EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
Monday, October 28, 2019 8:00 am Central Daylight Time
Contact: Becky Abel 301-263-9000 mediaonly[at]gi.org
ACG Press Room, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center,
San Antonio, TX, (210) 582-7005 as of Monday, October 28, 2019
Dr. Mark B. Pochapin Elected President of the American College of Gastroenterology
San Antonio, TX (October 28, 2019)
Mark B. Pochapin, MD, FACG, a gastroenterologist and the Sholtz-Leeds Professor of Gastroenterology and Director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NYU School of Medicine / NYU Langone Health, was elected by the membership as the 2019–2020 President of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), a national medical organization representing more than 14,000 clinical gastroenterologists and other specialists in digestive diseases. Dr. Pochapin officially takes his position as President during the College’s Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course, held this week in San Antonio, TX. In this position, Dr. Pochapin will direct ACG’s programs, which include continuing medical education in the clinical, scientific, and patient-related skills of gastroenterology; activities involving national and state medical affairs; health policy issues; and clinical investigation.
Dr. Pochapin is the Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs in the Department of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine / NYU Langone Health. As a clinician and researcher, Dr. Pochapin focuses on the prevention, early detection, and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers and quality in endoscopy. He is also dedicated to public outreach and education in this area and serves as a leader in the national initiative to increase colorectal cancer screening—a collaborative effort that has led to an accelerated decline in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates over the past several years.
Dr. Pochapin graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science and Engineering degree in bioengineering and received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. He completed his residency and chief residency in internal medicine at New York-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center, and a fellowship in gastroenterology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine / Montefiore Medical Center.
For seven years, Dr. Pochapin served on the Board of Directors of the GI Quality Improvement Consortium (GIQuIC), a national quality registry that is a collaboration between ACG and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. He also has served on the Steering Committee of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and the board of the New York Citywide Colorectal Cancer Control Coalition (C5). He is the author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Colorectal Cancer and currently hosts a biweekly national radio broadcast called “Chief’s Rounds” on SiriusXM Doctor Radio, connecting the listening public with leading medical experts and valuable health information.
As an educator, Dr. Pochapin has a particular commitment to furthering educational initiatives and growing leadership opportunities for GI physicians. He has received over 30 teaching awards, including the Humanism in Medicine award and twice receiving the Elliot Hochstein Teaching Award, the highest honor given at Weill Cornell Medical College by vote of the graduating class. Dr. Pochapin was recently recognized for his clinical excellence and leadership with the 2019 Master Clinician Award from NYU Langone Health.
“As president, my goal is to serve the ACG, its members, and its mission—to enhance the ability of our members to provide world-class care to patients with digestive disorders and advance the profession through excellence and innovation based upon the pillars of patient care, education, scientific investigation, advocacy, and practice management,” said Dr. Pochapin. “My overarching objective as president of this incredible organization is to have every member see the ACG as their professional home and understand just how much the ACG can improve their professional lives and ability to provide the highest quality of care for their patients. I feel so privileged to have this opportunity to reinvigorate all members by exposing them to these wonderful attributes and opportunities within the ACG,” Dr. Pochapin commented.
Photographs of Dr. Pochapin are available by contacting Becky Abel, (301) 263-9000.
About the American College of Gastroenterology
Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of over 14,000 individuals from 86 countries. The College’s vision is to be the pre-eminent professional organization that champions the evolving needs of clinicians in the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based and compassionate health care to gastroenterology patients. The mission of the College is to advance world-class care for patients with gastrointestinal disorders through excellence, innovation and advocacy in the areas of scientific investigation, education, prevention and treatment. www.gi.org
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