November 3, 2023

Important Member Alert:

Updated ACG Statement in Response to the Conflict in the Middle East

We respect and value our ACG members and thank the members who have shared their candid feedback with us on our initial statement of October 30,2023. In crafting the original public statement, our intent was to be inclusive in recognizing the suffering of all and was in no way intended to minimize the impact of recent events on the innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

With the ongoing and growing conflict in Gaza and Israel, we reiterate our heartbreak over the deaths of all innocent people, both Palestinians and Israelis, and the widespread devastation from the conflict.

We empathize with our Muslim and Jewish members and their families, as well as members of all faiths and ideologies. We want to support all of you, our members and our community of healers, who are impacted directly and indirectly by the unfolding violence.

We hope for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and healing for all communities. Our goal is for the College to remain a place of scientific exchange and collegiality across our profession for the benefit of our members and the patients they serve.

October 30, 2023

Important Member Alert:

ACG Statement on Hamas Attack

The College has just concluded its most successful Annual Scientific Meeting & Postgraduate Course in ACG history in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The meeting demonstrated the spirit of collegiality and scientific dialogue that is the hallmark of ACG. During the ACG 2023 meeting, the College’s Board of Trustees met and had a thoughtful, robust, and respectful discussion and voted to make the following statement to our members:

ACG emphatically condemns the recent brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel.

Having just completed our 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting & Postgraduate Course and as a medical organization whose mission includes improving health and wellbeing, the College believes we have an obligation as healers to make a statement in the face of unfathomable pain and suffering. We support all our members and their patients impacted by this devastating trauma.

We condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, intolerance and prejudice in all forms, express solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, and mourn for the loss of all innocent lives in Israel and Gaza.

August 10, 2023

Multi-Society Statement to Members Regarding Open Letter from Rainbows in GI Response

AASLD, ACG, AGA, ASGE and NASPGHAN acknowledge the concerns raised in the statement from Rainbows in Gastro and reaffirm our collective commitment to safety and inclusivity for our LGBTQ+ members and patients.

Each of our organizations have diverse memberships across the entire United States and numerous international locations, and we stand unequivocally for the right of our collective members and affiliates to gather for the purposes of education, scientific discourse, and collegial exchange without fear of harassment, discrimination, or other intentional harm. We are committed to undertaking all reasonable efforts to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all at our events.

March 18, 2022

The member organizations of the Group of 8, American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD), American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) endorse the statement of our international colleagues at the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) in solidarity and support for Ukraine and our colleagues and their patients in the areas impacted by the war.

Read WGO’s statement here.

March 19, 2021

“Today and every day, the Board of Trustees of the American College of Gastroenterology stands strongly and definitely in solidarity with
our Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander patients and colleagues and all those impacted by racism.”

Dear Colleagues,

Today and every day, the Board of Trustees of the American College of Gastroenterology stands strongly and definitely in solidarity with our Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander patients and colleagues and all those impacted by racism.

The ACG Officers and Trustees abhor the hatred and violence against Asians, Asian-Americans, and Pacific Islanders which has increased markedly in recent months, including the most recent killings in Atlanta.

As healers and leaders in medicine, we stand unequivocally against racially motivated violence that impacts our patients and fellow health care providers. We acknowledge that our Asian, Asian-American and Pacific Islander colleagues have been fighting two pandemics, COVID-19 and acts of violence.

We realize that many of our patients and colleagues may be feeling isolated, afraid, and frustrated in light of these events. As a core value, members of the ACG Board believe that no one should live under threats that create fear and anxiety, impact their overall health and well-being, or their ability to function to their fullest.

The College remains dedicated to the commitment expressed in a statement by the ACG Board of Trustees on May 30, 2020: “The ACG and its members vow to speak out against injustices and be a positive voice that demonstrates diversity, equity, inclusion, respect and the value of human life regardless of race, religion, gender and country of origin.”

Your ACG Board of Trustees

May 30, 2020

“The ACG and its members vow to speak out against injustices and be a positive voice that demonstrates diversity, equity, inclusion, respect
and the value of human life regardless of race, religion, gender and country of origin.”

Dear ACG Members and Fellows,

We want to acknowledge the wide range of emotions experienced by members of the ACG community in the wake of the recent horrific events that have occurred in Minneapolis. Sadly, this has been a recurrent theme in our society which may have now reached a tipping point. We are all deeply concerned and outraged by these heinous acts of hatred and discrimination.

As clinicians, we understand that our humanity is defined by how we treat others. Caring for people who are vulnerable is the core of our profession and supporting each other with kindness and understanding while promoting inclusion and equity is who we are.

This is why we must not remain silent. Racism, bigotry or discrimination of any form cannot be tolerated and when it occurs, should not be ignored.

The ACG and its members vow to speak out against injustices and be a positive voice that demonstrates diversity, equity, inclusion, respect and the value of human life regardless of race, religion, gender and country of origin. As a community of healers, we must continue to work together to make the medical profession a beacon of caring, compassion and tolerance.

Your ACG Board of Trustees