North California Chapter meeting features many resident activities
The Portola Hotel, Monterey, CA, was the site of the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (NCACS), May 15−16. Approximately 60 ACS Fellows, residents, and guests attended the meeting, which began on Friday evening with a President’s Dinner and continued on Saturday with a program rich in educational activities, many aimed at Resident Members. Examples included a Research Paper Competition, Surgical Jeopardy, and a Laparoscopic Bowl that pitted resident teams from area training programs against one another in a skills competition.
Speakers at the NCACS annual business meeting included Chapter President Shelley A. Marks, MD, FACS, who provided an update on chapter activities. The chapter presented a ceremonial plaque to Dr. Marks in recognition of her service during the past year. John Maa, MD, FACS, also was recognized for his service as Past-President of the NCACS.
The keynote speaker was Ronald V. Maier, MD, FACS, FRCSEd(Hon), First Vice-President-Elect of the ACS. Dr. Maier offered an update on College activities and described the opportunities available to ACS members to become involved in College programs. Also representing the College was Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, FACRS, Director, ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, and Director, ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®). Dr. Ko presented his thoughts on Achieving Surgical Quality—Observations from the Field. NCACS member Mary H. McGrath, MD, MPH, FACS, spoke about the ACS Foundation’s 1913 Legacy Campaign, including its history and goals. Donna Tieberg, Chapter Services Manager and author of this article, was in attendance.
Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter meeting attendees included (from left) Dr. Mancini and Most Interesting Case Competition awardees Drs. Stellmaker, Witek, and Ambani.
Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter local residents offer Most Interesting Cases
Members of the ACS Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter (SWPA) met May 11 at the Pittsburgh Rivers Casino. Sheri Mancini, MD, FACS, SWPA Chapter President, welcomed attendees and introduced Richard Daly, MD, FACS, who offered a presentation on the ACS Foundation’s goals and scholarships. The SWPA contributes to the Foundation each year, earmarking its contribution to the Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS, Scholarship Fund.
The chapter also hosted residents from local surgery programs for a Most Interesting Cases presentation. Residents from various training programs submitted a total of 17 abstracts, which the Chapter Council reviewed. From those abstracts, six residents were selected to give oral presentations and were introduced by Dr. Mancini at the meeting. Following the resident presentations, three were awarded the Most Interesting Cases of 2014. Award winners were as follows: Tad Witek, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Mercy Hospital, first place for Traumatic Esophageal and Tracheal Disruption; Michael Stellmaker, MD, FACS, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, second place for Acute Trauma in Pregnancy: Perimortem C-Section Results in Survival of the Fetus; and Ravi Ambani, MD, Allegheny General Hospital, third place for The Tuberculous Peritonitis—A Rare Cause of Abdominal Pain and Ascites in a Young Male.
Participants in the New York Coalition of Specialty Care Physicians Meeting, May 12, included (from left) Justin Rosen, ACS State Affairs Associate; Charles Coren, MD, FACS; John Cosgrove, MD, FACS; Arthur Cooper, MD, FACS; Kambhampaty Krishnastrary, MD; William Doscher, MD, FACS; and Ernesto Molmenti, MD, FACS.
New York Fellows attend fourth New York Coalition of Specialty Care Physicians meeting
Fellows of the ACS Brooklyn-Long Island Chapter and College staff participated in the fourth New York Coalition of Specialty Care Physicians Meeting in Albany on May 12. The meeting was organized by the New York Society of Ophthalmologic Surgeons, and was broken into a morning orientation session focused on current legislation, followed by an afternoon of meetings with state representatives and senators. Liability reform was a focus of the sessions with legislators, and it is anticipated that with new leadership in the House and Senate in place over the next six months, it will be possible to advance liability reform legislation. Several Fellows in attendance were new to advocacy work and appreciated the opportunity to observe the legislative process and to build relationships with legislators at the grassroots level.
Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter hosts second Young Surgeons Night at the Museum
The Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter of the College (MPACS) held its second young surgeons’ networking event May 1 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. More than 40 attendees, including young surgeons, chapter officers, and ACS Governors, received a guided tour of the museum with a focus on exhibits featuring the medical arts. As part of their commitment to engaging young surgeons in the chapter, MPACS offers residents from local medical programs the opportunity to participate in networking events and the MPACS Annual Mock Oral Examination, scheduled this year for September 19. Additional photos from the May 1 meeting are posted online.
Minnesota Surgical Society attendees, from left: Eric Jensen, MD, FACS, MSS Program Chair; and Resident Paper Award Winners Drs. Thiels, Aho, and Hernandez.
