Henry P. Parkman, M.D.

Message from the AMS President
Henry P. Parkman, M.D.

Welcome to the AMS President’s page. 

The AMS will be hosting the First Joint International Meeting in Neurogastroenterology and Motility on September 14-17, 2006 in Boston, Massachusetts.  This joint society meeting is a milestone in bringing together the different societies interested in GI motility and neurogastroenterology.  This meeting is a joint venture for the AMS, the Functional Brain-Gut Research Group, the European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, and the International Group for Neurogastroenterology and Motility.  This meeting will be open to all individuals.  The size of the meeting promises a good interaction and exchange of ideas with others, especially for young people deciding whether neurogastroenterology and GI motility are areas they wish to pursue. 

The AMS is working hard to “spread the word” about GI Motility Disorders.  For this, the AMS has partnered with the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), a well-known patient support group.  This partnership with the IFFGD and Nancy Norton is young and growing.  There are several areas that we are developing.  First, patient information sheets on GI motility disorders which will allow patients and patient care providers to learn more about the disorders.  Second, the AMS will be tapping into the infrastructure of the IFFGD forwarding requests from media about upcoming news stories to AMS members.  Third, patients’ requests to the IFFGD for information on regional GI motility specialists will be linked with our developing database of AMS members and their areas of clinical expertise. 

Our Third Biennial American Motility Society Course on Gastrointestinal Motility in Clinical Practice will be held February 10, 11, and 12, 2006 in San Diego, California.  This third motility course promises to be just as successful as the first two (2002 in Charleston and 2004 in Nashville).  This is a two and a half day program that offers stellar faculty and is an excellent learning opportunity for anyone involved in GI motility testing, clinical care and research.  The course will emphasize new developments in diagnosis, evaluation and treatments of motility disorders and will stress the role and application of these new developments to the practitioner.  This course is intended for gastroenterologists in academic and clinical practice, GI fellows, nurses, physician assistants, technicians and medical assistants involved in adult and pediatric GI motility testing and research.

I continue to work for the AMS to maintain our society in its premier position for GI motility.  For the next year, I am working on the following areas:

1. Increase the awareness of the impact of GI motility disorders in the health of US citizens.
2. Increase the recognition of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society
   • For research interests in neurogastroenterology and motility.
   • For clinicians interested in GI motility. 
3. Encourage young investigators to enter the field of neurogastroenterology and GI motility.
4. To foster scientific meetings of the AMS and with other organizations interested in neurogastroenterology and motility.

Feel free to contact me if you have suggestions or comments.   My email is henry.parkman@temple.edu.  My office telephone number is 1-215-707-7579.