Endocrine Society Releases
Two New Books at ENDO 2015
Following the success of the Endocrine Society’s first book— Endocrine and Metabolic Medical Emergencies — released last year at ICE/ENDO 2014 in Chicago, ENDO 2015 will see the release of two new titles, Molecular Nutrition: A Practical Guide and A Clinical Approach to Endocrine & Metabolic Diseases Volume 3.
Molecular Nutrition: A Practical Guide, edited by Jeffrey I. Mechanick, MD; Michael A. Via, MD; and Shan Zhao, PhD, addresses the discrepancy between increased prevalence rates of chronic disease and improved knowledge regarding the interactions between the foodome and nutri-epigenome/metabolome.
The text provides a practical, step-by-step approach to molecular nutrition by outlining the fundamentals of nutritional medicine, providing examples of healthy eating patterns, and introducing target molecules in the metabolome and nutrient molecules in the foodome. The main objective is to present this new paradigm of clinical nutrition as a novel protocol for easy implementation and success by healthcare practitioners in routine patient care settings. Molecular Nutrition: The Practical Guide presents nutritional medicine in a brand-new way, one that not only offers a great deal of information for the clinician, but also one that inspires and causes one to ponder deeper questions about physiology and how clinicians can optimize care of patients.
A Clinical Approach to Endocrine & Metabolic Diseases, Volume 3, edited by Leonard Wartofsky, MD, is the third in a series of compilations of timely articles describing recommended clinical approaches to the diagnosis and management of patients with a variety of challenging endocrine problems. These up-todate review articles have been selected from The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), and they address everyday issues facing the endocrinologist in clinical practice.
“The topics selected reflect thorny clinical
problems in both adult and pediatric endocrinology
that clinicians face every day in their
practice,” Wartofsky writes. The authors share
their own personal approaches to covering a
number of controversial and difficult topics, from
the adolescent patient seeking contraception and
the approach to treating a transgender patient, to
navigating a number of difficult issues in reproduction
and treating thyroid cancer.
Look for these two new texts at ENDO 2015, both of which should provide valuable insight to the ever-changing world of clinical care.
Virtual Press Conference Generates
Interest in Obesity Guideline
The Endocrine Society held its first-ever virtual press conference to introduce the Clinical Practice Guideline on the pharmacological management of obesity on January 15.
Caroline M. Apovian, MD, the chair of the Pharmacological Management of Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline task force, presented the recommendations to journalists. The Society used a webinar format to make it convenient for reporters from a variety of outlets to participate.
Nine journalists from outlets such as Medscape, MedPage Today, Endocrine Today, Scientific American White Papers, and diabetes blog Close Concerns attended the press conference. Additional outlets including the wire service HealthDay covered the guideline’s release.
The event marked the first time the Society used webinar technology to deliver a breaking news announcement. The Society previously held media webinars to educate reporters on key topics such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and childhood obesity. To view recordings of the Society’s webinars, visit www.endocrine.org/news-room/media-webinars.
The Society’s Ailene Cantelmi
Recognized by ACGME & ABMS
Ailene Cantelmi, associate director, accreditation, assessment, and online learning for the Endocrine Society, was recognized by a special commendation for her work on the ACGME Next Accreditation System (NAS) Reporting Milestones Project.
A joint initiative by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM), Reporting Milestones were developed to assess measureable outcomes for fellowship training programs.
Over the course of the past three years, milestones have been developed for every specialty accredited by ACGME; most recently, this has extended to the subspecialties of internal medicine, which began using the Reporting Milestones in 2014. For her part, Cantelmi was instrumental to support the society members who were there as well as provide input on the continuum of medical training.
La’Pelusa Named
Hopps Defense
Research Scholar
Society associate/ in-training member Andrew La’Pelusa, a senior biology major, has been named a Dr. John H. Hopps Jr. Research Defense Scholar at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
La’Pelusa is currently serving in multiple capacities during his senior year at Morehouse, including as the president of the Morehouse College Health Careers Society and Cadet Battalion Executive Officer for the Army ROTC Panther Battalion. La’Pelusa, who aspires to obtain an MD/PhD and work in neuroendocrinology and behavioral endocrinology, says his dream is to “develop new treatments and systems to treat PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder].”
As a budding young physician scientist, the Hopps Scholarship will allow La’Pelusa to build a strong foundation of entrepreneurship and innovation by doing meaningful research every semester and summer. “They also allow students to travel to poor communities to study health disparities alongside trips to top universities across the United States,” he says, adding that he has “been given the chance to mentor several classes of scholars that enrolled after me, an experience that will help me grow as a man as much as it will help the mentees. Hopps develops students holistically, and I am grateful to be a part of it.”
