The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) was founded in 1932 to advance the scientific study and medical practice of diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The College promotes the highest standards in medical education and is guided by its commitment to meeting the individual and collective needs of clinical GI practitioners.

• To advance knowledge of gastrointestinal disease
• To educate specialists in gastrointestinal disease
• To represent the interests of the clinician practicing in the field of gastroenterology
• To ensure quality in patient care
• To promote patient education on gastrointestinal conditions and digestive health

More than 10,000 physicians from 75 countries are members of the ACG. Through annual scientific meetings, the American Journal of Gastroenterology, regional postgraduate training courses and research grants, the ACG provides its members with the most accurate and up-to-date scientific information on digestive health and the etiology, symptomatology and treatment of GI disorders. ACG's advocacy in the public policy arenas, and the work of the ACG's 22 committees have made tremendous strides with many premiere accomplishments to improve the future of clinical gastroenterology and the quality of care available to patients with GI conditions and diseases, today. The information exchange and training acquired through College membership provide physicians with the knowledge necessary to offer the most effective patient care and to meet the challenges of today's changing health care system. For more information about becoming a member, click here.

A gastroenterologist is a physician who specializes in disorders and conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, also called the digestive tract. This organ system includes: the esophagus, liver, pancreas and biliary, small intestine and colon. After completing their general medical education, gastroenterologists train for at least two years to attain Board Certification in Internal Medicine. Then, gastroenterologists study for an additional 2 - 3 years specifically for conditions of the GI tract. For more details, click here to download a brochure entitled, "What is a Gastroenterologist".

Find a gastroenterologist in your area.

Dr. Foxx-Orenstein attended the College of Wooster in Wooster, OH, and graduated from the University of Arizona in 1981. She attended medical school at The University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa. She was chief intern at Oakland General Hospital (osteopathic) in Michigan and completed her internal medicine residency at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. Dr. Foxx-Orenstein trained in gastroenterology at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia (MCV) in Richmond where she completed fellowships in nutrition and gastroenterology and was the first Wilson Cooke fellow in therapeutic endoscopy. She subsequently served as an NIH research fellow working on mechanisms responsible for the peristaltic reflex and intestinal transit. She was the first woman gastroenterologist on the MCV faculty and helped establish their center in clinical gastrointestinal motility disorders.

Currently, Dr. Foxx-Orenstein is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and consultant for the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Foxx-Orenstein is involved in patient care and clinical and translational research focused on motility disorders of the gut, enteric neuroscience and serotonin metabolism. Dr. Foxx-Orenstein is the recipient of two Outstanding Educator of the Year awards, a Clinical Scholar Award, and numerous clinical research awards. She also has active NIH grant funding. She currently serves as an ad hoc manuscript reviewer for The American Journal of Gastroenterology, American Journal of Physiology, Gastroenterology, Gut, Digestive Diseases and Sciences, Diseases of the Esophagus, and the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

Dr. Foxx-Orenstein is a fellow of the American College of Physicians as well as a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology. She is a member of the Motility, Esophageal, and Endoscopy Interest Groups, the Enteric Neuroscience Program (ENSP) and the Clinical Enteric Neuroscience Translational and Epidemiologic Research Center (CENTER) at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She serves as a member of the Outpatient Practice Committee at Mayo Clinic and is chair of the task force on Improved Patient Understanding.

Dr. Foxx-Orenstein has been an extremely active member of the ACG. A member of the Board of Trustees since 2002, Dr. Foxx-Orenstein has served as both Treasurer and Vice President of the College. Her generous contributions of time, effort, and creativity to the College encompass service as a member of numerous committees, including serving as Chair of the ACG’s Women in Gastroenterology Committee (1998-2000), Chair of the Patient Care Committee (2000-2003), member of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee (1998-2001), and Chair of the Abstract Review Subcommittee for Outcomes Research (2000). Since 2005, Dr. Foxx-Orenstein has been a member of the National Affairs Committee.