The Minnesota Surgical Society (MSS), a chapter of the ACS, held its annual Spring Meeting May 1 at the Lowes Minneapolis Hotel. Highlights of the meeting included presentations by Richard T. Zera, MD, FACS, Hennepin County Medical Center; Todd M. Tuttle, MD, FACS, University of Minnesota Medical Center; and David R. Farley, MD, FACS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, who shared their expertise in surgical approaches to unexpected abdominal cancers. The audience responded enthusiastically to the case-based presentations. James G. Schlaefer, MD, FACS, HealthPartners Coon Rapids Clinic, presented his experience of performing more than 1,000 intraoperative cholangiograms, with a focus on determining when a cholangiogram should be considered during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
ACS Regent John L. D. Atkinson, MD, FACS, provided an update on College activities and encouraged audience members to participate in advocacy efforts at the national and local levels. Donna Tieberg, ACS Chapter Services Manager, and Chapter Administrator Janna Pecquet participated in a preconference chapter council meeting, which focused on possibly revising the chapter bylaws, revamping the chapter website, and reorganizing the council positions, among other topics.
A total of 39 residents, research trainees, and medical students participated in the MSS Spring Meeting and shared their research on trauma, cancer, and general surgery. Resident Award Winners for Basic Science were Shennen Mao, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, first place; Rohini Khatri, MD, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, second place; and Johnathon Aho, MD, Mayo Clinic, third place. Winners in the Clinical Research category were as follows: Christopher Shubert, MD, Mayo Clinic, first place; Cornelius Thiels, DO, MBA, Mayo Clinic, second place; and Matthew Hernandez, MD, Mayo Clinic, third place. The winner of the Committee on Cancer paper competition was Christopher J. LaRocca, MD, of the University of Minnesota. The MSS Chapter plans to hold its fall conference October 23–24 in Duluth.
Attendees at the Japan Chapter meeting, from left: Go Wakabayashi, MD, FACS, former Chapter Councilor; Kazuhiko Yoshida, MD, FACS, Chapter Secretary; Katsuhiko Yanaga, MD, FACS, Chapter Governor/President, Dr. Mattox; Masaki Kitajima, MD, FACS(Hon); and Mitsuo Shimada, MD, FACS, Chapter Councilor.
Dr. Mattox guest speaker at Japan Surgical Society/Japan Chapter meeting
ACS Second Vice-President Kenneth L. Mattox, MD, FACS, was the guest speaker at a meeting of the Annual Congress of the Japan Surgical Society (JSS) and the ACS Japan Chapter, April 16–18, in Nagoya. Dr. Mattox’s talk on Symbiosis and Serendipity in the History of the Management of Aortic Trauma included the inspiring message that “there is always a better way.” The Japan Chapter is currently concentrating its efforts on encouraging young surgeons to join the chapter, and members are planning to attend Clinical Congress in Chicago this fall.
Record attendance for Mexico Tri-Chapter meeting in Monterrey
There was record attendance of 250 surgeons, 45 of whom are Fellows of the College, at the 37th ACS Mexico Tri-Chapter Meeting, June 11–13, at Doctors Hospital, Monterrey. All of the officers from the three Mexico Chapters—The Mexico Federal, Nor-Occidental, and Northeast Mexico Chapters—participated in the meeting. ACS Governors from Mexico also participated, as did Jose Octavio Ruiz Speare, MD, FACS(Hon), founder of the Advanced Trauma Life Support® program in Mexico. The chapter honored other senior College members. Jesus Zacarias Villarreal, MD, Health Secretary for Mexico, led the inaugural ceremony of the Tri-Chapter meeting. The deans of all the medical schools in Monterrey participated as well.
More than 50 educational sessions were offered, and special guest Dr. Mattox participated in the opening ceremonies of the conference, speaking on the ACS and Mexico As Partners. Dr. Mattox also spoke on Confounding Variables in Confusing Chest Bullets and Abdominal Vascular Catastrophes. Raffle prizes on the last day of the event included ACS history volumes and electronic tablets donated by medical vendors.
Dr. Healy addresses combined symposium of Florida and Jacksonville Chapters
The ACS Jacksonville and Florida Chapters held a combined symposium on March 31 in Jacksonville, FL. This is the first joint meeting of the two chapters; it was facilitated under the leadership of Florida Chapter President John P. Rioux, MD, FACS, and Jacksonville Chapter President Michael S. Nussbaum, MD, FACS. ACS Past-President Gerald B. Healy, MD, FACS, professor of otology and laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, was the keynote speaker. Dr. Healy spoke on Managing Practice in 2015—The Science of Quality Improvement: Transforming Health Care to Achieve the Healthiest Population. Dr. Healy’s address was dedicated to the inauguration of the Florida Surgical Quality Collaborative as the continued extension of the Florida Surgical Care Initiative. The day after the symposium, Dr. Healy officiated at Surgical Grand Rounds at the University of Florida Health Jacksonville Hospital, discussing the importance of personal commitment to quality and professional excellence.
West Virginia Chapter officers and meeting participants, from left (all MD, FACS, except for Ms. Tieberg and Ms. Bartholomew): Rebecca Wolfer, COT State Chair; ACS Governor Robert Gustafson; President Bryan Richmond; Ms. Tieberg; President-Elect Frederick Martinez; and William Burns, Secretary/Treasurer. Second row: James Carrier, Councilor; Curtis Harrison, First Vice-President; John DeLuca, Councilor; Patrick Stone, Second Vice-President; Hannah Hazard, COC State Chair; Sharon Bartholomew, Chapter Administrator; Roger King, Past-ACS Governor; Thomas McClellan, Councilor; Richard Vaughan, Past-President; and Gene Duremdes, Immediate Past-President.
