AGA Government Affairs Committee
This Organizational Statement was last approved by the Governing Board, July 2019.
Mission
To further the Strategic Plan by advocating AGA research, clinical and reimbursement/payment policies; lobbying Congress and federal regulatory agencies regarding gastroenterologists’ place in health care delivery; and to influence a favorable outcome of proposed and existing regulations as well as new, proactive initiatives.
Committee Structure
The committee shall consist of 11 members (including a chair), plus a trainee. The members will possess specific skill sets to ensure that the committee can effectively deliberate the many complex issues that are under its purview. The chair of the Research Advocacy Subcommittee will serve as a voting member.
The following will serve as non-voting, ex-officio members, and not count against the maximum membership:
- Chair of the AGA Institute Practice Management and Economics Committee
- Chair of the AGA PAC Board of Advisors
- Chair of the AGA Institute Quality Committee
- AGA’s representative to the Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC)
- Digestive Health Physicians Association (DHPA)’s appointed liaison
- AGA’s delegates to the AMA
A practice councillor (who shall not count against the maximum membership) shall serve as the governing board’s liaison to the committee and shall attend all committee meetings; additional members of the Governing Board (who shall not count against the maximum membership) may be assigned as team members to the committee but are not intended to attend any committee meetings. A chair-elect (who shall not count against the maximum membership) shall be appointed one year before the end of the term of the chair.
Appointment terms of all committee members shall be for two years, with the opportunity to be renewed for an additional year based on attendance and performance. One-third of the maximum terms will expire annually.
Special Qualifications and Functions, Committee Chair
- Familiarity with biomedical research funding, clinical practice payment issues and the federal legislative and regulatory processes.
- Recent experience as a member of the AGA Government Affairs Committee or comparable committee in another organization.
Special Qualifications and Functions, Committee Members
The make-up of the committee shall have the following member skill sets:
- Solid practice management experience; understands business-side of running a practice; understands how practices are changing to reflect the current marketplace (MACRA; consolidation of practices; development of ACOs; impact of health-care reform on practices, etc.).
- Strong reimbursement and coding experience; insights into the future of practice (procedures; upcoming technologies).
- Knowledge of FDA processes and issues.
- Involved in biomedical research; understands inner workings of NIH and other research agencies.
- Health information technology experience (EHRs; e-prescribing; MIPS as it applies to EHRs).
- In large group practice (does procedures in office, HOPD and ASC settings).
- In solo or small-group practice (does procedures in office, HOPD and ASC settings).
- A young physician who can provide perspective of challenges to young GIs.
- A quality background (understands clinical measures, MIPS and APMs, comparative effectiveness).
- Practice manager.
Committee Functions
The committee will:
- Implement relevant strategic directions from the Strategic Plan assigned to the committee and review the Strategic Plan to determine new and better ways to achieve association goals.
- Provide input on strategic trends and opportunities and suggest adjustments to the Strategic Plan.
- Regularly review public health issues and AGA policies to determine those suitable for federal legislative or regulatory initiatives; periodically survey members to determine problems or opportunities suitable for federal legislative or regulatory initiatives.
- Regularly review the Strategic Plan to identify and implement federal legislative or regulatory initiatives.
- Translate AGA policies, problems, opportunities and strategic directions into specific legislative or regulatory vehicles.
- Develop and implement lobbying and related advocacy programs to secure action on legislative or regulatory vehicles.
- Propose annual budgets necessary to achieve legislative and regulatory goals and operate within the approved budget.
- Implement public policy efforts as prioritized by the governing board.
- Collaborate with the AGA PAC Board of Advisors and research advocacy subcommittee on the development of grassroots advocacy strategies.
- Communicate on an ongoing basis with members to motivate members to action and to inform them of AGA activities.
- Collaborate with the AGA PAC Board of Advisors and research advocacy subcommittee on the development of grassroots advocacy strategies.
- Develop and maintain a program to motivate and support members who wish to contact or engage legislators and regulators in support of the AGA legislative program.
- Increase name recognition for AGA among key influential audiences.
- Perform other functions as assigned by the governing board.
Subcommittee Structure
There shall be at least one subcommittee that will report to the chair of the AGA Government Affairs Committee. The structure and mission of the subcommittee is as follows:
- AGA Research Advocacy Subcommittee. Responsibilities include monitoring federal legislative and agency activities related to digestive disease research and recommending policies and initiatives to advance such research.
- The subcommittee may be populated by both members and nonmembers of the full committee. The chair serves as a member of the AGA Government Affairs Committee. Costs of the subcommittee must be included in the committee’s approved budget.
Meetings
The committee is authorized to hold two face-to-face meetings per year, one in September and one at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW), and teleconferences as needed.
The subcommittee will largely conduct business via teleconferences and email list servs but may be required to meet at DDW or in September.
Members
- Shazia M. Siddique, MD (chair)
- Omeed Alipour, MD (trainee member)
- William A. Faubion, MD (ex-officio)
- Joseph Feuerstein, MD (ex-officio)
- Claudia B. Gruss, MD, AGAF (ex-officio)
- Neil Gupta, MD, MPH
- Rachel Issaka, MD, MAS
- Jenny K. Maratt, MD (ex-officio)
- Peter Margolis, MD, AGAF (ex-officio)
- Lisa Mathew, MD, MSPH
- Joseph Mizrahi, MD, MPH
- Carol S. Murakami, MD, AGAF
- Lilani Perera, MD, AGAF (ex-officio)
- David B. Ramsay, MD, AGAF
- Jonathan Rosenberg, MD (governing board liaison)
- Sheila Rustgi, MD
- George Salem, MD
- Alex Zhornitskiy, MD
