FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeffrey Macdonald (202) 973-2903
[email protected]
Jennifer Armstrong (202) 973-2930
[email protected]
DR. LUIS BALART ELECTED PRESIDENT
OF AMERICAN COLLEGE OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
October 18, 1999, Phoenix, AZ -- Physician members of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), a national specialty association representing nearly 7,000 clinical gastroenterologists and other specialists in digestive diseases, have elected liver disease expert Luis A. Balart, M.D., of New Orleans, LA as their 1999-2000 president. Dr. Balart will direct ACG's programs which include continuing medical education in the clinical, scientific and patient-related skills of gastroenterology, policies involving national and state medical affairs, managed care issues and clinical investigation.
Dr. Balart officially took his position as president during the College's Annual Scientific Meeting, held this week in Phoenix. During the next year, Dr. Balart, who has been active in legislative and regulatory advocacy on behalf of the College, will preside over the ACG Board of Trustees, which is the College's primary policy-making body. ACG is active on both the national and state levels in the areas of:
* continuing medical education;
* legislative and regulatory issues affecting physicians and patients;
* managed care;
* practice management; and
* clinical treatment of patients with digestive conditions.
Dr. Balart is the medical director of the liver transplant program at the Louisiana State University
(LSU) School of Medicine, and the Gastroenterology Section Chief at the LSU School of Medicine. Dr. Balart is a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology.
Dr. Balart completed his undergraduate studies at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He graduated from Louisiana State University School of Medicine and did his internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. He completed his residency at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Philadelphia and his fellowship work at the Ochsner Medical Institutions in New Orleans and at the Liver Unit of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. In addition to ACG, he is active in many professional and civic organizations.
Dr. Balart is the author or co-author of 28 peer-reviewed articles, more than 50 abstracts, and 5 chapters of books focusing on his areas of expertise in hepatology. He is also co-author of the New York Times best-selling book, Sugar Busters. Dr. Balart serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including the American Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatologia Clinica (Madrid, Spain).
Dr. Balart and his wife, Muffin, reside in New Orleans and have four children.
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Photographs of Dr. Balart are available by contacting Anne
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