Chapter news

Michigan Chapter holds annual meeting, participates in Advocacy Summit

The 64th Annual Meeting of the Michigan Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (MCACS) and the 66th Annual Surgical Resident’s Competition took place at Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls, MI, May 17–19. Craig Reickert, MD, FACS, President of the MCACS, and M. Ashraf Mansour, MB, BCh, FACS, Program Chair and President-Elect of the MCACS, led the event. The Michigan Committee on Trauma (COT) also hosted the 67th Annual Keyport Trauma Symposium under the leadership of COT State Chair Wayne Vanderkolk, MD, FACS.

This year, the MCACS annual meeting was expanded to include the inaugural presentation of Resident Jeopardy led by Donn Schroder, MD, FACS, with six expert teams competing. The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, team, including residents Vahagn Nikolian, MD, and Patrick Georgoff, MD, won the competition.

“QuickShot” research presentations were added to the program, allowing more residents to participate in the annual MCACS meeting. The new program format was successful, and several surgical residents gave award-winning research presentations. The overall first-place winner of the QuickShot competition was Anna Boniakowski, MD, University of Michigan, for her presentation titled Interaction Between a Macrophage Chemokine Receptor, CCR2, and its Ligand Plays a Crucial Role in Macrophage Recruitment and Regulated Inflammation in Normal Wound Healing. Jerry Jurkovich, MD, FACS, presented the 20th Annual Mo Henig Trauma Lecture on Lessons Learned from 2,500 Trauma Deaths.

In addition, several MCACS members participated in the ACS Leadership and Advocacy Summit 2017, May 6–9 in Washington, DC, and met with U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) to educate them about ACS legislative priorities that affect surgical patients.

 

North Dakota and South Dakota Chapters hold 18th joint annual meeting

The North Dakota and South Dakota Chapters of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) hosted their 18th combined chapter meeting April 27–29 in West Fargo, ND. Thursday evening’s welcoming event featured a reception and tour of the new $494 million Sanford Medical Center Fargo, which opened in July.

The scientific sessions comprised 23 presentations, including two by medical students (one from North Dakota and one from South Dakota) and seven by residents (four from North Dakota and three from South Dakota). Representing the College was First Vice-President Hilary Sanfey, MB, BCh, MHPE, FACS, FRCS, Springfield, IL, and Shane Hollett, Executive Director, ACS Foundation, Chicago, IL. Janice Zunich, MD, FACMG, clinical associate professor of medical and molecular genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Northwest-Gary, gave a presentation on genetic testing, and John Weigelt, MD, DVM, FACS, professor of surgery and chief, division of trauma and critical care, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, delivered two presentations on his personal experiences with presidential travel medical support and disaster management.

Jed Assam, fourth-year medical student at Sanford School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, SD, received the 2017 Chester B. McVay, MD, award given to an outstanding clinical or research paper submitted by a student.

The highlight of the meeting was Surgical Jeopardy, hosted by Robert P. Sticca, MD, FACS, chairman, program director, and professor, department of surgery, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (UND SMHS), Grand Forks. The competition was highly spirited, with occasional audience participation, and Katherine Senter, MD, postgraduate year (PGY)-5 and Trent Waage, MD, PGY-4 from UND SMHS prevailed.

The South Dakota Chapter will host the next combined chapter meeting April 13–14, 2018, in Deadwood, SD.

Massachusetts Chapter embraces wellness with a running club

The physical and emotional well-being of surgeons has been a subject of much discussion since a survey of ACS Fellows revealed that 40 percent of the respondents experience one or more symptoms of burnout. Further studies showed that surgeons who participate in physical fitness activities are less likely to experience burnout. ACS Panel Sessions at the annual Clinical Congress have focused on identifying and ameliorating risk factors for burnout.

In keeping with this initiative, Heena P. Santry, MD, MS, FACS, Program Chair of the Massachusetts Chapter’s 2016 annual meeting, developed the theme of Surgeon Wellness and Resiliency. The chapter established a running club called Cut to the Chase (named by Marc S. Rubin, MD, FACS, a colon and rectal surgeon at North Shore Medical Center, Danvers). Cut to the Chase participated in its inaugural race at the 13th Run to Remember Boston, which honors local fallen first responders. On May 28, more than 20 chapter members, friends, and family participated in either a five-mile or half-marathon run and ended with a postrace celebration. The MCACS Cut to the Chase team plans to participate in the next Run to Remember, May 27, 2018, and Chapter President, Anne C. Larkin, MD, FACS, encourages new members to join. Visit the MCACS Fun Run web page for more information.

 

Illinois Chapter Holds Annual Scientific Meeting

The 67th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Illinois Chapter of the ACS took place May 18−20 in Champaign. Daniel Chase, MD, FACS, a general surgeon from Hoopeston, and Michelle Olson, MD, FACS, Chapter Secretary, co-directed the program. Guest speaker Yuri Novitsky, MD, FACS, director, Comprehensive Hernia Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, OH, presented a lecture titled A Patient-Focused Approach to Technique and Mesh Selection in Hernia Repair, and Robert Steigmann, a judge for the 4th District Appellate Court of Illinois, addressed The Real Story about Medical Malpractice Litigation and the Special Protections the Law Provides Doctors and Other Healthcare Providers. Patrick V. Bailey, MD, FACS, Medical Director, Advocacy, ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy, presented What Is MIPS?…And Why It Is Important to Know.

