OAK BROOK, Ill.—The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) this month announced the appointment of Thomas M. Deas Jr., MD, MMM, FASGE, of Gastroenterology Associates of North Texas (GANT), Fort Worth, Texas, to president.
Dr. Deas assumed his duties in May during Digestive Disease Week, in San Diego. His term will continue through May 2013. Since becoming an ASGE member in 1988, he has served on a number of Society committees and the board of directors. Prior to his appointment as president, Dr. Deas served as president-elect, treasurer and as the chair of the Practice Management Committee and chair for ASGE’s Budget and Finance Committee.
“It is a great honor to serve as ASGE’s president," he said. "In the coming year, I want our membership to gain a deeper appreciation of ASGE’s value. If endoscopy is your practice, ASGE truly is your partner in advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence in gastrointestinal endoscopy. One of my top priorities as president will be to encourage implementation of information technology (IT) solutions among the ASGE membership.
"I have a strong interest in IT as a means to improve patient care," he continued. "IT tools that provide vital clinical information at the point of care or provide decision support tools and reminders and registries to improve population management are essential to improving the quality of care and reducing the burgeoning cost of care. I am convinced that IT solutions have the same potential as endoscopic technologies to improve patient care in the years ahead."
In addition to a focus on IT, his other priorities as president include the completion of the building of the new ASGE Institute for Training and Technology (IT&T) on time and on budget; to continue collaboration with the sister GI societies; and to expand the ASGE Ambassador Program which provides endoscopic training to underserved regions of the world.
