NELA Chapter Update: Hitting the Spotlight on NELA's Shining Stars

This Fall 2023 edition of the LipidSpin on Diabesity is sponsored by NELA and SELA Chapters. The 2023 NELA Chapter and Board would like to thank all the authors, contributors, and editors who shared their expertise to make this an informative and valuable issue of LipidSpin.

Despite the healthcare challenges post pandemic of patient backlogs, increasing RVU’s, budget cuts and the increased challenges in traveling, the NELA membership presence was noted at the 2023 meetings in Atlanta and Scottsdale!

We are NELA proud for our new NLA president Dr. Daniel E. Soffer, MD, FNLA. Many of our NELA members were present as he took the gavel! His signature backpack and reading glasses above the eyebrow, we are all so grateful for all his contributions in the field of Lipidology and enhancing our clinical practice.  

During the Honors and Awards ceremony at the Annual Scientific Sessions, Dr. Soffer awarded Daniel J. Rader, MD, FNLA, the W. Virgil Brown Distinguished Achievement Award. 

NELA congratulates the following members who served on the June 2023 Annual Scientific Sessions planning committee:
Guy Mintz, MD, FNLA
Eugenia Gianos, MD, FNLA
James Underberg, MD, MNLA

NELA congratulates the following members that were faculty at the June 2023 Annual Scientific Sessions:
Peter Libby, MD, FNLA
Karen Aspry, MD, FNLA
Gissette Reyes-Soffer, MD
Paul Ridker, MD, MPH
Robert Rosenson, MD, FNLA
Mary Card, RD, MBA
Ira Goldberg, MD, FNLA
Jessica Pena, MD, FNLA

NELA congratulates the following members who served on the 2023 NLA Fall CLU planning committee:
Daniel E. Soffer, MD, FNLA
Eugenia Gianos, MD, FNLA

NELA congratulates the following members that are faculty at the 2023 NLA Fall CLU: 
Michael S. Garshick, MD, MS
Ira Goldberg, MD, FNLA
Rachel Bond, MD
Anum Saeed, MD

NELA congratulates the success of our membership over the past year. Here are their updates:

Robert Block, MD, FNLA

• Gave a lecture on Lipoprotein(a): An Unrecognized Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease at URMC Cardiology Grand Rounds in December of 2022 and at the University of Michigan’s Preventative Cardiology Conference in May of 2023.
• Earned a President’s Service Award during the NLA 2023 Annual Scientific Sessions in Atlanta. 
• Is an active member in the NLA’s mentor program. 
• Presented an abstract titled Exploring Prevalence of Statin Intolerance in Patients on LDL-Lowering Therapy Using Epic at NLA 2023 Annual Scientific Sessions.

Caroline deRichemond, CRNP, CLS, FNLA

• Faculty appointment as Instructor of Lipidology Associate Professor at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.
• Presented at the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners state clinical conference a Lipid Update 2023.
• Earned a President’s Service Award during the NLA 2023 Annual Scientific Sessions in Atlanta. 

Michael Farbaniec, MD, FACC

• Named Medical Director for the Advanced Lipid and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program at Penn State Health in Hershey, PA as well as Medical Director for Cardiac Rehabilitation Services.
• Recently became Associate Program Director for Penn State’s cardiology fellowship and is looking forward to sparking interest in cardiovascular disease prevention in training cardiologists.
• Published a review of barriers and potential interventions to lipid lowering therapy adherence with Dean Karalis and Nihar Desai.
• Featured in a roundtable webinar regarding incorporated inclisiran into a prevention practice.
• Working on an app that is directed toward providers to guide in the treatment and management of patients with severe hypercholesterolemia. 

Laney Jones, PharmD, MPH, CLS, FNLA

• Promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Genomic Health.
• Co-lead the implementation recommendations for the recently released IAS FH Guidelines.
• Kicked off NLA TEACH-ASCVD project to educate primary care clinicians.
• Watts GF, Giddings SS, Hegele RA, Raal FJ, Sturm AC, Jones LK, Sarkies MN, Al-Rasadi K, Blom DJ, Daccord M, deFerranti SD, Folco E, Libby P, Mata P, Nawawi HM, Ramaswawami U, Ray KK, Stefanutti C, Yamashita S, Pang J, Thompson GR, Santos RD.  International Atherosclerosis Society guidance for implementing best practice in the care of familial hypercholesterolemia. Nat REV Cardiol.2023 Jun 15. Doi: 10.1038/s41569-023-00892-0. Epub ahead of print. PMID:37322181.

Merle Myerson, MD, EdD, FACC, FNLA

• Named Chair of the NLA Women’s Health Group with co-chairs Drs. Eliot Brinton and Robert Wild. The group has plans to prepare patient and provider educational materials and a JCL Review article on PCOS.

Natasha Vartak, DO

• Began internal medicine residency at Lenox Hill Hospital.
• Joined the NLA in 2022 as a member in training.
• Joined the NLA publications committee in summer of 2023.

Thanks to our outgoing Chapter president Dr. Guy Minz, for a great NELA year. Dr. Minz started NELA nights, with phenomenal topics and presenters. Thank you for your leadership, laughter, and putting charm back into Lipids. It was an honor to have you as our NELA President.

Congratulations and welcome to Roda Plakogiannis, PharmD, as she steps into the NELA Presidency! NELA Nights will continue. We are currently looking into obtaining CME credits for the NELA nights. The NELA chapter has been ahead of the curve in member recruitment, and we are looking forward to welcoming our new NELA members. Roda, the NELA Chapter Board members will be here to support you during your presidency, looking forward to another rewarding year in 2023-2024.