Sarah Lustgarten-Bellah appointed President and Chair of the Board of Directors; Samantha H. Sauer appointed Chief Executive Officer
ETTERS, PA — [September 17, 2026] — Gastroparesis Patient Association for Cures and Treatments, Inc. (G-PACT), a nonprofit serving people with gastroparesis and other digestive tract paralysis disorders, today announced a new leadership structure as the organization continues to grow.
Sarah Lustgarten-Bellah has been appointed President and Chair of G-PACT’s Board of Directors, and Samantha H. Sauer has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The two will work closely together, with Lustgarten-Bellah leading the Board and helping set the organization’s long-term direction and Sauer overseeing G-PACT’s day-to-day operations and programs.
The changes come at an important time for G-PACT. As its programs and patient community have grown, so has the need for a leadership structure that can support the organization’s future while staying true to its roots and the people it serves.
“Samantha and I share the same commitment to keeping patients at the center of everything we do. I’m excited to work alongside her as we continue strengthening G-PACT, expanding our impact, and building an organization that will serve this community for years to come,” said Lustgarten-Bellah.
Lustgarten-Bellah brings both personal and nonprofit experience to the role. Diagnosed with gastroparesis at age 10 and living with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and dysautonomia, she brings firsthand understanding of the challenges patients and families face. As President and Chair, she will lead the Board of Directors, oversee governance and strategic initiatives, help shape G-PACT’s long-term priorities, and work with Sauer, the Board, patients, caregivers, clinicians, and organizational partners to advance them.
“Patients deserve more than awareness. They deserve community, better treatments, stronger research, and hope for the future,” she added. “I’m honored to serve as President and Chair as we continue building an organization that not only supports patients where they are today, but helps shape what’s possible tomorrow.”
Sauer’s appointment as CEO builds on the executive leadership role she assumed earlier this year as G-PACT’s first compensated executive in the organization’s 25-year history. She has lived experience with gastroparesis and brings a decade of nonprofit leadership and service. During her time with G-PACT, Sauer has helped grow its programs, build its community presence, and keep patient needs at the center of the organization’s work.
“G-PACT is entering a new chapter, and I believe the best way to honor everything this organization has built over the past 25 years is to make sure we’re prepared for the next 25. Sarah is the right person to help us lead that vision. Her lived experience, advocacy
background, and commitment to patients make her an incredible addition to our leadership structure. I’m excited to work alongside her and our Board to expand what G-PACT can do; not just for patients today, but for the future of gastroparesis research, treatment, advocacy, and care,” said Sauer.
G-PACT has grown considerably in recent years. The organization has expanded its patient support and educational programs, grown its Medical Advisory Board, established a Patient Advisory Council, hosted annual patient conferences, and begun developing additional resources based on what patients and families say they need.
Under the new leadership structure, G-PACT will continue that work with a focus on providing useful resources and support for patients, strengthening relationships with clinicians and researchers, advocating for greater research and attention to these conditions, and creating more opportunities for patients and caregivers to have a voice in the organization’s work.
G-PACT serves people living with gastroparesis, Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction, Colonic Inertia, and other conditions of digestive tract paralysis — conditions that are often misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and difficult to treat. The organization provides patient education, community support, quality-of-life programming, and advocacy for greater research funding and clinical attention.
About G-PACT
Gastroparesis Patient Association for Cures and Treatments, Inc. (G-PACT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Pennsylvania. Founded in 2001 by the late Carissa Haston, G-PACT serves patients and families affected by gastroparesis and related conditions of digestive tract paralysis through education, advocacy, and community support.