ATLANTA (Oct. 26, 2018) – Benjamin D. Gold, MD, FAAP, FACG, Director of Quality at the Aerodigestive Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Pediatric Gastroenterologist and Partner of GI Care for Kids, has been elected President of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). Dr. Gold’s role as President-Elect will be effective Oct. 26 after being announced at the NASPGHAN annual meeting in Hollywood, Fla.
NASPGHAN is the sole professional organization in North America devoted to advancing the knowledge of diseases and function of the GI tract, liver and pancreas, and of normal and abnormal nutrition in infants, children and adolescents. As president of NASPGHAN, Dr. Gold hopes to grow the role of the organization as the professional home for all pediatric gastroenterologists in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, and value the rich diversity of all the different roles that make the pediatric GI physicians of the society. Dr. Gold also aims to expand NASPGHAN’s advocacy and public policy impact by leveraging partnerships with regulatory agencies to help ensure better access to safe and effective pediatric-tested therapeutics, short- and long-term safety monitoring, as well as appropriate safety education for patients and families.
Since 1993, Dr. Gold has been a valued member of the Children’s medical staff. He formerly served as Chief of Gastroenterology and Medical Director of the GI Diagnostics and Endoscopy Laboratory. Dr. Gold is a national leader in the pursuit of critical questions regarding the epidemiology and pathobiology of acid-related diseases in children; in particular, gastroesophageal reflux disease and other esophageal disease, including Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Dr. Gold, a well-known lecturer on upper GI disease in children, has published more than 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts and more than 30 book chapters.
“I firmly believe NASPGHAN is the most vibrant, exciting and dynamic professional organization in the arena of all the pediatric organizations and, I would venture to say, adult-gastroenterology professional societies,” Dr. Gold said. “I am incredibly humbled and honored to be elected by my peers in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico as president of NASPGHAN.”
Dr. Gold received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his medical degree from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He completed internship and residency in pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, where he also completed his research fellowship at the Research Institute as a Medical Research Council of Canada Research Fellow. Dr. Gold has served in multiple roles on national committees, including the Aerodigestive Society Membership Committee and the Advisory Committee to the American Academy of Pediatrics on Aerodigestive Disease.
Children’s is home to one of the leading pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition programs in the country. In 2018-19, U.S. News & World Report ranked our Gastroenterology and GI Surgery Program as one of the best in the nation. Our multidisciplinary team combines expertise in pediatric gastroenterology with advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies to provide outstanding care to children with digestive problems. On average, Children’s manages more than 2,150 gastroenterology inpatient cases and approximately 41,000 gastroenterology outpatient visits each year.