Take advantage of discounted registration fees by registering now for the Nov. 11-16, 2010, ACAAI Annual Meeting in Phoenix. Registration fees increase by $50 on Sept.14. Reminder to Fellows-in-Training — your registration is free through Sept.13 if it is accompanied by a letter from your training program director (optional courses and workshops are not included).

You can now view the Preliminary Program and register online. Register for housing online or by using the housing form located on the website or in the preliminary program mailed to all members.

Don't miss the Thursday program step-by-step survival guide to health care reform and learn how to: select an EMR system that meets your needs; use e-technology to market your practice within your budget; follow proper immunotherapy protocols including the use of SLIT; and much more.

Friday's popular Annual Literature Review gets better every year and fills up quickly. Scan the program and you'll find a variety of plenary sessions, symposia, workshops and Meet the Professor Breakfasts designed to meet your needs — plus special courses designed to meet the needs of your staff.

We look forward to seeing you this November in Phoenix.

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The ACAAI Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Nov. 11-16, is chock full of practical information. "I commend Dana Wallace, MD, FACAAI, president-elect and program chair, and her committee for assembling such great sessions and selecting top expert speakers," said ACAAI President Sami Bahna, MD, DrPH, FACAAI.

"The named lectures by experts with preeminence not only provide outstanding science and expand our knowledge of clinical practice, but they also pay tribute to individuals who were so important in shaping our specialty," Dr. Wallace noted.

Hear what experienced faculty members have to say about hot topics in allergic diseases at the named lectures, which include:

• Daniel Goodman Lecture, Sunday, Nov. 14: "Will SLIT Ever Come to the US? European Perspective (Pro)" — G. Walter Canonica, MD
• Jean A. Chapman Memorial Lecture, Sunday, Nov. 14: "President's Session, Allergies to Life's Pleasures: Cosmetics, Jewelry, Body Piercing and Tattoos" — Luz S. Fonacier, MD, FACAAI
• Bernard Berman Memorial Lecture, Monday, Nov. 15: "Dancing with the Allergy Stars, Pro/Con Debate: Specific Immunotherapy (Development of Tolerance) — A. Wesley Burks, MD, FACAAI
• Ira Finegold Lecture, Monday, Nov. 15: "Using the New Practice Parameters in Clinical Practice: Immunotherapy" — Linda S. Cox, MD, FACAAI
• Bela Schick Lecture, Tuesday, Nov. 16: "Nobody Does It Better, Revisited" — Myron J. Zitt, MD, FACAAI
• John P. McGovern Lecture, Tuesday, Nov. 16: "The Reactive Upper Airway: GERD — Diagnosis and Treatment" — Dennis K. Ledford, MD, FACAAI

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A unique musical cabaret of the talented MozART Group headlines the Annual Fundraising Dinner in Phoenix, Sunday, Nov. 14.

Graduates of the prestigious Academies of Music in Warsaw and Lódz, the musicians of the MozART Group have performed together since 1995. They play classical music in a humorous way and the listener is constantly surprised, amazed, laughing, and moved to tears. "I guarantee you will be very glad you came. Check their website," said Dr. Bahna, who saw their performance in Warsaw last year.

Below are few of the many rave reviews from MozART Group's online guest book:

• In one word: GENIOUS! We also got your DVD — best souvenir ever! Please come again!
• Your show is extraordinary, fantastic, highly recommended.
• I just came from your show in Germany (Lennestadt) and I just can say: YOU ARE GREAT.
• I was at the concert in Roeselare (Belgium). It was the first time for me. Hope you'll come back next year!!!!
• We saw you in Vienna yesterday. It has been the most wonderful surprise. Thank you very much!
• I have never seen before such a fantastic classical cabaret! THANKS! A musician.
• Guys! You are AWESOME!!!!!
• We saw you in the TSR studio in Geneva. Merci, merci, merci, merci, merci !!!!!!!!!!

The fundraising event includes a cocktail reception, dinner and MozART Group performance. Net proceeds will be donated to the ACAAI Foundation to support the Consortium on Children's Asthma Camps, Scholars Return Programs, and Young Faculty Support Awards. Read More...

The "Tithe-a-Talk" program benefiting the ACAAI Foundation makes it easy for you to donate honoraria from your ACAAI Annual Meeting lecture or an upcoming speaking engagement. This win-win program allows:

• Allergists to make a donation of time that turns into help for others without getting the honoraria reported as taxable income to them;
• Companies to demonstrate their good will with a charitable contribution or matching gift to the Foundation of the ACAAI in partnership with College members.

Simply complete the form on the Foundation page of the College's website and present it to the association or company that is sponsoring your talk.

