-9 additional directors, two of whom shall be elected each year to serve four-year terms as described below". It is being proposed by the BOD that this be changed to "There shall be 14-16 directors, consisting of the officers, and 8-9 additional directors, two of whom shall be elected each year to serve four-year terms as described below". I am pleased to report that, for the elections for candidates to begin their term in 2018 the BOD, upon the recommendation of the Nominating Committee, has nominated two candidates for the office of President-Elect and two candidates for each of the Director categories. The two candidates for President-Elect are Michael McDermott, and Martha Zeiger. For Directors with a primary venue of "Endocrinologist in Community Practice" the candidates are Ernest Asamoah and Joshua Klopper and for Directors with a primary venue of "Physician in Academic Practice" the candidates are Keith Bible and Angela Leung.
Michael McDermott is Professor of Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and Director of the Endocrinology and Diabetes Practice at the University of Colorado Hospital. He has been a member of the ATA since 1992. Martha Zeiger is Chair of Surgery at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She has been a member of the ATA since 1995. Ernest Asamoah, an ATA member since 2004, is an Indianapolis-based endocrinologist with Community Health Network, where he has practiced since 1999. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at both the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Marian University Osteopathic School of Medicine. Joshua Klopper, an ATA member since 2004, is the Regional Service Chief of the Endocrinology Department at the Colorado Permanente Medical Group. Keith Bible, an ATA member since 2009, is Professor of Oncology, Chair of the Endocrine Malignancies Care Team, and Chair of the Endocrine Malignancies Disease Group of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN. Angela Leung, an ATA member since 2006, is Health Sciences Assistant Professor of Medicine, Step III at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, and an Associate Program Director of the UCLA/VA endocrinology fellowship training program.
In addition to the contested offices, and following the usual practice, the BOD has nominated one candidate to follow our Secretary/COO, Victor Bernet. The candidate, Jacqueline Jonklaas, was nominated by the BOD upon the recommendation of a special search Committee chaired by Dr. John Morris. Dr. Morris and his committee recommended Dr. Jonklaas from a field of ATA members with a sustained and excellent record of service. Dr. Jonklaas is currently a professor in the endocrinology division at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. She has been a member of the American Thyroid Association since 1999. She has served on American Thyroid Association committees including the Patient Education and Advocacy Committee, the Surgical Task Force Committee, Bylaws Committee and the Awards Committee. She was co-chair of the American Thyroid Association Task Force on Thyroid Hormone Replacement and the Hypothyroidism Satellite Symposium in 2017 which featured the ATA's first patient panel. She served on the Board of Directors from 2013-2017 and currently serves on the Program Committee, as the co-chair of the Guidelines and Statements Committee, and the editorial board of Thyroid®. She will be on the upcoming ballot for a vote by acclamation, serve as Secretary-elect 2018-2019 and become Secretary/COO for a four-year term at the 89th Annual Meeting of the ATA in Chicago in October 2019.
It is clear that the individuals nominated by the ATA BOD for President Elect, Directors, and Secretary/COO are eminently qualified for these roles. All welcome the opportunity that has been presented to them and have agreed to serve if elected by the ATA membership. You will be receiving the election guide with more detailed biographical information and the candidates' statements in July and then Active ATA members will receive the ballot with an opportunity to cast a vote in mid-August.
According to an October, 2008 article in the New York times by Stephanie Clifford the expression "But Wait! There's More!" dates back to commercials by the Ronco Acquisition Corporation and their "pitchman" Ron Popeil. In closing I am aware – and you are aware, that there is more – much more, relating to this year's ATA news and activities. If you want more – lots more – head for Washington DC this October and enjoy our 88th annual meeting.
Charles H. Emerson, M.D.
President, American Thyroid Association
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