The American Thoracic Society, founded in 1905, is an independently incorporated, international, educational and scientific society which focuses on respiratory and critical care medicine. Today, the Society has approximately 13,500 members, 25 percent of whom are from outside the United States. The Society\'s members help prevent and fight respiratory disease around the globe through research, education, patient care, and advocacy. The Society\'s long-range goal is to decrease morbidity and mortality from respiratory disorders and life-threatening acute illnesses.
The American Thoracic Society was formed as a division of the American Lung Association, called the American Sanatorium Association. Both the American Sanatorium Association and the American Lung Association were devoted to the prevention, control and treatment of tuberculosis; the American Sanatorium Association\'s focus was on the medical aspects of tuberculosis, whereas the American Lung Association concentrated on public health issues.
As the nature of biologic and physical science evolved, so did the mission of the American Thoracic Society, as it included new areas in the prevention, control and treatment of respiratory diseases. This gradual evolution was also accompanied by two organizational name changes: in 1938, the American Sanatorium Association changed its name to the American Trudeau Society, followed by its final name change in 1960 to the American Thoracic Society. Over the past decade, the Society has further expanded its scope of activities to meet the needs of its growing international membership and to include the areas of critical care, sleep, nursing, and behavioral science, among others. The American Thoracic Society has also expanded its programs in the areas of research, education, patient care and advocacy. In the area of education, for example, the American Thoracic Society sponsors annual courses in respiratory epidemiology in Central and South America, to foster mutual learning among students and faculty from different nations. The American Thoracic Society has earned full accreditation by the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education for direct sponsorship of educational activities as well as joint sponsorships with American Thoracic Society chapters and local Lung Associations.
Most recently, the continual growth and international reach of the American Thoracic Society have made it necessary for the Society to establish its separate incorporation from the American Lung Association. The American Thoracic Society independently incorporated as a non-profit educational and scientific organization, effective January 1, 2000. The independent American Thoracic Society has the autonomy to pursue its expanding, now global mission.
The most visible recurring activity that the American Thoracic Society is engaged in is the planning and production of an International Conference. This yearly Conference has become the premier, international forum for physicians and scientists who work in pulmonary and critical care medicine. The attendance at this meeting has steadily grown through the years to reach over 14,000 attendees each year.
The three official publications of the American Thoracic Society are online at www.atsjournals.org. Internet access to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine® (AJRCCM), the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology® (AJRCMB), and the Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society® (PATS) is one of the many benefits exclusive to ATS members and subscribers. Both the AJRCCM and the AJRCMB are featured frequently in the mainstream and trade press, and the Science Citation Index ranks the journals first and fourth, respectively, filtered under Respiratory System. The journals have come to reflect the diversity of ATS membership, as one-third to one-half of published articles are submitted by non-U.S. authors.
Today, the American Thoracic Society continues to play a significant role in the fight against lung disease and the promotion of lung health. As medical scientists around the world are challenged by the resurgence of certain infectious diseases such as pneumonia, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and the hanta virus, the American Thoracic Society continues to set the standards for prevention, treatment, and control of these serious, potentially life-threatening diseases.