BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Philip O. Katz, MD, FACG, was elected by the membership as the 2009-2010 president of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), a national specialty association representing more than 11,000 clinical gastroenterologists and other specialists in digestive diseases. Dr. Katz will officially take his position as president during the College’s Annual Scientific Meeting, being held next week in San Diego. In this position, Dr. Katz will direct ACG’s programs which include continuing medical education in the clinical, scientific and patient-related skills of gastroenterology, policies involving national and state medical affairs, managed care issues and clinical investigation.
Dr. Katz received his medical degree from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He served his residency and chief residency in internal medicine, followed by a fellowship in gastroenterology at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. He completed a faculty development fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology.
Currently, Dr. Katz is Chairman of the Division of Gastroenterology at Albert Einstein Medical Center and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is also an Associate Program Director for the internal medicine residency in the Department of Medicine at Albert Einstein Medical Center. He also served as Chairman, Department of Medicine, and Chief, Division of Gastroenterology, at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia from 1999-2003.
A recognized national authority on esophageal disease, Dr. Katz’s research interests include all aspects of gastroesophageal reflux disease, including nocturnal recovery of gastric acid secretion during proton pump inhibitor therapy and esophageal pain perception.
Dr. Katz is a practicing clinician with active teaching and editorial positions. In addition to lecturing on many gastroenterology-related topics, Dr. Katz is an editorial reviewer for numerous journals including Annals of Internal Medicine, American Journal of Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology, and Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He has contributed to the publication of over 140 peer-reviewed papers, as well as numerous abstracts, books, book chapters, and monographs.
Dr. Katz has played an instrumental leadership role in the ACG, particularly as an educator. A member of the Board of Trustees since 2001, Dr. Katz has served as Treasurer and Vice President of the College. His generous contributions of time, effort and creativity to the College encompass service as a member of the Educational Affairs Committee beginning in 1995, and serving as Chair from 1996 to 1999. He served as Course Director of ACG National Postgraduate Course in 2000. He pioneered the “What’s New in GI Pharmacology?” course and has been involved since its inception in 1999. Dr. Katz has served as ACG’s representative to the American Board of Internal Medicine and has been actively involved in the collaborating with ABIM and his ACG colleagues to establish appropriate criteria for gastroenterology training and Board recertification.
Dr. Katz was a driving force behind the development and launch of the ACG “Education Universe,” an innovative, online educational portal offering a library of ACG educational activities. He also helped to envision the GI Training pathway within the ACG Education Universe as a resource to GI Program Directors and fellows-in-training in gastroenterology.
Over the years, Dr. Katz has been deeply involved in programs targeted to GI trainees. “I believe these fellows forums are invaluable in helping to train the clinicians of tomorrow and to create a bond between the College and its future membership,” commented Dr. Katz. He was a speaker at the ACG Second Year Fellows Conference in 2007 and 2009; served as Chair of the North American
Conference GI Fellows on behalf of the College from 1995 to 2009; and was involved in the ACG/Astra Merck Senior Fellow Conference from 1996 to 2001.
“My primary goal is to be a good steward of this thriving organization whose unique mission is to represent the GI clinician, regardless of where he or she practices and regardless of area of specialization,” said Dr. Katz. “I hope to ensure that the College continues to lead the way on education matters from GI training through clinical practice,” he added.
Dr. Katz and his wife, Leilani (Past President of the ACG Auxiliary), reside outside Philadelphia, PA.
Photographs of Dr. Katz are available by contacting Anne-Louise Oliphant (301) 263-9000.
About the American College of Gastroenterology
Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of more than 11,000 individuals from 80 countries. The College is committed to serving the clinically oriented digestive disease specialist through its emphasis on scholarly practice, teaching and research. The mission of the College is to serve the evolving needs of physicians in the delivery of high quality, scientifically sound, humanistic, ethical, and cost-effective health care to gastroenterology patients. www.acg.gi.org
View releases on other research breaking at the ACG meeting at www.acg.gi.org/media/press.asp
SOURCE American College of Gastroenterology
CONTACT: Anne-Louise Oliphant, +1-301-263-9000, mediaonly@acg.gi.org, ACG
Press Room, San Diego Convention Center, +1-619-525-6418 90 (as of Sunday
October 25, 2009)
Web site: http://www.acg.gi.org//
