Dear Colleague,

Thanks to your trust in the AGA leadership and our ability to take the organization into the future, an overwhelming majority of you voted in favor of finalizing our corporate reorganization. This is especially meaningful to me because it furthers one of the 3 P’s of my presidential platform, using political action to ensure the future vitality of our profession. As we embark on this new chapter of AGA’s history, I would like to assure you that the changes that are underway are positive and will only result in benefits for all of us.

As part of reorganization, the AGA will split into two non-profit organizations: the American Gastroenterological Association (501c6) and the AGA Institute (501c3). The reorganization will allow us to increase our political activity and effectiveness, including the creation of a political action committee or a PAC. The PAC will be an important tool for AGA and will help us to better advocate for the needs of gastroenterologists and our patients on Capitol Hill. It will allow us to fight for our right to fair reimbursement, increased research funding and most importantly, appropriate clinical care for our patients.

Moving forward, we will need your participation in AGA legislative activities more than ever. The PAC will rely on your annual voluntary contributions and active participation in our rapidly growing grassroots advocacy program.

My wife Kristin tells me “if something is important enough to do then roll up your sleeves and do it well!” And what could be more important to do well than insuring the future of our patients and our specialty? Grassroots advocacy is a good way for anyone to start rolling up their sleeves and becoming more actively involved with the organization. Every year, we host an Advocacy Day when members visit legislators on Capitol Hill to advocate for the needs of our patients and our specialty. If we don’t let our members of Congress know what issues are important to us, no one else will. For this reason, one of my goals is to increase the number of members involved in Advocacy Day.

This year’s event will take place on Sept. 15, 2005 and anyone who may be interested in participating in this event or any other type of grassroots activity should contact the AGA National Office for more information. Congress has a significant and direct impact on our profession and we must use whatever tools are at our disposal to deliver our message with a strong, unified voice.

Thanks for your ongoing support and making the vision of increasing our presence on Capitol Hill a reality.

Sincerely,
David A. Peura, MD
President, AGA