>>News from the ACS Foundation

July 2010

ACS Foundation to Sponsor Medical Industry Breakfast during Clinical Congress

Through the collaborative efforts of the ACS Foundation and College leadership and staff, increased grant support has been secured from the medical industry for the benefit of American College of Surgeons-sponsored educational activities. The funding from these industry sources has supported such areas as surgical resident and faculty scholarships, the in-house scholars program, surgical humanitarian outreach, and many other programs. These relationships with medical industry have produced new arenas for cooperation between surgeons and surgical product and device manufacturers and developers. In supporting efforts to cultivate these funding sources, the ACS Foundation board has been persistent in maintaining transparent records so that governmental requirements are met.

Each year, through the leadership of the College’s Division of Education and the Corporate and Foundation Relations Committee, the ACS Foundation sponsors a Medical Industry Breakfast during Clinical Congress to explore challenges and opportunities around relationships with industry. During the 2009 Clinical Congress, the topic of the panel discussion during the breakfast meeting was medical industry funding of continuing medical education (CME). The audience heard from representatives of academia, community surgical practice, and the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. Audience members included and were limited to Officers and Regents of the College, members of the ACS Foundation board, members of the ACS Committee on Ethics and the Committee on Emerging Surgical Technology and Education, surgical residency program directors, and representatives from medical industry. 

The 2010 Medical Industry Breakfast will be held Tuesday, October 5, in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington, DC. A panel will continue the discussion on medical industry funding for CME. Facilitated by Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, Director of the Division of Education, panel members will include: Thomas V. Whalen, MD, FACS, ACS Regent and ACS representative to the Council of Medical Specialty Societies; Terry Chang, MD, JD, director of legal and medical affairs, AdvaMed; and Joanne M. Conroy, MD, chief health care officer, American Association of Medical Colleges.

Thomas V. Whalen, MD, FACS	Terry Chang, MD, JD	Joanne M. Conroy, MD

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June 2010

IRC Committee Secures Grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation

Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, FACS

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, in collaboration with Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, FACS, Chair of the American College of Surgeons International Relations Committee (IRC), has established an endowment fund to support an International Guest Scholarship (IGS) for candidates from Greece or of Greek heritage. The grant from the Niarchos Foundation will help the IRC to achieve its goal of increasing the number of IGS awards offered annually.

Now in its 42nd year, the IGS program provides opportunities for talented young surgeons from countries outside of the U.S. and Canada to attend the College’s Clinical Congress and to visit select North American surgical institutions to advance their education.

“The future of surgery lies in the hands of the young surgeons who will develop into tomorrow’s leaders,” says Dr. Michelassi. “The generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation will help the American College of Surgeons to nurture the commitment of additional promising surgeons and, in these times of international strife, will ultimately strengthen the collaborations between nations.”

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (http://www.SNF.org) is an international philanthropic organization that makes grants in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and medicine, and social welfare. While prominent in its support of Greek-related initiatives, the Foundation’s activities are worldwide in scope.

The first Stavros Niarchos Foundation International Guest Scholarship will be awarded after the endowment has generated sufficient income to support the award. An announcement is expected in fall 2010 inviting applications for a 2012 award. Complete requirements and online application form will be posted at http://www.facs.org/memberservices/igs.html. Questions may be addressed to:

International Liaison
American College of Surgeons
633 N. St. Clair Street
Chicago, IL 60611-3211
USA
or kearly@facs.org

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May 2010

The American College of Surgeons Archives is a catalogued collection of the minutes, agendas, correspondence and other meeting materials of the College’s governance and administration. With about three hundred linear feet of material, the Archives Room on the 27th Floor of the ACS headquarters building in Chicago is an extraordinary research resource. In early 2009, under the leadership of C. Rollins Hanlon, MD, FACS, the ACS Foundation undertook a campaign to raise funds for the preservation and reorganization of the collection.

With the support of Fellows who have held the office of President of the American College of Surgeons as well as those who value the Archives, the campaign has passed the halfway mark toward its $250,000 goal. The Foundation wishes to thank the individuals and organizations who have participated in this important effort to prepare for the College’s centennial year. Contributors include: W.G.Austen, MD, FACS; James G. Chandler, MD, FACS; C. Rollins Hanlon, MD, FACS; R. Scott Jones, MD, FACS; Maurice J. Jurkiewicz, MD, FACS; LaSalle D. Leffall, MD, FACS; LaMar S. McGinnis, MD, FACS; David G. Murray, MD, FACS; David L. Nahrwold, MD, FACS; and George F. Sheldon, MD, FACS. In addition, the Archives project has received a grant from the Dana Foundation, located in New York City.

The Foundation is grateful to all those who have dedicated time and resources to the Archives Campaign. Fellows interested in contributing to the Archives Fund are encouraged to contact Martin Wojcik at 312-202-5376 or mwojck@facs.org.

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April 2010

Operation Giving Back Receives Renewed Support from Pfizer

For the seventh consecutive year, Pfizer, Inc. has renewed its support for Operation Giving Back (OGB) and its sponsorship of the Surgical Volunteerism and Humanitarian Awards. Pfizer’s generosity enables OGB to support thousands of surgical volunteers with the guidance and resources needed to provide quality, timely, appropriate surgical care to the underserved, such as during the recent response to the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The Surgical Volunteerism and Humanitarian Awards are presented annually to Fellows of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) who best manifest the spirit of giving back through volunteerism. The 2010 Awards will be presented in October during the ACS Clinical Congress in Washington, DC. For more information on gifts and grants supporting the College’s programs, visit the ACS Foundation at http://www.facs.org/acsfoundation/.