West Virginia Chapter holds special Q&A session with medical students and surgeons
The 65th Annual Meeting of the ACS West Virginia (WV) Chapter took place May 7–9 at the 235-year-old landmark Greenbriar Resort in White Sulphur Springs. The chapter has hosted meetings at this location for more than 60 years. Over the years, the landmark resort has hosted U.S. presidents, as well as international celebrities and dignitaries, and features a large bunker that was built in the 1950s during the Cold War. The bunker was intended to serve as a fallout shelter for the U.S. Congress in the event of an attack.
Chapter President Bryan K. Richmond, MD, FACS, welcomed the more than 120 participants of the meeting, including Fellows, residents, medical students, and affiliate members. Dr. Richmond challenged young surgeons to participate in ACS and other surgical educational opportunities, network via the ACS Communities, and to identify and reach out to mentors. The meeting also included the annual WV State Resident Trauma Competition, the WV ACS Surgery Resident Competition, and a series of Pro/Con debates, one of which included a discussion about whether an 80-hour workweek was beneficial to surgical training. Guest Mark R. Katlic, MD, MMM, FACS, chair, department of surgery, and director, Center for Geriatric Surgery, Sinai Hospital, Baltimore, MD, addressed the subject of the Aging Surgeon.
Guest Dr. Mattox offered a presentation titled Innovations within the House of Surgery: American College of Surgeons in Education, Quality, and International Leadership, which featured the College’s 100 Years, 100 Reasons to Join video. Dr. Mattox gave a second presentation, 10 Operations that Changed My Life, and was able to spend extra time with medical students and residents after the day’s activities. Ms. Tieberg was present for the educational sessions and chapter social events and attended the chapter council meeting. She also was the guest at a luncheon of the West Virginia Plastic Surgery Society, which included Fellows who were attending the chapter meeting. A luncheon discussion covered topics of creating a Web presence for the society and grassroots advocacy.
A new feature of the WV chapter meeting was a dialogue between medical students, Fellows of the chapter, and guest surgeons. More than 55 medical students from the state’s surgical programs participated in an informative question-and-answer session with 25 general and specialty surgeons who attended the weekend program. Questions posed to the senior surgeons by medical students broached the topics of time management for surgeons, flexibility of practice, the ins and outs of rural surgery, fellowships, and time spent doing research.
San Diego Chapter competition participants, from left: Bindu Chandrasekaran, MB, BS; Patrick McCarty, MD; Anna Weiss, MD (UCSD); Jay Doucet, MD, FACS, Chapter President; Dr. Klaristenfeld; Erik Olson, MD; Paul Lewis, MD; and Jacob Quail, MD (Navy team).
San Diego Chapter has record turnout for Resident Surgical Jeopardy Competition
The San Diego Chapter of the ACS held its first Resident Surgical Jeopardy competition at its Spring Meeting on May 19 at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Ida and Cecil Green Faculty Club in La Jolla. A record turnout of nearly 80 Fellows, residents, and young surgeons attended a dinner and the competition, cheering on the two teams from the UCSD and the Naval Medical Center San Diego. UCSD and Navy are the only two general surgery programs in the San Diego Chapter area. The team from UCSD was awarded a trophy for winning on the final Surgical Jeopardy question. Daniel D. Klaristenfeld, MD, FACS, FASCRS, Chapter Councilor, helped to facilitate the competition.
The meeting included a talk by Bryan M. Clary, MD, FACS, chair, department of surgery, UCSD School of Medicine, and surgeon-in-chief, UCSD Health System. Dr. Clary’s presentation was titled The Imperial Valley: Personal Reflections on our Neighbor to the East. The San Diego Chapter received its Resident Surgical Jeopardy Tool Kit via the Education Committee of the Resident and Associate Society of the ACS. The Committee is pilot testing the tool kit through the end of 2015. If your chapter is interested in participating in the pilot phase of the Surgical Jeopardy Tool Kit, e-mail rasnews@facs.org.
Chapter Speed Networking to be special interest session at next Clinical Congress
The ACS Governors of the Chapter Activities Domestic and International Workgroups will offer a Special Interest Session for chapter officers, their staffs, and Governors of the College, to take place on Tuesday, October 6, at the 2015 Clinical Congress in Chicago, IL. Chapter Speed Networking is a new, fun activity that allows attendees to accelerate their Clinical Congress networking experiences through short chapter-related table talks. The table talks portion of the event will last approximately one hour, and participants will spend the final hour socializing with colleagues from around the world. Attendees can expect many invigorating conversations and are encouraged to bring plenty of business cards. For more information, contact Donna Tieberg, Chapter Services Manager, at dtieberg@facs.org or 312-202-5361.