La’Pelusa credits the Endocrine Society with helping him in his career path by providing essential professional development activities and training in top-notch endocrine research labs. “I have found the Endocrine Society faculty and staff to be more than a Society but more like a family,” he says. “Opportunities such as the Minority Access Program are filled with people both welcoming and ready with insightful and helpful advice. The mentorship I receive in the Endocrine Society has motivated me to become a leader within my own class. Mentors such as Dr. Mark Lawson, Dr. Robert Virgersky, and Dr. Steven Anderson are undoubtedly exceptional individuals that have shaped my character and determination to continue towards my dream.”
Named after Dr. John H. Hopps, Jr., a former provost, senior vice president for academic affairs, and professor of physics at Morehouse, and a former under-secretary of defense, the Hopps Defense Research Scholars Program was founded in 2006 to increase minority participation in scientific research, in math and science education, and in emerging technological fields.
— Mark A. Newman
Society Praises ABIM’s Overhaul
of MOC Requirements
The Endocrine Society commended the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) for revamping its Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program in response to widespread outcry from the physician community.
ABIM announced in February that it would suspend some aspects of the MOC program and substantially change others. The Society and other organizations representing nearly all internal medicine subspecialties had raised concerns about unintended consequences of changes made to the program in the past year.
“We are satisfied that the ABIM has heard our concerns and is responding with appropriate changes to the MOC program,” says Society president Richard J. Santen, MD. “We fully support the concepts of continuous learning, improvement, and self-regulation that the ABIM espouses and recognize that the changes outlined are designed to enhance these processes.”
ABIM incorporated many of the changes the Society called for, including adjustments to the MOC program’s fee structure, exam structure, and approved activities. These changes will relieve bureaucratic burdens on physicians and allow them to devote more time to providing patient care.
“While ABIM is making key strides in improving the program, the Society continues to call for an evidence-based approach to determine how the MOC system can best support the delivery of quality patient care,” Santen says. “The Society is looking forward to continuing our collaboration with the internal medicine community and the ABIM to ensure the MOC program and the secure exam evolve in a way that is meaningful, supports physician learning, and improves patient care.”
Newsweek Highlights Society’s Policy Position on EDCs
Newsweek featured the Society’s policy stance on endocrinedisrupting chemicals (EDCs) in an article published January 23.
The Society has called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies to take endocrine principles into account when regulating EDCs. The Newsweek article noted that the Society was disappointed with the FDA’s recent safety assessment that found BPA in food does not present a significant health threat.
“While conclusive evidence is lacking, sound scientific studies indicate a strong possibility for adverse health effects,” Endocrinology Editor-in-Chief Andrea Gore, PhD, commented on behalf of the Society. “It is the responsibility of the government to adopt measures that protect people from the risk of exposure to certain chemicals.”
Society members Niels Skakkebaek, MD, MDSc, and Frederick vom Saal, PhD, also were quoted in the story, which discussed a PLoS Genetics study on BPA and male fertility.
Society staff began building a relationship with the Newsweek journalist on Twitter and then reached out to offer assistance with future articles on EDCs. The outreach effort led to an opportunity to comment on the study as well as the FDA report.
Newsweek has more than 2 million monthly visitors to its website and a print circulation of 70,000. The complete article can be accessed at: http://www.newsweek.com/bpa-disruptssperm-development-linked-declining-male-fertility-301509
HHN to Debut New Interactive Tool at ENDO 2015
Members attending ENDO 2015 in San Diego will be able to get a firsthand look at the Hormone Health Network’s (HHN) new interactive Journey Through the Endocrine System.
Journey Through the Endocrine System is an interactive, fly-through animation of the glands and organs of the endocrine system that is more than simply a “point and click” interactive map; it enables the user to travel through the body with the hormone (i.e., insulin, estrogen, testosterone, etc.) and see the effect it has on the human body.
“This is one platform with endless applications for visualizing anatomy, disease, treatments, and health information—all in an interactive 3D format,” says Cheretta Clerkley, director of the Hormone Health Network. “This award-winning technology positions the Society to reach new audiences and more importantly is a tool that allows us to communicate what the endocrine system does, which ultimately raises the profile of endocrinologists.”
This 3-D concept came to fruition in 2014 after HHN received approval from the Society’s Council to develop an interactive 21stcentury solution to enhance the understanding of the intricacies of the endocrine system. Through the use of contemporary technology, it is easier to tell a comprehensive story of the endocrine system and its related conditions.
In addition to offering a webbased version, there will also be a mobile app to make it easy for healthcare providers to communicate with their patients and for patients to understand their conditions. These apps can also be used in educational settings to teach and inform students about the importance of the endocrine system and the pivotal role it plays in the body.
Members will have the opportunity to see a sneak peak of the tool, provide feedback, and recommendations at ENDO 2015 to help staff get a baseline of how to create a tool that meets the needs of providers before the summer of 2015 launch.
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