AME Guide Grand Rounds February 2026 Session

Why It Matters

Ensuring only AMEs control DMS accounts protects certificate validity, while the new GI guidance and One Guide rollout streamline aeromedical assessments, directly impacting pilot certification and flight safety.

Key Takeaways

• AMEs must personally manage DMS; staff logins prohibited.
• Incorrect staff login changes AME name on certificates, invalidating them.
• New GI condition index added to AME guide with CACI worksheets.
• One Guide system will be publicly released in phased rollout.
• Updated disposition tables for cirrhosis, varices, and Alpha‑Gal syndrome.

Summary

The FAA’s February 2026 AME Grand Rounds focused on two critical updates: strict enforcement of DMS login protocols for Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) and a suite of new gastroenterology‑related revisions to the AME Guide. Dr. Brett Wyrick opened the session, outlined Zoom etiquette, and introduced the agenda, which split between DMS compliance and the latest guide changes released that day. Leah Olson warned that staff members using their own login.gov credentials to access an AME’s DMS account automatically reassigns the certificate’s signer, rendering medical certificates invalid. She instructed AMEs to halt examinations immediately, contact their managing specialist, and follow a prescribed correction workflow via the DMS helpdesk. The presentation then shifted to Dr. Charles Mathers, who detailed new GI condition entries—MASLD/NAFLD, MASH/NASH—and associated CACI worksheets, along with updated disposition tables for cirrhosis, esophageal varices, liver transplant, ulcerative colitis, and Alpha‑Gal syndrome. Specific diagnostic thresholds, such as a FIB‑4 index below 1.3, were highlighted to streamline low‑risk determinations. Mathers also announced the phased public release of the FAA’s internal One Guide platform, beginning with the neurology section, offering clinicians a digital tool for case review and disposition. He emphasized that while One Guide will complement the AME Guide, the latter remains the authoritative source. Real‑world examples included a typo correction for the FIB‑4 cutoff and a reminder to obtain specialist DCPNs for higher‑risk cirrhosis cases, underscoring the need for precise documentation. The updates carry significant operational implications: AMEs must tighten DMS security to preserve certificate legitimacy, and the expanded GI guidance reduces ambiguity around common liver conditions, facilitating consistent, evidence‑based certification decisions. The upcoming One Guide rollout promises broader standardization across medical specialties, ultimately enhancing flight safety and regulatory compliance.

Original Description

Dr. Brett Wyrick and Dr. Charles Mathers present the latest gastroenterology updates released February 2026. Topics include new MASLD/NAFLD & MASH/NASH guidance (with CACI), updated disposition tables for cirrhosis, esophageal varices, liver transplant, ulcerative colitis, and a new table for Alpha-Gal Syndrome. Also covers important DMS/login.gov compliance reminders for AMEs.

Includes announcement about the phased public release of One Guide.

Useful for all Aviation Medical Examiners handling GI conditions.