Dear Colleagues:

What is the Academy doing for our membership and our specialty?

Later this week, thousands of this nation's leaders in business, government and healthcare, as well as millions of consumers, will become better informed about allergies and asthma-thanks to the Academy's lead role in supplemental pages to the Marketplace section of The Wall Street Journal. Although it won't be released until May 8, we have been given permission to give our members a sneak preview. See our Front Page News story below for a direct link.

In addition to providing educational information and useful resources, outstanding placement within Marketplace highlights the cost-effectiveness of treatment by an allergist/immunologist to many of our key target markets.

This is the second time in just three months that the AAAAI has been asked by the most respected media outlets in the country to author a supplement devoted to our specialty. Millions of The Washington Post readers received a supplement in early March, just in time for allergy season. These supplements augment the educational Allergy Guide developed in partnership with Rite Aid and distributed throughout their pharmacies during peak allergy season.

Where did the AAAAI find the financial resources to invest in these highly valuable, wide reaching, yet equally expensive opportunities? We didn't. All were developed pro-bono, and were the result of proactive relationship-building and strategic, sustained public relations planning. More importantly, pages within The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post greatly enhance the credibility of the allergist/immunologist and our members as the experts in allergic diseases.

Click here to read more of the President's Message

Supplemental Pages within The Wall Street Journal Highlight the Specialty
For the first time, the AAAAI and The Wall Street Journal have collaborated on supplemental pages to the Marketplace section of the paper, which is read by millions of business and medical leaders and consumers across the nation and around the world. The AAAAI's pages are scheduled to run on May 8 and include features on avoiding asthma flare-ups, ocular allergies, help for hay fever and direct links to the AAAAI Physician Referral Directory and the National Allergy Bureau^TM.

Click here to view a sneak preview of the supplemental pages. As a member benefit, the AAAAI is offering free paper copies for your waiting room. E-mail membership@aaaai.org with your request.

Join the Social Media Conversation with the AAAAI, JACI
The landscape for the exchange of health-related information has dramatically changed with the explosion of social media. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and blogs have become popular destinations for millions of Internet users worldwide.

Check below for links to connect with the AAAAI and the JACI on various social media outlets, and look for your spring issue of AAAAI News for more on how the AAAAI and the JACI are proactively involved.

	Become a fan of the AAAAI and the JACI
	Follow the JACI
	Ask questions and comment on JACI research at the JACI Journal Club Read breaking news related to allergy/immunology at JACI News Beyond Our Pages

New Asthma and Allergy Videos
The AAAAI has launched a new library of asthma and allergy videos for your patients on www.aaaai.org. The videos have also been posted on YouTube. The short videos feature AAAAI experts answering questions related to various topics on allergic disease including:

• When should I see an allergist?
• How can I tell if my asthma is under control?
• Can allergies play a role in acid reflux?
• Could my recurring infections be a PIDD?
• What is allergy skin testing?

Click here to view the library of videos. If you're looking for other educational materials, visit the Patients & Consumers Center or browse the AAAAI's Public Education Store.

View It Your Way: Purchase the 2010 Virtual Annual Meeting
For those who couldn't attend the 2010 Annual Meeting or for delegates looking to have access to sessions they missed, the AAAAI is offering the 2010 Virtual Annual Meeting, which features over 100 hours of content conveniently packaged on a Data DVD. In addition to audio recordings of presentations synchronized with PowerPoint slides, the 2010 Virtual Annual Meeting allows users to download MP3 files of all presentations, for use on portable audio players. Orders can be placed online. Also, don't forget the 2009 Virtual Annual Meeting is still available for the low cost of $99!

Claim your CME/CE Credits from the 2010 Annual Meeting
The credit claim system for the 2010 Annual Meeting is now available online. Claim your credits and print your CME certificate for your participation before the March 2011 deadline. The feedback you give about your Annual Meeting experiences and your educational needs will be used for future meetings, so please take a moment to complete those portions of the site as well.