This year’s program included a Surgical Jeopardy competition. Three teams from the University of Illinois at Chicago Metropolitan Group Hospital (UICMGH); Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield; and Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, participated in this event. The team from UICMGH, composed of Rym El Khoury, MD, PGY-1, and Deepa Bhat, MD, PGY-2, won the competition.

Awards for the Founders Competition, a contest to determine the best submitted scientific paper and that is open to residents of all surgical specialties, were presented at a dinner May 19. The first-place winner of $500 and a plaque was Molly W. Meyers, MD, Northwestern University, Chicago, for Systemically Administered Collagen-Targeted Gold Nanoparticles Bind to Arterial Injury following Vascular Interventions. The second-place winner of $300 was Timothy Daugherty, MD, MS, Southern Illinois School of Medicine, for Implementation of a Standardized, Evidence-Based Protocol for Routine Central Line Replacement. The third-place winner of $200 was Robert J. Yu, MD, Carle Foundation Hospital, for Evaluation of the Safety of Methohexital in Conscious Moderate Sedation during Colonoscopies. A total of 16 residents participated in this year’s competition.

The chapter elected its 2017−2018 officers and council members during the annual business meeting. Henry R. Moore III, MD, FACS, a general surgeon at Carle Hospital, and Dr. Olson were elected Councilors; Richard C. Anderson, MD, FACS, a general surgeon in Peoria, agreed to serve a second term as Governor; and Dawn Wietfeldt, MD, FACS, a colorectal surgeon in Springfield, was elected as Secretary/Treasurer.

A joint meeting with the Illinois Chapter, the Illinois Surgical Society, and the Metropolitan Chicago Chapter is tentatively planned for spring 2018.

ACS Italy Chapter annual meeting focuses on surgical education

TTT (Training, Teaching, and Tools) for Surgery was the theme of the annual meeting of the Italy Chapter of the ACS, May 4–5 in Catania. The Italy Chapter organized the meeting in collaboration with the Italian Society for Surgical Research (SIRC) and the Sicilian Society of Surgery (SSC). The University of Catania General Surgery and Digestive Surgery residency programs also participated in the event.

The annual meeting attracted approximately 150 participants, including surgical residents from many regions throughout Italy. ACS President-Elect Barbara L. Bass, MD, FACS, gave a lecture on The Future of Surgical Training and Teaching, which highlighted the improvements being made in training and the work being done at the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education, Houston, TX, where Dr. Bass is executive director. The meeting also featured other Continuing Medical Education (CME)-accredited programming.

The ACS Governor of the Germany Chapter, Norbert Senninger, MD, FACS, and the former ACS Governor of the Spain Chapter, Miguel Cainzos, MD, FACS, together with many Italian ACS Fellows, contributed to most of the lectures. The methodological issues concerning the training and teaching of surgery were analyzed, focusing on simulation, robotic surgery, and minimally invasive surgery, as well as the importance of training opportunities in trauma, diagnostic ultrasound, microsurgery, and experimental surgery. Thereafter, the program focused on the details of different surgical procedures within the fields of general, oncologic, and visceral surgery.

The Secretary and Treasurer of the Italy Chapter, Giuseppe Nigri, MD, FACS, presented the activities of the chapter, including the Association of Italian Surgeons in North America and the International Exchange Program, which was developed by a partnership between the ACS Massachusetts and Italy Chapters. He also discussed the opportunities for medical students, residents, and young Fellows at the ACS. On the second day of programming, junior surgeons and residents were involved in sessions to present the best videos previously selected by a committee, followed by the Surgical Jeopardy competition, which was warmly received by the audience. The meeting concluded with the awards ceremony for the three best videos and the winning team of the Surgical Jeopardy competition. To close the event, Prof. Alberto Montori, MD, FACS(Hon), expressed words of appreciation to the organizing committee and board.

Virginia Chapter supports residents for humanitarian efforts

The ACS Virginia Chapter’s Humanitarian Surgical Resident Travel Scholarship Program, now in its ninth year, offsets travel expenses for surgical residents in Virginia who are interested in participating in programs to deliver surgical care as part of humanitarian missions to underdeveloped countries.

This year, the chapter awarded scholarships to the following residents:

• Ben Rubinstein, MD, PGY-4, and J. Michael C. Kenerson, MDm, PGY-3, from Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), Norfolk, will travel to Hospital Loma de Luz, a Christian outreach hospital on the north coast of Honduras in Balfate. They will staff otolaryngology clinics and perform head and neck procedures. This year marks the EVMS department of otolaryngology’s 10th annual mission to Honduras.
• Evan Somers, MD, PGY-4, from EVMS traveled to Kijabe, Kenya, through the World Medical Mission and participated in a mission at the African Inland Church (AIC) Cure Hospital, performing cleft lip/palate operations and microtia repairs.
• Andrew Bluher, MD, PGY-3, from EVMS travelled to the Philippines and assisted in the evaluation and management of patients with head and neck masses and cancers, and thyroid disease.
• Valerie Plant, MD, PGY-3, from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health, Richmond, will travel to Jamaica with Children’s Medical Services International to help teach a pediatric trauma course, which includes didactic modules, patient scenarios for hands-on practice, a pediatric airway intubation skills station, and an introduction to ultrasound and focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) course.