In addition to the Tithe-a-Talk program, the Foundation website includes information about joining the 10K Club and the 5K Club, and planned giving programs. In times of bereavement, you can also request that donations be made to the Foundation, in lieu of flowers, to help advance the care of allergy and immunology.

The Foundation provides more than $700,000 annually to fund specialty-related programs that otherwise might cease to exist. These programs include young faculty support awards, scholar's return awards, and support for asthma camps. The bottom line is that the Foundation does make a difference. Read More...

Join the conversation on the ACAAI Annual Meeting on Twitter. Use the hashtag in your meeting tweets: #ACAAI2010. Click the link to view meeting news from ACAAI, members, media, industry and others. See how easy it is to set up an account today at Twitter 101. Follow eACAAI for professionals. Read More...

The final version of the ACAAI Review for the Allergy and Immunology Boards will be posted on the member website very soon. This all-new text may be used to study for the ABAI certification and recertification examinations. It features:

• Concise topic summaries based on the ABAI's own content outline
• Hundreds of full-color images
• Key facts and mnemonics for easy memorization

The project is led by Tao T. Le, MD, MHS, FACAAI, and co-editors Bret R. Haymore, MD, and Vivian P. Hernandez-Trujillo, MD, FACAAI. More than 20 FITs and recent FIT graduates were involved in co-authoring the 500+-page illustrated guide with the assistance of dozens of expert reviewers.

"This is the first all-new ABAI exam review written in years," Dr. Le said. "The text is peer-to-peer written. Fellows and those who are close to their training experiences are often the best judges of the topics and content that should be studied when preparing for the ABAI exam."

An advanced draft of the ABAI text review is currently available as a downloadable PDF to all members free of charge through the ACAAI website. The final version will be available in September. Read More...

If you were unable to attend the ACAAI/AAAAI Certification/Maintenance of Certification Board Review Course you can take the course online and earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Please keep in mind that you are ineligible to earn CME credit if you obtained credit for the course in April.

Course content is also available on DVD-ROM. However, this is not for credit.

To register for the online course or DVD-ROM, download the order form on the ACAAI website. If you have questions about the Online Board Review Course, please contact the ACAAI Executive Office at cme@acaai.org. For questions about purchasing a DVD-ROM of the content or technical support issues, please contact Blue Sky Broadcast or call 877-925-8375. Read More...

Do you need an easy-to-read, personalized, branded, professionally designed checklist to send to referral sources advising them about when to refer patients? Need some content for your website, patient e-news or print newsletter? Looking for a flier to distribute at health fairs and other community events?

The newest checklists in the ACAAI Relief Team series are based on the latest NHLBI Clinical Practice Guidelines, written in an easy-to-read style. There is a checklist for primary care physicians and other referral sources and another for potential patients.

These new checklists, new fall media tips, additional consumer checklists and much more can be downloaded for free.

ACAAI hopes you find these tools helpful for marketing your practice. Let us know how you've put these tools to work by e-mailing nancyryan@acaai.org.

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The ACAAI Find an Allergist Web tool is now searchable by special interest. Areas of special interest that visitors can choose from are COPD, drug challenges, food challenges, hereditary angioedema, HIV-aids, immunodeficiency, occupational asthma, rheumatology and sports medicine.

To update your membership information so your practice is included in results for these special interest areas, just update your profile on the member website. On the site, log in and update the "Practice Interests" section and be sure to "submit" your information before exiting.

If you have forgotten your login and/or password, please contact the Membership Department.

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The ACAAI President Sami Bahna, MD, DrPH, FACAAI, was invited by National Medical Association President Willarda Edwards, MD, MBA, to participate in the Opening Ceremony of the 108th Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly on July 31 in Orlando, Fla.

Dr. Bahna joined the official stage party, along with presidents of other national medical societies. The keynote address was by the U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA. The awards presentations included the Meritorious Achievement Award to ACAAI member Michael LeNoir, MD, FACAAI, of Oakland, Calif.

ACAAI Treasurer Michael Foggs, MD, FACAAI, formerly chair of the NMA Section on Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, was among the speakers of the scientific program.

Drs. Michael Lenoir and Sami Bahna

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin and Dr. Bahna

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Check out new resources on the member website, including a multitude of forms needed in your clinical practice. The ACAAI member website may have just what you need, or a better version of what you are using currently. See the Practices Resources menu on the member website to find commonly used forms, including:

• New patient intake; history and physical/consult; and consent
• Front desk and nursing triage
• Asthma disease management
• Skin testing and immunotherapy
• Rhinitis and sinusitis disease management
• Penicillin allergy testing and challenge
• Food allergy oral challenge
• Contact dermatitis and patch testing
• Disease specific assessment

The Practice Resources puts a variety of practice management tools at your fingertips. Read More...