PSG
Rumblings SUMMER 2026
WINTER 2023
PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY OF GASTROENTEROLOGY / NEWSLETTER
President’s Message / Manish Thapar, MD, AGAF, FAASLD, FACG
President’s Message / David L. Diehl, MD, FACP, FASGE
www.pasg.org
www.pasg.org
Dear PSG Members, I hope you are enjoying the summer and have found some time to recharge amid The Importance of Mentoring patient care responsibilities. I had a chance to reflect on our Independence Day on what freedom means for all of us. What struck me most was how words from the
attending physicians at one’s The PSG is launching a Declaration of Independence “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” reverberate own training program work very mentorship for GI at their in the work we doprogram taking care of people most vulnerable times. hard to train GI fellows, but this is Fellows and early career We are, of course, looking forward to our Annual Pennsylvania generally differentSociety from aofmentoring Gastroenterology taking place September 17–19, 2026, at the Hotel GI physicians.Meeting, We will relationship. Hershey. Our annual continues to be one of the highlights of the year, be reaching outmeeting to those bringing together physicians, advanced practice providers, fellows, trainees and I have been lucky enough to have of you partners who would likethe toCommonwealth, industry from across offering an opportunity to learn, some important mentors in engaging my participate in this project. network, and collaborate. This year’s program promises excellent content,
Manish Thapar, MD, AGAF, FAASLD, FACG
@DavidDiehlMD
medical career. The first speakers, and valuable opportunities to reconnect with colleagues andwas discuss assigned to me when I was a the issues shaping our specialty. I would like to thank our course director, Dr.firstHolly Many of us have benefitted from year medical student. His name Greenwald, for her time and effort in planning this event. mentors. Perhaps some of us have was Eugene “Skip” Felmar, MD and suffered for theMedtronic lack of a mentor Our 3rd Annual Capsule Course will be held on Friday, August 7, 2026. he by was a Family Practice attending during our education training. Dr. Harshit Khara–with or grant support provided Medtronic–has planned a in the San Fernando Valley area of highly interactive course with expert Mentors can have a lifelong impactinstruction and hands-on learning, covering Southern California. I enjoyed going thetheir indications for but small bowel capsule endoscopy, patient selection, diagnostic on trainees, the relationship out to his office and shadowing him algorithms, case-based interpretation using PillCam Rapid Reader software. does not goand in only one direction. closely while he saw outpatients, I would like toget personally welcome Mentors can as much benefitfellows and and advanced practice providers to sign up for the course as space is limited. educational program, attendees will rounded on inpatients, and did office satisfaction as their mentees can. After the enjoy bowling and networking before concluding the day with Dinner at the valuable Pine procedures. Beyond gaining Gastroenterology, like other areas of Barn Inn. This course has become a signature PSG educational offering, I am insight into the practice ofand medicine, medical training is akin totoaprovide “guild”,meaningful excited to see it continue learning experience while fostering I found out why his nickname was where the experienced takegeneration the connections among the next of gastroenterology professionals. “Skip” after he took me out on his novice under their wing to train I am proud to report that your PSG continues to advocate on behalf of our patients sailboat which he kept docked at them in the arts of their chosen and our profession. Recently, we partnered with the Pennsylvania Academy of the Los Angeles harbor. Skip Felmar field. All GI fellows, including us Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery (PAD), the Pennsylvania Rheumatology became a role model for me, and way back when, trainers and that the Society (PRS), andhad formally requested Pennsylvania Insurance Department the mentor-mentee relationship was coaches that typically were staffRX.PA.403. PSG shares concern with other review UPMC Health Plan Policy mutually rewarding. gastroenterologists at our program. organizations about the policy’s extensive step-therapy requirements for patients Many medical schools with inflammatory bowelprovide disease.for These onerous requirements will lead to Anothertreatment highly impactful mentor mentor relationships, but this less unnecessary delays in access toismedically necessary for Crohn’s disease that I had was someone that I chose and ulcerative increasing the risk of disease progression, hospitalization, and common in GI colitis, training. Certainly, myself. Dick Kozarek, MD was (and surgery. Working collaboratively with our specialty partners and engaging state regulators, we are helping to ensure that treatment decisions remain where they
PSG/SOCIAL: @PAGastroSoc
INSIDE:
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PSG/SOCIAL:
INSIDE
1 President’s Message
1 President’s Message 3 Practice Management 4 ColonOdessey 4 GI Supergroups 5 Annual Meeting
6 Venue Shopping 6 New Rules of Retirement 8 EMR or ESD? 8 Time is Finite 11 Roulette 9 Practice Management Tools
13 Jeopardy Winners 14 Month at Mass General 14 Annual Meeting Highlights 15 GI Fellowship 16 Board and Staff 16 Board and Staff