Message from Dr. Joseph Lillo, Newly Elected President of the Southwest Lipid Association

I am honored to be chosen to keep this chair warm for the next year, and excited about the opportunity to serve the NLA, and all the members of the Southwest Chapter.   I am grateful to have received this position after it has been in the excellent care of my predecessor, Judy Collins.  I hope to move forward  with the ideas and hard work she has instituted during her tenure.  I also hope to see our chapter grow, involving ever more members as we collectively spread the word about the NLA, and continue to encourage as many as possible to become certified.  I want to do my part to help the accrediting boards to recognize the value and expertise lipid specialists bring to medicine and to our patients.  We deserve specialty status.  I do believe there is strength in numbers, and the more we are, the more likely we will attain that goal.

As I have said before, these are exciting times to be in the lipid world.  We have been given better tools to prevent cardiovascular disease, and we have many more novel ones on the way.  It is our challenge to bring this information to our colleagues in a user friendly manner, and to pay our knowledge forward so that many more patients may benefit from their providers understanding of the diagnosis and management of lipid disorders.  I consider myself a “blue collar”  lipid specialist and believe that our collective charge is to communicate the complexities of clinical lipidology clearly and simply, thus enabling our peers to hone their skills in lipid management.  The ultimate winners of this entire process are the very patients that trust us to care for them.

I am eager to hear any ideas that our chapter members have, and encourage all of you to reach out to me at any time.  Let’s not forget to have some fun during our journey, build more friendships, and help each other as much as possible.  The SWLA is each one of us, not just the name of an organization.  I promise to do my best to lead us in the right direction over the next year.  Together, let’s get this done!

Joseph L Lillo, DO, FNLA

ABCL Diplomate