by Liam J. Burns, MBA

Chief Operating Officer of the 1st World Congress and Partner at 3 Peaks Consulting, Mr. Burns has nearly 20 years experience in the healthcare industry. In addition to his work providing strategic consulting for emerging medical companies, Mr. Burns is also an executive coach helping organizations achieve breakthrough performance during periods of intense growth, change, and stress.

Introduction
The 1st World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes was held on September 15–16, 2008, in New York to discuss the role of surgery and novel interventional therapies in the understanding and treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM).  Called the “largest gathering of diabetologists, bariatric surgeons, and public health leaders in history,” the Congress was attended by nearly 1,000 medical professionals from 46 countries around the world. The distinguished faculty included over 80 world renowned experts in virtually every aspect of diabetes, obesity, surgery, nutrition, and health policy. The Congress created a unique forum where medical and surgical experts explored the critical issues surrounding this treatment option directly with health policy leaders. Demonstrating the global interest in this promising new field of medicine, the Congress was endorsed by 26 of the most prestigious diabetes, medical, and surgical societies, including the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), the Obesity Society (TOS), and many others. This article summarizes portions of the Congress for Bariatric Times readers.

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