Chapter news

Domestic and international chapters of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) met in the last several months to host a variety of activities, including annual meetings, skills competitions, award ceremonies, and more. Following are highlights and photos from these programs.

Domestic Chapters

Delaware Chapter

Jason Weinberger, DO, Past-Resident and Associate Society (RAS) Chapter Representative, organized the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) Review Course. The inaugural two-day course took place January 12−13 at Christiana Care Health System in Newark.

Florida Chapter

ACS Leadership and Advocacy Summit, March 30–April 2, Washington, DC. The chapter leadership’s visit to Capitol Hill focused on unanticipated medical billing and passage of the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act.

Metropolitan Washington DC Chapter

All Surgeons Day Meeting, May 11. Barbara Lee Bass, MD, FACS, FRCS(Hon), FRCSI(Hon), FCOSECSA(Hon), ACS Immediate Past President gave a Keynote Address; Frank Opelka, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Quality and Health Policy, provided a legislative update; and Howard University won a resident skills competition.

North Carolina Chapter

North Carolina and South Carolina ACS Chapters 2019 Annual Meeting, July 19–21, Pinehurst, NC. At the President’s Party, the following surgeons were recognized with awards for their outstanding service: South Carolina, ACS Honored Surgeon Award, Randolph ‘Randy’ Smoak, Jr., MD, FACS, Chapter Past-Secretary; North Carolina, ACS PAC Award, Matthew B. Martin, MD, FACS, Chapter Past-President; and North Carolina, ACS Distinguished Service Award, Jesse H. Meredith, MD, FACS, Chapter Past-President.

Tennessee Chapter (TNACS)

2019 Annual Meeting and Inaugural Tennessee Trauma Symposium, August 8–11, Chattanooga. More than 160 surgeons, nurses, and emergency medical service personnel attended the meeting and enjoyed presentations by surgeons and trauma care professionals. Four resident paper competitions were held in Trauma, Cancer, Basic Science, and Clinical Science. Residents from the University of Tennessee (UT)-Knoxville won Surgical Jeopardy.

International chapters

Austria-Hungary Chapter

Annual Congress of the Austrian Society of Surgery, June 21, Innsbruck, Austria.

Chile Chapter

Third ACS General Surgery Review Course, July 19–20, Santiago.

Iraq Chapter

January 19, Baghdad. The first assembly was convened to discuss the formation of the Iraq Chapter. The ACS Board of Regents granted the chapter a charter in June 2019.

Lebanon Chapter

Inaugural Stop the Bleed^® Course, July 17, Beirut. Ghassan Nawfal, MD, FACS, Chapter Governor, led the course at the Lebanon Ministry of Public Health headquarters. Also in attendance were Ahmad Mustafa Zaatari, MD, FACS, Chapter President, and George Abi-Saad, MD, FACS, Region 17 Trauma Director. Attendees included government officials, ministers, members of parliament, and representatives of several high-profile institutions, such as the Lebanese Army, Internal Security Forces, and the Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense.

Nigeria Chapter

General Surgery Review Course, July 8–10, Lagos.

Thailand Chapter

44th Annual Scientific Congress of the Royal College of Surgeons of Thailand, July 13–16, Pattaya. Travel scholarships were presented to Pornthip Rattanadechapitak, MD, and Pawan Krainara, MD, who will have the opportunity to attend the ACS Clinical Congress 2019.