West Virginia Chapter hosts 67th Annual Meeting

The West Virginia Chapter of the ACS held its 67th Annual Spring Meeting, May 11–13 at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV. Speakers included J. David Richardson, MD, FACS, Immediate Past-President of the ACS, professor and vice-chair of academic affairs, department of surgery, University of Louisville, KY; Frederick L. Greene, MD, FACS, medical director, cancer data registry, Levine Cancer Institute, Charlotte, NC; and Rebecca C. Britt, MD, FACS, critical care specialist and associate professor of surgery, EVMS.

In addition, 19 other speakers discussed a range of topics, including breast cancer treatment, plastic and reconstructive surgery, genetics, oncology, vascular surgery, and surgical volunteerism.

Three resident competitions focused on trauma, oncology, and surgery, with 10 residents from participating WV training programs. A total of 31 medical students representing Marshall University, West Virginia University (WVU) Charleston, Martinsburg and Morgantown campuses, and 15 students from the Osteopathic School at Lewisburg were in attendance. All students took part in an informal question-and-answer student forum. Students had the opportunity to attend endovascular, laparoscopy, and suturing workshops. The faculty included Bryan K. Richmond, MD, FACS, Governor, West Virginia Chapter, professor and chief of general surgery, WVU, Charleston; Alan A. Thomay, MD, FACS, assistant professor of surgery, medical student (MS) III clerkship director, WVU, Morgantown; and Jesse A. Clanton, MD, assistant professor of surgery/MS III clerkship director, WVU, Charleston. Several meeting attendees assisted with the workshops.

New York chapters visit Capitol Hill

During the ACS Leadership & Advocacy Summit, 15 surgeons from the Brooklyn-Long Island Chapter, the Eastern Long Island Chapter, and the New York Chapter went to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers and express their views on pending legislation. John McNelis, MD, FACS, President of the Brooklyn-Long Island Chapter, met with congressional staff to describe the Stop the Bleed^® campaign and its importance. Among the group of physicians from New York State who participated in these advocacy efforts were seven residents who received scholarships from the ACS to support their attendance.

All members who visited the Hill were well received, and congressional staff were attentive and receptive to the physicians’ comments and concerns.

 

Jordan Chapter offers monthly scientific activity

Renowned consultant at King Hussein Cancer Center and surgical oncologist, Ali Dabous, MB, BCh, spoke on the current status and future perspectives in treating colorectal liver metastasis at the Jordan Chapter of the ACS’ monthly scientific activity May 3 in Amman. More than 100 physicians from different regions of Jordan attended the meeting.

Dr. Dabous presented current guidelines, compared old and new treatment modalities and types of surgeries, showed pictures of cases at King Hussein Cancer Center, and presented a comparison of the center’s data with international figures. He also discussed prospective studies, which shed more light on treatment options. Although some physician attendees supported the new treatment options, others defended the older treatment methods, which made for a lively debate.

 

Turkey Chapter hosts meeting at Baskent University

The Turkey Chapter of the ACS convened at Baskent University in Ankara, May 11–12. More than 100 participants attended the surgical infection-themed meeting, which included both scientific and social programming.

The program featured lectures by invited speakers and 10-minute oral presentations selected from submitted paper abstracts. ACS Past-President Patricia J. Numann, MD, FACS, presented a lecture titled Assuring Excellence in Surgical Care and provided an update on ACS activities. Participants also were invited to submit papers for a poster presentation at the meeting and were given the opportunity to display their posters in a prominent meeting location, participate in a brief moderated session to discuss their findings, and answer questions from the audience.

The College welcomes two new international chapters

The ACS has welcomed two new chapters—the Bangladesh Chapter and the Kuwait Chapter—to its international chapter network. The ACS Board of Regents officially granted charters to the Bangladesh and Kuwait Chapters at its June 9 meeting in Chicago, IL. The College looks forward to working with and supporting both chapters as they get up and running to provide opportunities for ACS members to actively engage at the local level. With the formation of the two new chapters, the ACS now has 111 chapters around the world—67 domestic and 44 international chapters.

Dr. McCarthy meets with Sri Lankan surgeons interested in forming chapter

Mary C. McCarthy, MD, FACS, ACS Second Vice-President, participated in a surgical meeting in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, in June. Dr. McCarthy, along with other international surgeons, met with local surgeons and medical students and assisted in advanced minimally invasive cases. Several surgeons in Sri Lanka are working on educating and building interest about the ACS in anticipation of someday forming an ACS chapter in Sri Lanka.