ATS Awarded Accreditation with Commendation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education

The American Thoracic Society has been awarded Accreditation with Commendation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) for a six-year term, through March 31, 2024. Commendation is a mechanism to recognize the achievements of organizations that advance interprofessional collaborative practice, address public health priorities, create behavioral change, show leadership, leverage educational technology, and demonstrate the impact of education on health care professionals and patients.

Commendation was awarded following a reaccreditation process that included submission of a self-study report detailing the Society’s continuing medical education program and demonstrating compliance with 22 criteria. It also required submission of 15 performance-in-practice files, and an interview with ACCME surveyors.

ACCME accreditation is a national model, assuring the public that CME is designed to be relevant, effective, and independent.

Call for Papers

The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM) is planning a special issue to be published and distributed at the 2018 European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Paris, France Sept. 15– 19. The AJRCCM welcomes submissions from our global respiratory community with research papers in respiratory medicine, critical care, and sleep disorders. In particular, the editors seek papers focused on clinical trials, epidemiology, and clinical translational research.

Begin your manuscript submission.

Requirements:

• All submissions should conform to AJRCCM’s formatting requirements as outlined in the Instructions for Contributors.
• Be sure to mention the ERS Congress special issue in your online submission cover letter.

The deadline for consideration is June 1, 2018. Submissions for the special edition will be considered for acceptance and publication in regular issues of AJRCCM, as well.

Authors with questions should contact Marc Bendian at mbendian@thoracic.org.

ATS Walking Challenge: Get Involved

The ATS Walking Challenge, supported by Teva Respiratory, is back as part of the ATS 2018 International Conference. Walk tostay active or compete with colleagues  while helping the ATS Foundation Research program. Be one of the top five overall steppers to win a prize.

For every participant who walks 30,000 steps during ATS 2018, Teva Respiratory will make a donation of $100 to the ATS Foundation, up to $50,000.

You can pre-register and learn more here, or register onsite at the ATS Walking Challenge Booth.

Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Education Day

Join the American Thoracic Society, the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) Network, and the San Juan City Hospital (Puerto Rico) for a free Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Education Day on Saturday, April 21, 2018.
This event is open and free to all individuals with HPS, their family members, and health care providers, as well as the interested general public. It is being held in conjunction with the “Rare Lung Diseases Week at the ATS” program — an educational activity designed to foster interaction between clinicians, patients, and patient advocates on lung and airway disorders.

Where: Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel
200 Convention Blvd
San Juan, PR 0090
And online: register for the webinar here.

When: 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (AST), Saturday, April 21

New Patient Information Resource: Vaping/ Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)

The ATS has updated its Vaping/Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) Patient Information Resource to include the latest information on popular e-cigarette devices, such as JUUL. These are relatively new devices and JUUL, in particular, has made recent headlines. The new patient information sheet explains what ENDS are, how they work, and how to identify them. It also dispels popular myths, explaining that e-cigarette use has not been shown to decrease smoking, and can actually be a gateway drug for non-smokers.  Particularly dangerous are the flavored nicotine concentrates, which are not only attractive to young users, but also critically dangerous to young children, if ingested. The resource reiterates the health and addiction risks that nicotine use of any kind carries, and makes clear that vaping and e-cigarettes are not safe alternatives to smoking.

The full list of patient information fact sheets is available here.