The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) continues to impact in-person American College of Surgeons (ACS) chapter meetings and events. Chapters have increasingly moved activities to a virtual format so that networking, advocacy efforts, mentorship, and education can continue to be offered to ACS members. Titles of meeting participants are current as of the time of the meetings.
Domestic Chapters
Hawaii Chapter
Residency Research Competition, February 29, Honolulu. A total of 12 papers were selected for the Resident Research Competition.
Organizers and competition winners, from left: Mark Grief, MD, FACS, Chapter President; Stacey Woodruff, MD, FACS, Chapter Women in Surgery Representative and Co-Facilitator of the Resident Research Competition; Grant Yoneoka, second-year medical student, first place, The University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine; Andrew Mueller, MD, fourth-year resident, tied for third place, University of Hawaii Surgical Residency Program; John Vossler, MD, chief resident, tied for third place, University of Hawaii Surgical Residency Program; Maya Yamane, MD, first-year resident, second place, Internal Medicine Resident, University of Hawaii; and Russell Woo, MD, FACS, Chapter Secretary-Treasurer and Co-Facilitator, Resident Research Competition.
Tennessee (TN) Chapter
Virtual Annual Meeting August 8, 2020. The meeting focused on COVID-19; quality issues identified by the TN Surgical Quality Collaborative; an ACS update by J. Wayne Meredith, MD, FACS, MCCM, ACS President-Elect; a residents papers competition; and a business meeting.
Georgia Society of the ACS
Virtual annual meeting August 8, 2020. The meeting specifically focused on COVID-19 surgery and clinical care—Surgery in the Age of COVID-19: The Myth, The Science, The Reality.
International Chapters
Bangladesh Chapter
Live webinar June 11, 2020, on ACS Guidelines on COVID-19: Bangladesh Perspective. Leaders from the Bangladesh Chapter, as well as a panel of experts from the Bangladesh surgical community, participated.
Ecuador Chapter
Stop the Bleed® course, August 12, 2020. The course was organized with the assistance of 400 health professionals including doctors, nurses, paramedics, and medical students, and was coordinated by Priscilla Alcócer Cordero, MD, FACS, President, Ecuador Chapter.
Egypt Chapter
Annual Conference, March 3–6, 2020, in Cairo. More than 40 speakers and 200 individuals attended the conference, which included a colorectal surgery course, a bariatric surgery course, an Egyptian Women Surgeons Forum, a robotic surgery presentation, and the latest surgical techniques for management of the open abdomen.
Pictured, from left: Mohey Elbanna, MBBCh, FACS, Governor, Egypt Chapter; Patricia J. Numann, MD, FACS, ACS Past-President; Salma Dowara, MD; Engy Elhefnawy, MD; Diana Caragacianu, MD, FACS; Susan Lee, MD, FACS; Valerie W. Rusch, MD, FACS, ACS President; and the late Adel Fouad Ramzy, MBChB, FACS.
India Chapter
Virtual Aesthetic Master Class July 5, 2020. The class, facilitated by Debraj Shome, MBBS, FACS, Treasurer, India Chapter, featured lectures on various aspects of plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Japan Chapter
Virtual Annual Meeting August 13, 2020. A total of 70 members registered for the online meeting, and more than 40 members participated in the business meeting that included the election of Chapter councilors.
Japan Chapter President Norihiro Kokudo, MD, FACS (pictured, second from bottom), and Secretary Kiyoshi Hasegawa, MD, FACS (bottom), welcomed participants to the virtual meeting.
