September 2025-November 2026
Applications due: July 15
Climate change is one of the most pressing health challenges of our time — and the field of GI has a role to play. Through the lens of quality improvement science, participants will gain the knowledge and tools needed to identify opportunities for sustainable change and lead initiatives that reduce their institution’s environmental footprint. Join us in learning how to make digestive health care more sustainable!
This course is designed for AGA member trainees interested in understanding the environmental impact of GI and endoscopic practices while learning how to address this with quality improvement skills. It helps support QI training in fellowship and participation counts towards faculty development, meeting ACGME requirements.
Time commitment: The program begins in September 2025 and each month is designed with 40-60 minutes of structured teaching. Teams should plan an additional one to two hours of team-based work each month to make progress on their project. Our faculty will serve as virtual QI coaches to teams. Learn more about the time commitment under the “Course Structure” tab.
End goal: Teams will have an opportunity to present their work at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2027 during the Advancing Clinical Practice: GI-Fellow-Directed Quality-Improvement Projects session.
Two ways to apply:
Program directors can register their fellows or fellows can apply with the support of a program director. Teams consist of at least two fellows and one faculty member from the same institution. All applications must be submitted by July 15, 2025, to be considered and applicants will be notified of acceptance in August.
Please note: if you are a fellow and register your program, an email will be sent to your program director notifying them of the registration.
Learning objectives
- Understand the intersection of GI care and climate change.
Recognize the environmental impact of GI and endoscopy practices and the importance of sustainability as a health care quality indicator. - Apply Quality Improvement (QI) methodology to drive sustainable change.
Learn to scope projects, write aim statements and use QI tools (e.g., process maps, fishbone diagrams) to identify opportunities for environmental improvement. - Design and measure effective interventions.
Develop and prioritize sustainability interventions using effort-impact matrices, and apply process, outcome and balancing measures to evaluate success. - Leverage data for insight and communication.
Utilize tools like Pareto and run charts, and qualitative methods to analyze and present data, write abstracts, and communicate project outcomes effectively. - Lead change and foster lasting impact.
Build collaborative teams, apply change management principles, and adopt best practices to sustain improvements and promote climate-conscious care in GI.
*Pricing:
| Member |
|---|
| Free |
*at least one team member must be an AGA member.
Course directors
Brijen Shah, MD
Professor, Medicine/Gastroenterology, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Medical Education, with tenure
Associate Dean and Vice President for Medical Affairs
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Kenneth W. Hung, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine (Digestive Diseases)
Associate Fellowship Program Director, Digestive Diseases;
Gastroenterology Elective Director – Yale New Haven Hospital
Yale School of Medicine
Jennifer K. Maratt, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Indiana University School of Medicine
Desmond Leddin, MBBCh, FRCPC
Professor of Medicine, Dalhousie University
Co-Chair, Climate Change Committee, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
Faculty
Tanya Bruckel, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
University of Rochester Medical Center
Gyanprakash Ketwaroo, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine (Digestive Diseases)
Yale School of Medicine
Chief of Endoscopy, Gastroenterology, West Haven VA
Carolyn Newberry, MD
Assistant Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Director, GI Nutrition Program
Weill Cornell Medical College
Darshan Kothari , MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Department of Medicine
Duke University School of Medicine
Rishi Naik, MD, MSCI
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Associate Fellowship Program Director
Center for Esophageal Disease
Department of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Ryan Fawley, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
GHN Director of Quality
Ohio State University
Adam Weizman, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Medical Director, Sinai Health Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Division of Gastroenterology, Mount Sinai Hospital
Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto
Session topics
- Climate change and GI: sources of the environmental impact
- Building a team charter
- Defining the problem
- LEAN concept of waste
- Current interventions to address climate change in GI
- Tools to design an intervention
- Measurement
- Analyzing results
- Communicating results
- Sustainability
Topics are current as of June 1, 2025, and are subject to change.
Starting in September 2025, teams will focus on a different aspect of quality improvement skills using the PSDA format, with the goal of instituting at least one test of change before the end of the course.
Monthly time commitment: Each month is designed with 40–60 minutes of structured teaching, either live or recorded. Teams should plan an additional one to two hours of team-based work each month to make progress on their project. The course faculty will serve as virtual QI coaches to teams as needed and requested.
Pre-work: There will be assignments that need to be completed by an individual or the team in advance of a live session. This can include reading, written exercises , or listening to or watching a digital segment. Length: 60-120 minutes
Live sessions via Zoom: These didactic/information sessions will be recorded, but live participation is strongly encouraged. We will use polls and have breakout rooms for further discussion during these sessions. Length: 30-60 minutes
Asynchronous: Content will be created by the faculty leader in advance and posted in a central location to access. The content will be assigned with a deadline. This can include exercises and project tasks.
Drop-in or on-demand coaching: This program also offers QI coaching. It can be scheduled in advance and teams can drop in if they are available OR a team can request direct coaching from faculty, which will be scheduled based on the availability of both parties. Length: 30-45 minutes
Post-program: Teams will have the opportunity to present their work at DDW 2027 during the session, Advancing Clinical Practice: GI-Fellow-Directed Quality-Improvement Projects.
Accommodations
A block of rooms has been reserved for attendees of this course at the Marriott Marquis Chicago, IL. You may make your hotel reservations by calling 1-800-228-9290 or:
Be sure to mention you are attending the 2025 AGA Principles of GI for the NP and PA Course to receive the discounted rate. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be reserved by July 3, 2025, to ensure the discounted rate of $249 per night (single/double, taxes not included).
Cancellation policy
A refund (less a $50 processing fee) will be given for cancellations received in writing on or before July 25, 2025. Please send any cancellation request to AGA Member Relations via email member@gastro.org or call 301-941-2651.
No cancellations will be accepted for refunds on or after July 26, 2025. Refunds cannot be made for no shows.