2018 April

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Welcome to the redesigned IDSA News. In response to member feedback, we’ve made the newsletter easier to navigate, allowing you to scan for articles of most interest to you. In addition, IDSA News will now be delivered every other Wednesday, bringing you the latest news from the Society on a more frequent schedule you can rely on. The monthly message from the IDSA President will now be delivered on MyIDSA, allowing you to comment and discuss important issues with your president and your colleagues. We hope you find these changes useful and welcome your feedback.

In Memoriam

Theodore C. (Ted) Eickhoff, MD, FIDSA, past president of IDSA and professor emeritus in the division of infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine died March 24 at age 86.

Journal Club

In this feature, a panel of IDSA members identifies and critiques important new studies in the current literature that have a significant impact on the practice of infectious diseases medicine.
Reviews in this issue: Taking the Pulse of Pulse-Dose Fidaxomicin and Is Dual ART the Future of HIV Treatment?

IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Curriculum for Fellows

The IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Curriculum for Fellows Workgroup has authored the recent CID article, Antimicrobial Stewardship Training for Infectious Diseases Fellows: Program Directors Identify a Curriculum Need, which describes the identified gap in educational resources available to train ID fellows in antimicrobial stewardship, and the core curriculum that was developed in response to provide foundational training in stewardship.

Illinois IDSA Members Host Representative Roskam

Russel Petrak, MD, FIDSA, Managing Partner, and Robert Fliegelman, MD with Metro Infectious Disease Consultants, welcomed Congressman Peter Roskam and his staff earlier this month to their headquarters in Burr Ridge, IL.

IDSA Mobilizes Stakeholders to Educate New Policy Leaders on AMR

IDSA led sign-on letters through our Stakeholder Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance (S-FAR) this month to three new administration officials urging a robust response to antimicrobial resistance.

Join the May Advocacy Webinar and Become an ID Advocate!

IDSA members had a record number of meetings with their members of Congress last year, with many occurring in the local offices of Senators and Representatives during the summer recesses. This summer, you can get more involved in advocacy by participating in your very own Hill Day without leaving home.

Congress Seeks to Advance ID and Opioid Efforts

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee are voting on new legislation this week to address the opioid epidemic.

Speaking Up for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program

Members of HIVMA’s Ryan White Medical Providers Coalition took to Capitol Hill earlier this month to educate policymakers on the importance of sustaining the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and the need to increase funding for the program to meet the growing demand for HIV care.

Recognize a leader in HIV: Nominations Due May 1

The annual HIVMA Leadership Awards give you a chance to recognize a colleague whose work has helped change the way we think about HIV or our approach to patient care.

IDWeek 2018 – Sneak Preview of Named Lecturers

Each year at IDWeek, the Society recognizes the exemplary and outstanding legacies left behind by those for whom the memorial lectureships are named.

Have an Original Idea to Improve ID Care?
IDea Incubator is for You!

A new and exciting event has been added to the program for IDWeek 2018 sponsored by the IDSA Telehealth and Emerging Technology Work Group.

How is Tech Used in ID Clinical Practice? Work Group Launches Member Survey

The IDSA Telehealth and Emerging Technology Work Group has prepared a survey for our members to gain a better understanding of how telehealth technology is being used in the clinical practice of infectious diseases.

CDC Call for Innovative AR Proposals

CDC is looking for new ways to identify and evaluate strategies to combat antibiotic resistance (AR). The agency collaborates with multiple researchers to improve understanding of AR in healthcare facilities, in the food supply, across communities, and in the environment (surface water and soil) to determine the potential impact on human health and identify ways to protect human health.

Strengthening Biomedical Research Workforce: National Academies Releases Recommendations

The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine has released Breaking Through: The Next Generation of Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences Researchers, a report containing recommendations to ensure that the US has the scientific workforce needed to face 21st-century infectious disease challenges.

ICYMI: What’s Hot on MyIDSA

Here’s a glance at the latest discussions happening on MyIDSA, IDSA’s members-only online community (login required):

Can a Life-Threatening Infection Be Funny?

In the latest Open Forum Infectious Diseases (OFID) podcast, Editor-in-Chief Paul Sax, MD, talks with his friend Andy Borowitz about the satirist’s brush with death while facing a serious, life-threatening infection.

PEPFAR Report to Congress Highlights Progress and
Need for Funding

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief released its 14th Annual Report to Congress this month, highlighting the progress the flagship US global HIV program has made toward achieving HIV epidemic control. IDSA and HIVMA released this statement on the report release, emphasizing the need for Congress to provide robust funding for this important program.

Science Speaks

With news from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and coverage of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci on getting ahead of the next outbreak, IDSA’s Science Speaks blog published a series of posts on global health security challenges.

Urging Strong US Leadership to End TB

IDSA has developed a physician and researcher sign-on letter to US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, urging for strong US leadership in the UN High Level Meeting on Ending Tuberculosis, to take place during the UN General Assembly on September 26.

World TB Day Activities

IDSA commemorated World Tuberculosis Day on March 24 with several activities, including the release of this statement calling for continued US support, leadership and adequate funding to respond to the world’s biggest infectious disease killer.