Infectious Diseases Society of America
| Formation | 1963 |
|---|---|
| Type | Professional Association |
| Headquarters | Arlington, Virginia |
| Location | |
|
Membership
|
9,000 as of 2013 |
|
President
|
Barbara Murray |
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is a medical association representing physicians, scientists and other health care professionals who specialize in infectious diseases. It was founded in 1963 and is based in Arlington, Virginia. As of 2013, IDSA had more than 9,000 members from across the United States and nearly 100 other countries on six different continents. IDSA’s purpose is to improve the health of individuals, communities, and society by promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health, and prevention relating to infectious diseases.
The IDSA was formed from two different groups. Dr. Jay P. Sanford and a group that included members of the American Federation for Clinical Research (AFCR), American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), and the Association of American Physicians (AAP), met annually in the Spring in Atlantic City, New Jersey to discuss infectious disease topics. There was a call to formalize the meetings between the two groups.
Henry Welch, PhD, sponsored a group that met in the Fall in Washington, D.C., formed out of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), that discussed aspects of infectious diseases and proposed a new dinner group to discuss topics related to infectious diseases. In 1962, Maxwell Finland, MD, sponsored this group. Dr. Finland approached John E. Blair, president of ASM, who expressed interest in forming an infectious diseases division withing the ASM. Finland formed a planning committee. Lowell A. Rantz, MD, chaired the committee with Edward H. Kass, MS, PhD, MD, as the secretary. The committee decided to create an organization independent of ASM.
On October 26 and 27, 1963, the committee met in Warrenton, VA with 125 charter members and guests. Dr. Rantz was elected as president, but he nominated Dr. Finland to be the first instead and Kass as secretary and treasurer. Edward C. Curnen, MD, Mark H. Lepper, MD, Samuel P. Martin, MD, David E. Rogers, MD, Monroe J. Romansky, MD, and Alex J. Steigman, MD, were the first councilors and the IDSA was born.
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