Boston Scientific to Donate $1 Million to ASGE's IT & T Capital Campaign to Build a New State-of-the-Art GI Training Center
Oak Brook, Ill., June 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) Foundation has received a pledge of $1 million from Boston Scientific to ASGE's IT & T Capital Campaign, a fundraising project to construct a new facility that will provide cutting-edge technology and training capabilities to significantly optimize current educational opportunities. Boston Scientific's donation will be made in increments of $200,000 annually over five years.
"Boston Scientific is our first corporate partner to pledge funds for ASGE's new Institute for Training & Technology, and we are grateful for their generous donation and for recognizing the importance of building a focused and interactive learning environment that will continuously improve physician performance and patient care," said Gregory G. Ginsberg, MD, FASGE, President, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. "The world is constantly changing, and opportunities for evolutions in gastrointestinal endoscopy must be seized and maximized. This facility will provide an unparalleled anchor location to foster the development, training and adoption of new techniques and technologies as they apply to gastroenterological endoscopic management of digestive and related disorders."
ASGE has been providing learning opportunities at its current Institute for Training & Technology (IT & T) in Oak Brook, Ill. The new facility will be situated on a 3.5-acre plot in Chicago's Downers Grove suburb, close to both O'Hare and Midway airports, and will serve as the global home of endoscopy, offering a full range of medical training and continuing medical education (CME).
"Boston Scientific's pledge to the IT & T Capital Campaign reflects our strong commitment to GI education and our goals of enhancing patient outcomes and procedural efficiency," said David Pierce, President of Boston Scientific's Endoscopy Division. "The new Institute will greatly complement our existing education programs designed to provide essential hands-on training and share best practices with physicians worldwide."
The new facility will offer:
- Significantly enhanced laboratory facilities that will house up to 16 endoscopy towers and other medical equipment to provide training simulations using the latest equipment and technologies
- Advanced training models and simulators
- A 100-seat auditorium with a built-in audience-response system
- In-house DVD authoring and rapid duplication capabilities
- Additional conference space and breakout rooms
- The capability to send and receive live satellite transmissions anywhere in the world, including endoscopic instruction and demonstration techniques as well as didactic lectures on research and educational findings
- The potential to access live and/or recorded institute hands-on and didactic courses via video streaming technology or the ASGE-controlled digital resource library
- The ability for domestic and international faculty to participate in courses on site or via satellite to teach cutting-edge techniques live to anyone, anywhere in the world
- A residence for international members to extend training while in the U.S. attending DDW® or other meetings, allowing them to learn and practice techniques that are not standard in their regions of the world
"One of the goals of the ASGE Foundation is physician outreach — to educate, train and encourage innovation. With financial support from the ASGE Foundation, ASGE's work has improved the quality of digestive care provided for patients and enhanced physicians' practices, not only in the U.S., but internationally as well," said ASGE Foundation Chair Robert A. Ganz, MD, FASGE. "From this new facility we will be able to stream courses and live images anywhere around the world, so physicians could be sitting in Mumbai and watching a course going on in Chicago."
ASGE and the ASGE Foundation promote ongoing research in gastrointestinal endoscopy and its applications to disease management and prevention to ultimately improve the quality of endoscopy delivered to patients. The ASGE Foundation also funds programs designed to improve physician training and foster career development as well as supports important educational initiatives aimed at explaining the role of endoscopy in digestive health to the public. The IT & T Capital Campaign has raised funds from ASGE members and corporate partners, and the campaign is more than halfway toward its $6 million fundraising goal.
To learn more about the IT & T Capital Campaign, visit www.asge.org/ITTCampaign.
About the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Since its founding in 1941, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has been dedicated to advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with nearly 12,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education. Visit www.asge.org and www.screen4coloncancer.org for more information and to find a qualified doctor in your area.
About Endoscopy
Endoscopy is performed by specially-trained physicians called endoscopists using the most current technology to diagnose and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Using flexible, thin tubes called endoscopes, endoscopists are able to access the human digestive tract without incisions via natural orifices. Endoscopes are designed with high-intensity lighting and fitted with precision devices that allow viewing and treatment of the gastrointestinal system.
Media Contact: Anne Brownsey
(630) 570-5635
[email protected]
SOURCE American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
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