OFFICERS:

Carol A. Burke, M.D., FACG, Cleveland, OH
Edward L. Cattau, Jr., M.D., FACG, Germantown, TN
Anthony N. Kalloo, M.D., FACG, Baltimore, MD
Sunanda V. Kane, M.D., MSPH, FACG, Rochester, MN
W. Elwyn Lyles, M.D., FACG, Alexandria, LA
Irving M. Pike, M.D., FACG, Virginia Beach, VA
Harry E. Sarles, Jr., M.D., FACG, Garland, TX
Lawrence R. Schiller, M.D., FACG, Dallas, TX
Mitchell L. Shiffman, M.D., FACG, Richmond, VA
Roy K.H. Wong, M.D., FACG, Washington, DC

The ACG provides a wide range of educational programs emphasizing clinically oriented topics. Besides the Annual Scientific Meeting and regional meetings, the ACG also offers Postgraduate Courses and many educational materials designed to help its members in their ongoing efforts to improve the health of their patients with digestive disorders.

The ACG provides conceptual and financial support for clinically relevant investigative studies. Annually, the Board of Trustees awards competitive grants through the ACG Institute for Clinical Research and Education. The results of these and other ACG-sponsored projects are presented at the College's national and local meetings.

• American Journal of Gastroenterology (published monthly)
  
  Published monthly since 1934, the American Journal of Gastroenterology is the College's official peer-reviewed journal. The goal of the Journal is to publish scientific papers relevant to the practice of clinical gastroenterology. It features outstanding original research, review articles and consensus papers related to new drugs and therapeutic modalities. The ACG Editorial Board encourages submission of original manuscripts, review articles and letters to the editor from members and non-members.
  
  
• Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology
  
  Nature Clinical Practice (NCP) Gastroenterology & Hepatology, published by Nature Publishing Group, provides timely interpretations of key developments in medical research, translating the latest findings into clinical practice. Editor-in-Chief Stephen B. Hanauer, M.D., FACG, and an international Advisory Board ensure comprehensive coverage of topical issues throughout the year, with the highest standards of editorial quality and integrity.
  
  Published monthly in print and online, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology includes editorial and opinion pieces, highlights from the current literature, commentaries on the application of recent research to practical patient care, comprehensive reviews, and in-depth case studies. You’ll find coverage on pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, gall bladder, and biliary tract, such as functional gastrointestinal disorders, inflammatory diseases, cancer, infection and nutritional disorders.
  
  
• ACG Update newsletter (a bi-monthly members only publication)
  
  This bi-monthly newsletter chronicles the activities, meetings and events sponsored by the College, and serves as a forum for ACG Members and Fellows to exchange information regarding socioeconomic and practice management issues.
  
  
• ACG SmartBrief (twice weekly members only publication)
  
  ACG SmartBrief, emailed twice weekly to ACG members, provides summaries of the latest news in gastroenterology. You’ll find news coverage of Clinical Updates, Legal & Regulatory, Practice News, Business & Market Trends, Patient Perspectives, and more. If you are an ACG member and are not currently receiving ACG SmartBrief, update your member record by adding your email address information.
  
  
• This Week: Legislative Updates (a members only publication)
  
  This communication is distributed periodically to keep members informed of important legislative developments in Congress, the federal regulatory agencies such as the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services and the Food & Drug Administration, and to solicit member involvement in legislative issues.
  
  
• Patient Brochures
• Online Education Universe
• Online Self-Assessment Tests
• Purchase Self-Assessment Tests
• Course Syllabuses

During the first week of February 2005, the American College of Gastroenterology moved into its new national headquarters building located in Bethesda, Maryland. In recognition of the continued outstanding growth in membership and programming, the move is designed to permit the College's administrative staff to better serve the needs of the organization and its members. The new space provides a significant upgrade in the amount of work-space and will permit the College to meet its administrative staffing needs for the foreseeable future.

The move to increase administrative capacity is an outgrowth of the review of the College's capabilities and resources that began in 2001 with then President Edgar Achkar's appointment of a strategic planning committee and culminated with the ratification of the ACG Strategic Plan in 2002. The College's Board of Trustees believes all members will benefit from an increased level of service and new and exciting programs that build on the ACG's unique role as champion of clinical gastroenterology.