Food Allergy Research Funding Available
The Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Genetic Studies of Food Allergies Research Program (GSFARP) challenges the scientific and clinical communities to submit original ideas that foster new directions in basic science or translational research, or novel product development leading to improved therapeutic or diagnostic tools. Full program announcements, application instructions and deadlines are available here. The required Pre-Applications (including one page Letter of Intent Narrative) should be submitted through http://cdmrp.org and are due by 5 pm Eastern Time on May 27, 2010.

Take the Practice Management Financial Data Survey
The Practice Management Committee needs your help! The Financial Data Survey collects and analyzes information on financial issues and manpower utilization to establish allergy-specific benchmarks for members to see how their practice is doing compared to regional or national standards. But the survey is only as good as the data you provide. Click here to download the 2010 survey or view past results.

Attend the 2010 National Asthma Forum
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites you to join asthma leaders from across the nation to share best practices and discuss effective strategies for community-based asthma management. Attend EPA's National Asthma Forum June 17-18, 2010, in Washington, DC, to find the ideas, approaches and inspiration to jump start and sustain a highly effective program. Visit here for more information and to register.

Find Evidence-Based Information on CAM
As an AAAAI member benefit, you have complete access to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (NMCD). This internationally recognized evidence-based resource gives physicians the tools they need to answer questions about over 40,000 complementary and alternative medicines (CAM). Click here to view the database.

Elements of Allergy and Asthma: Food Supplements and Medications During Pregnancy
It has long been known that the choices you make during pregnancy can have a lasting impact. Point your expecting patients to the AAAAI's latest educational feature, which talks about how excessive folate levels and food allergen avoidance during pregnancy may make a difference in your baby's risk of developing allergic diseases.

Allergy & Asthma Issues
Now that spring has sprung, are your patients ready for allergy season? The spring edition of Allergy & Asthma Issues is now available online as a PDF that can easily be printed and distributed to your patients. Download the newsletter here.

JACI Direct Access
Did you know that AAAAI members and subscribers can easily access full-text JACI articles through the AAAAI website? Simply log in on the AAAAI's JACI page and you will be directed to the articles. The JACI blogs are also accessible from this page.

There's More
We're all aware of the positive impact of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI). JACI articles are routinely featured in many media outlets.

Yet, the AAAAI is home to another resource that tops the charts. Members and consumers alike rank the National Allergy Bureau^TM (NAB^TM) as one of the most important places on our website. This powerful tool adds value to disease management, enhances patient education/outreach, aids in research and increases visibility of the specialty.

The NAB is the section of the AAAAI's Aeroallergen Network responsible for reporting current pollen and mold spore levels to the public. The Network is comprised of pollen and spore counting stations staffed primarily by AAAAI member volunteers who generously donate their time and expertise. The NAB provides the most accurate and reliable pollen and mold levels from 78 counting stations throughout the United States, two counting stations in Canada and two in Argentina.

Hundreds of thousands of people (physicians and patients alike) use it to find pollen levels in their regions, sign up for personalized e-mail alerts and order related educational materials. The NAB is a well-known tool for the media as well, drawing the equivalent of millions of dollars of pro-bono publicity for our specialty and resulting in tens of millions of impressions with patients and consumers.

During the past 45 days, coverage of the AAAAI and the NAB had media impressions totaling:

• More than 36,000,000 people through online sources (media and blogs)
• More than 6,000,000 people through (print newspapers, magazines, trade journals)
• And, more than 138 feature stories were about the NAB, including one on AOLHealth.com that resulted in a record 73,067 visits to our website on a single date in April.

I want to personally thank all of the certified NAB pollen counters who volunteer hundreds of hours to this very important resource. And, I encourage members to take full advantage of the breadth and depth of promotional resources available to you from the AAAAI. Connect your patients to the NAB. Request copies of The Wall Street Journal Marketplace pages or the Allergy Guide for use in your waiting rooms (see the Front Page News story for details). Enhance your Physician Referral Directory listing.

Sincerely,

Mark Ballow, MD, FAAAAI
AAAAI President
president@aaaai.org