ATS Releases Annual “Health of the Air” Report
The “Health of the Air” report, presented at ATS 2019 and in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, is the latest in the series produced by the ATS and the Marron Institute at NYU.
The report found fewer deaths and serious illnesses have occurred in the U.S. over the past decade as a result of cleaner air, almost entirely due to reductions in PM2.5 pollution, according to a new report focusing on fine particle (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone (O3). In “Trends in Excess Morbidity and Mortality Associated with Air Pollution above ATS-Recommended Standards, 2008 to 2017,” researchers report that mortality impacts of air pollution fell by nearly half in the last decade as most U.S. counties have seen significant improvements in PM2.5, while health impacts from O3 pollution has “remained stubbornly high.”
The "Health of the Air" report estimates health impacts of air pollution for every U.S. city, as well as trends over the last 10 years.
Welcome James M. Beck, MD, ATSF, New ATS President
At the ATS International Conference 2019 in Dallas, Texas, James Beck, MD, ATSF took over as the ATS president for the 2019-2020 term. Polly Parsons, MD, became immediate past-president, and the Executive Committee welcomed Gregory Downey, MD, as the new Secretary-Treasurer. Juan C. Celedón, MD, DrPH, and Lynn Schnapp, MD, became president-elect and vice president, respectively.
Dr. Beck is professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care at the University of Colorado, and vice-chair for Veterans Affairs in the University of Colorado’s Department of Medicine. The ATS has been a major component of his professional life since 1987. He has served as MTPI (now PI-TB) Assembly chair, chair of the International Conference and Education Committees, and chair of the Planning and Evaluation Committee. He helped co-lead efforts to create a home for clinician-educators within ATS, assisting in the development of a new Section on Medical Education.
ATS Foundation Announces Recipient of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Disease Research Award
The ATS Foundation is pleased to announce that Shashi Kant, PhD, of Baylor Research Institute, has been awarded the ATS Foundation/Insmed Research Award in Nontuberculous Mycobacterial (NTM) Lung Disease. The award will provide one year of support in the amount of $50,000 to help fund Dr. Kant’s research, “Novel Short Course Chemotherapy for Treatment of M. kansasii.”
The award is sponsored by Insmed Incorporated, a global biopharmaceutical company on a mission to transform the lives of patients with serious and rare diseases. As a leader in NTM lung disease, Insmed is committed to supporting research that helps address the complex unmet needs among patients with this disease and their families.
ATS 2019 Comes to An End!
Thank you for attending ATS 2019! This year, attendees represented 100 countries from around the world!
Though ATS 2019 comes to an end today, conference attendees will be able to access conference resources for free on the ATS website for up to one year after the conference by entering their badge number.
To see select presentations from the conference, visit the ATS Facebook page. You can also catch up with all of Al and Viola’s fun on the ATS Instagram!
Don’t forget to claim your CME and MOC. More information is available on the ATS website.
Walking Challenge Results
The Walking Challenge, supported by Mylan, saw another successful year! Participants walked over 33 million steps, and reached the donation goal of $50,000 to the ATS Foundation Research Program by Mylan!
More than 500 participants walked at least 30,000 steps. Thanks to everyone who participated!
