ASMBS Foundation News and Update—July 2016

July 2016

by Connie Stillwell
Ms. Stillwell is the Executive Director of the ASMBS Foundation.

Walk from Obesity Update.
We are proud to announce that the ASMBS Foundation’s Walk from Obesity campaign reached record high numbers this spring. With only 11 locations, the spring events raised approximately $125,000 and reached over 1,400 individuals. Including support from our generous National Sponsors, the Walk has raised over $165,000 this year. With 14 events scheduled for this fall, we are on track to meeting our fundraising goal of $300,000. To see a full list of upcoming events visit www.WalkfromObesity.com/events.
The Foundation will also hold a special Walk from Obesity “Jazz March” led by a traditional second line band at Obesity Week 2016. Meeting attendees are invited join us as we strut down the streets of New Orleans to raise awareness of obesity. Be sure to mark your calendars for November 3rd at 5:30pm. The Jazz March will kick off at Hall A in the Convention Center.

Fall 2016 Walks:
•    Akron, Ohio
September 17, 2016
•    Cary, North Carolina
TBD
•    Celebration, Florida
November 12, 2016
•    Cleveland, Ohio
October 15, 2016
•    Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
October 15, 2016
•    Grand Junction, Colorado
October 1, 2016
•    Greenville, North Carolina
October 29, 2016
•    Indianapolis, Indiana
October 1, 2016
•    Morgantown, West Virginia
August 13, 2016
•    Mountain View, CA (NorCal)
September 10, 2016
•    New Orleans, Louisiana
TBD
•    New York, New York
September 11, 2016
•    Omaha, Nebraska
TBD
•    Portland, Oregon
October 22, 2016

Thank you to all of the volunteers who make these events possible. Without your hard work and dedication we would not be able to increase our outreach and continue to raise awareness of obesity.

The Foundation’s Annual LEAD Awards. The Foundation is currently accepting nominations for the 2016 LEAD Awards. The award categories include: Outstanding Achievement, Patient Safety and Quality, Excellence in Clinical Care, Excellence in Nutrition, Master Educator, Surgical Innovation, and Distinguished Industry Partner. To submit a nomination, please visit www.ASMBSFoundation.org/lead.
The LEAD Awards will be held on November 1, 2016 from 12:00pm–1:30pm at the New Orleans Convention Center in conjunction with Obesity Week. Tickets can be purchased for $150 per person with your Obesity Week registration or through the ASMBS Foundation’s website. Group tickets are also available. Seats are limited.

The United We Step Challenge. This three-day event challenges individuals to focus on their daily physical activity by monitoring their step count and striving to increase it by at least 500 steps per day. The goal is to reach 50 million collective steps and raise awareness of obesity in America.
Get your practice involved by forming a team and inviting patients, colleagues, and friends to join. Registration opens September 2016, and there is no fee to participate. A pedometer or body-monitoring device is required. Visit www.UnitedWeStep.com to learn more, sign-up for event notifications, and download a Save the Date flyer.

Meet the Board. We are exited to launch a new series highlighting the members of ASMBS Foundation’s Board of Directors. The Foundation’s Board of Directors is made up of a small group of ASMBS members who have volunteered their time to raising awareness of obesity, and funds to support the vision and goals of the society.
This month we spoke with John Magaña Morton, MD.

Dr. Morton is Chief of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. Currently, he heads the Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship and is Co-Director of the Stanford Digestive Health Center. Dr. Morton is also Past President of the ASMBS.

Dr. Morton, Why do you serve on the ASMBS Foundation Board?
I am honored to serve on the ASMBS Foundation Board because I believe our foundation is the best means to improve the health and welfare of our obese patients.

Board members receive no compensation, and fundraising is often difficult. What motivates you?
I am motivated to serve on the ASMBS Foundation Board because we need the Foundation to raise awareness for the most effective and enduring means of achieving weight loss.

How has the ASMBS Foundation supported the ASMBS vision; “to improve public health and well-being by lessening the burden of the disease of obesity and related diseases throughout the world”?
The ASMBS Foundation has been critical to our mission of increasing access to needed therapy. The ASMBS Foundation has been hugely supportive of advocacy from state to federal. Without the ASMBS Foundation, we would not have the current coverage we have for bariatric surgery.

How do you view the future of metabolic and bariatric surgery? And how critical is the ASMBS Foundation to actualize these goals?
The hard work of proving bariatric surgery’s effectiveness and safety has been demonstrated in full. We need to raise further awareness of bariatric surgery and the ASMBS Foundation can help us reach that goal.

For more information about the Foundation’s Board of Directors please visit www.ASMBSFoundation.org.

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2016 ASMBS Foundation Board of Directors
Marina Kurian, MD
President

Keith Kim, MD
Secretary/Treasurer

Raul Rosenthal, MD
Past President

Gina Baldo
Stacey Brethauer, MD
Bipan Chand, MD
Wayne English, MD
Matt Hutter, MD
Rami Lutfi, MD
Georgeann Mallory, RD
Samer Mattar, MD
John Morton, MD
Alfons Pomp, MD
Jaime Ponce, MD
Phillip Schauer, MD
Karen Schulz, RN

Tags: ASMBS Foundation

Category: ASMBS Foundation News and Update, Past Articles