CVSA Highlights eNewsletter

Highlights eNewsletter November 2016

Welcome to the November Issue of Highlights

The holiday season is a big trigger for CVSers in both adults and children. We hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season.

Adult Guidelines Update:

In the Spring of 2015, we announced a landmark project - the development of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of CVS in adults. The project is being sponsored by CVSA in partnership with the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS).

The guidelines committee has met once in person and has been having frequent conference calls. Extensive work has been done on the reference search and the writing has begun.

A meeting is scheduled in Denver for December. We are hoping the resulting article will be available in late 2017. This will be a significant help to physicians treating CVS in adults and therefore patients who are in need of care.

The guidelines committee consists of adult gastroenterologists: Committee Chair Thangam Venkatesan, M.D. - Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), CVSA advisor; Bill Hasler, M.D., University of Michigan; David Levinthal, M.D., University of Pittsburgh; Benson Massey, M.D., MCW, ANMS Councilor; Irene Sarosiek, M.D.,, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center; pediatric gastroenterologists: Bob Issenman, M.D., McMaster University, CVSA advisor; B U.K. Li, M.D., MCW, CVSA advisor; neurologist: Safwan Jaradeh, M.D. Stanford University; psychologist: Sally Tarbell, Ph.D., University of Colorado, CVSA Advisor; GI methodologists: Ravi Sharaf, M.D., North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Systems, New York; Shahnaz Sultan, M.D., University of Minnesota; patient representative: Kathleen Adams, B.S.N., R.N., CVSA.

Developing medical guidelines is a rigorous and expensive process. We had a very successful fundraising campaign for this project for which we are very grateful.

Featuring CVS at the annual Digestive Disease Week (DDW)

We are pleased to announce a very important upcoming outreach opportunity for spreading information about CVS. One of our primary medical advisors, Thangam Venkatesan, M.D. Director of the Program for Adults with CVS at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) has been invited to present on CVS at the 2017 Digestive Disease Week in Chicago. This is not just a short 20 minute talk but a 1 1/4 hour "Breakfast with an Expert". In Dr. V's words: "CVS is getting the recognition it deserves."

DDW is the annual conference for adult and pediatric gastroenterology. It is attended by approximately 10,000 physicians, investigators and para-professionals. This invitation is an honor for Dr. V, earned by her remarkable, energetic and productive commitment to patient care and creative research. We all owe her a heaping dose of thanks. CVSA will most likely have an exhibit booth at DDW this year and will be able to report on this event. We all owe her a heaping dose of thanks. CVSA will most likely have an exhibit booth at DDW this year and will be able to report on this event.

Read more about all these events in the CVSA Code V newsletter.

CVSA - HOPE STARTS HERE!