The American College of Surgeons (ACS) will host the seventh annual Leadership & Advocacy Summit May 19–22 at the Renaissance Washington, DC, Downtown Hotel. The summit is a dual meeting offering comprehensive and specialized sessions that provide volunteer leaders and advocates with the skills and tools necessary to be effective in those roles. Registration for the event is now open on the ACS website.
Leadership Summit
The Leadership Summit provides a venue for members to network with ACS leaders, attend professional development sessions, and engage with colleagues to determine new and innovative ways to face challenges and enhance their leadership skills. It begins Saturday evening, May 19, with a Welcome Reception open to all registrants, followed by a full day of programming on Sunday, May 20.
More than 400 ACS leaders and members are expected to participate in the Leadership Summit. Topics will focus on honing the communication and strategic thinking skills necessary for effective leadership in and out of the operating room. Speakers will address key topics, including change management, managing complex and diverse teams, ethics in surgical leadership, leading in times of crisis, mentoring for a career in surgical leadership, and more. In addition, a portion of the event will be dedicated to sharing ACS chapter success stories and working to identify strategies to enhance and strengthen chapters.
For more information about the Leadership Summit, contact Brian Frankel, ACS Manager, International Chapter Services and Special Initiatives, at bfrankel@facs.org or 312-202-5361.
Advocacy Summit
The Advocacy Summit provides a unique opportunity to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to become a surgeon advocate. With several legislative priorities for Congress to consider before the 2018 midterm elections, surgeons are encouraged to travel to Washington to learn about and participate in this unique political climate.
Since last year’s summit, the Division of Advocacy and Health Policy (DAHP) has been focused on an extensive list of federal legislative priorities, including reducing administrative practice burdens; modifying and implementing new physician payment reforms; improving electronic health record and health information technology interoperability; increasing funding for trauma systems; enhancing cancer care and accreditation; and addressing surgical workforce and graduate medical education issues. ACS staff also will help members and attendees navigate the many additional legislative changes that lie ahead.
The Advocacy Summit will begin after the Leadership Summit on Sunday, May 20, with a dinner and keynote address. Past speakers have included television journalist Chuck Todd, political commentator Chris Matthews, U.S. Army Gen. (Retired) Stanley A. McChrystal, author Thomas Goetz, and journalists Bob Woodward and George Will.
Sessions planned for the following day will focus on the political environment in Washington, and speakers will provide updates on important health care policies and issues that detract from surgeons’ ability to provide quality patient care. Attendees will then apply this knowledge in face-to-face meetings with their senators and representatives and congressional staff. This portion of the program provides an opportunity to demonstrate surgery’s strength on Capitol Hill regarding issues of importance to surgeons and the surgical patient.
During this three-day conference, participants can expect to receive comprehensive advocacy training and learn how to use these skills throughout the year, not just in Washington. The Advocacy Summit is a great place to interact and share ideas with other surgeon advocates; meet face-to-face with key health care policymakers and legislators; and, perhaps most importantly, become the constituents their legislators know and trust to offer advice on surgical issues.
The ACS Professional Association political action committee (ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC) sponsors various events for members and SurgeonsPAC contributors. These events provide contributors with unique networking opportunities and advanced educational sessions aimed at providing an insider’s perspective on how College members can remain active participants in the political process.
In addition to raising funds to elect or re-elect congressional candidates who support a pro-surgeon, pro-patient agenda, SurgeonsPAC will host a reception at which PAC contributors will be recognized for their commitment to the surgical profession. Other SurgeonsPAC-sponsored events include an annual drawing with a grand prize valued at $3,000, a political luncheon featuring a renowned guest speaker, and presentation of the 2017 PAC awards. Resident engagement opportunities will be provided as well. In addition, the SurgeonsPAC information booth will provide attendees with a venue to meet DAHP staff to learn more about the College’s advocacy and political efforts.
For more information about the Advocacy Summit, contact Michael Carmody, ACS Congressional Affairs Coordinator, at mcarmody@facs.org or 202-672-1511. For more information about SurgeonsPAC activities, e-mail surgeonspac@facs.org or call 202-672-1520.
