ASMBS Foundation News and Update—June 2011

by Kelvin Higa, MD, FACS

Dr. Higa is President of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Foundation; Clinical Professor in Surgery, University of California San Francisco, Fresno; and Director, Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Fresno, California.

ALSA and Bariatric Advantage Team Up to Give $30,000 to the ASMBS Foundation’s Operation MORE
Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery Associates Medical Group (Kelvin Higa, MD; Keith Boone, MD, and Saber Ghiassi, MD) made a pledge to donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the resale of Bariatric Advantage Vitamins for metabolic and bariatric surgery research activities through the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Foundation Operation MORE (Monies for Obesity Research and Education). “This year we have chosen the ASMBS Foundation as recipient of this donation. When I mentioned this to Tom Kinder, CEO of Bariatric Advantage, he graciously offered to match our donation. This type of commitment fits exactly our mission and vision supporting the activities of the ASMBS,” said Dr. Higa, President of the ASMBS Foundation.

The ASMBS Foundation would like to thank Tom Kinder and Bariatric Advantage for their generous support of Operation MORE.

The Allergan Foundation Donates $100,000 to the ASMBS Foundation
The ASMBS Foundation congratulates and thanks the Allergan Foundation for their insight and awareness of the importance of our mission; to raise funds for conducting research and education, to increase public and scientific awareness and understanding, and to improve access to quality care and treatment of obesity and morbid obesity.
Since its inception in 1998, the Allergan Foundation has granted more than $30 million to worthy causes, focusing on four philanthropic areas: 1) the arts, 2) civic programs, 3) education, and 4) health and human services.

Ranked among the largest philanthropic organizations in Orange County, California, the Allergan Foundation also supports innovative programs and research conducted by local, national, and international educational institutions.
Charitable organizations improve the lives of people in communities and around the world, and the Allergan Foundation is proud to be a partner in that effort.

The ASMBS Foundation Challenges Other Institutions and Industry to Demonstrate Their Commitment
Only through such donations can the ASMBS Foundation continue to deliver the high-level educational programs, support research, and advocacy for our patients, which are all desperately needed at this time.
To date, through individual and corporate contributions, Operation MORE has raised over half a million dollars. The goal for 2011 is to reach the one-million-dollar mark.

The ASMBS Foundation Will Announce Recipients of the Prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award and the President’s Service Award at their 14th Annual Event During the ASMBS Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida
Each year the ASMBS Foundation honors an ASMBS member who has displayed a selfless commitment to the ASMBS and has made significant contributions to the field of metabolic and bariatric surgery.

The Foundation would like to congratulate the 2011 nominees:
Aniceto Baltasar MD;
George Cowan, MD;
Picard Marceau, MD;
Philip Schauer, MD.

Past recipients of the ASMBS Foundation’s Outstanding Achievement Award:
1998—S. Ross Fox, MD;
1999—Henry Buchwald, MD, PhD;
2000—Alex McGregor, MD;
2001—Georgeann Mallory, RD;
2002—Mervyn Deitel, MD;
2003—Douglas S. Hess, MD;
2004—John Linner, MD;
2005—Edward  Mason, MD;
2006—Nicola Scopinaro, MD;
2007—Walter Pories, MD;
2009—MAL Fobi, MD;
2010—Harvey Sugerman, MD.

The President’s Service Award was founded in 2011 by Dr. Kelvin Higa and recognizes an individual who has made lasting contributions to the ASMBS Foundation and our mission to support the ASMBS.

Again, congratulations to all of the nominees and past recipients, and also a special thanks to our 14th Annual event sponsors: Allergan, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Synovis, and Bariatric Advantage.

The ASMBS Foundation’s and the Obesity Action Coalition’s Walk from Obesity Welcomes Our New 2011 National Corporate Sponsors

Platinum: The Allergan Foundation and Ethicon Endo-Surgery
Bronze: Bariatric Fusion– Complete Nutrition, Celebrate Bariatric Supplements, Clovis Community Medical Center, Fresno Heart and Surgical Hospital, Premier Nutrition and the Methodist Hospital System, Houston, Texas

It is not too late to become a National Corporate Sponsor! The Walk from Obesity is actively seeking private businesses and corporations to participate as National Sponsors.

As the largest gathering of individuals affected by obesity, the Walk from Obesity is a powerful public-awareness event. Corporate sponsors, and those who support walkers are an integral part in helping to raise awareness. In addition to prominent recognition on the event’s websites and on event T-shirts, corporate sponsors are able to reach out to participants on both the national and local levels, and proudly promote their participation and support of the event throughout the year. The Walk from Obesity also receives widespread media exposure and corporate sponsors are often recognized as a support to this important cause.

To learn more about becoming a National Corporate Sponsor of the Walk from Obesity and to view the 2011 Sponsorship Prospectus, please visit: www.walkfromobesity.com.

You can also contact Connie Stillwell at [email protected] or (866) 471-2727.

Thank you to our National Corporate Sponsors for their support and commitment to making a difference!

Tags: ASMBS Foundation

Category: ASMBS Foundation News and Update, Past Articles