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March 2010

ACS Foundation Event in Palm Beach, FL

Mrs. David Mahoney and LaMar S. McGinnis, Jr., MD, FACS

Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS, Richard Lynn, MD, FACS, LaMar S. McGinnis, Jr., MD, FACS, Michael J. Zinner, MD FACS, LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., MD, FACS

On February 22, 2010, approximately 170 members of the Palm Beach, FL community attended a reception at the home of Mrs. David Mahoney in honor of the leadership of the American College of Surgeons. Mrs. Mahoney and her late husband, David, have had a long history of engagement in charitable activities, including the founding and continuing support of the Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute. LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., MD, FACS, Past President of ACS, and LaMar S. McGinnis, Jr., MD, FACS, current President of the College, spoke about the history and future trajectory of the College’s programs. Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS, chair of the ACS Foundation Board of Directors, discussed the College’s role in healthcare reform and in ensuring high standards of patient safety. Also representing the College were Michael Zinner, MD, FACS, chair of the ACS Board of Governors, and J. Patrick O’Leary, Executive Dean of Clinical Affairs at Florida International University College of Medicine. Representing the ACS Foundation were Richard B. Reiling, MD, FACS, Vice Chair of the ACS Foundation Board, and Martin H. Wojcik, CFRE, Interim Executive Director. This event evolved through the local advocacy of Richard Lynn, MD, FACS, and his wife Margrit, who is a long-time friend of Mrs. Mahoney, and represented innovative constituent outreach to build public philanthropic support for ACS programs.

ACS Foundation Receives Coloplast Grant for Patient Education

An educational grant to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Foundation from Coloplast Corp. will support the production and distribution of 30,000 patient care kits that prepare surgical patients for their ostomy care post-discharge.

The Surgical Patient Education Program of the College’s Division of Education developed the comprehensive, interactive skill kit, which will contain a simple ostomy simulator, sample pouches, a measurement guide, scissors, an instruction booklet with images to guide each step of skill acquisition, and a CD that will demonstrate each skill. The kit will also include a list of additional resources and support groups. In addition, the content will describe potential complications and risks and will be accompanied by detailed evaluations to support enhanced clinical outcomes, helping to ensure the efficiency of the education and access that patients require to recover from their operation.

The ostomy skills kit was developed in collaboration with professional organizations that provide care to the ostomy patient, including the American College of Surgeons, the Wound Ostomy Continence Nurses Society, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, the American Urological Association, and the United Ostomy Associations of America.

Coloplast products include ostomy care, urology and continence care, and wound and skin care.

NOTE: The skills kit for ostomy patients will be available in mid-April 2010. Surgeons may order the materials online through the American College of Surgeons Web site at: http://www.facs.org/patienteducation/.

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February 2010

American College of Surgeons Foundation Receives Coloplast Grant for Patient Education Initiative

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January 2010

Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS Chair of the Board of Directors of ACS Foundation

In January 2010, Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS, became Chair of the Board of Directors of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Foundation, after serving as Executive Director of the College for 10 years. In addition to presiding over all Board meetings, Dr. Russell will assist in raising funds to support the current portfolio of services and programs, and to fund initiatives that advance the College’s mission. During his tenure as Executive Director, the College’s membership grew to approximately 77,000, with 100 chapters around the world.

Dr. Russell explains that his major goals as Executive Director of the College will guide his work with the ACS Foundation. Key initiatives include: surgical patient care quality and safety efforts; greater accessibility to and transparency in the College for surgeons and other health care providers; and making the College more visible nationally for its commitment to heightened quality and high standards of care.

Because membership dues cannot reasonably pay for the scholarly programs and patient care quality initiatives the College must provide, Dr. Russell wants the Foundation to reach out more emphatically to agencies and organizations, in addition to the College’s own generous Fellows who want to give something back to the surgical community by helping to further the College’s work.

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November 2009

ACS Foundation Receives Grant from KCI to Honor Fellow

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI) has announced it has given an educational grant of $250,000 to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to support a fellowship and a separate scholarship in honor of Louis Argenta, MD, FACS, of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC. Both the fellowship and the scholarship will be awarded annually for the next five years.

The Dr. Louis Argenta Faculty Research Fellowship will provide a one-year annual award to help a surgeon establish an independent research program on wound care. The Dr. Louis Argenta International Guest Scholarship will be awarded each year to a surgeon from a country outside North America to allow the awardee's participation in that year's ACS Clinical Congress and the opportunity to visit academic institutions in the U.S. or Canada for further education in advancing wound care. Both educational opportunities will honor Dr. Argenta's work during the early 1990s in developing negative pressure wound therapy, as well as his continued contributions to improving the care of surgical patients.

Dr. and Mrs. Reiling Recipients of Distinguished Philanthropist Award

Richard B. Reiling, MD, FACS, and Mrs. Elizabeth Reiling were presented with the 2009 Distinguished Philanthropist Award at the 21st annual recognition luncheon of the Fellows Leadership Society (FLS) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Foundation. The luncheon was held on October 12, during the College's Clinical Congress.

In addition to their significant personal contributions, Dr. Reiling has worked tirelessly to raise philanthropic support on behalf of the College. His service on the Committee on Development began in 1997. During his tenure on that committee and now on the ACS Foundation's Board of Directors, over $16 million has been raised to advance numerous programs and initiatives at the College. Dr. Reiling has presented fundraising opportunities to Fellows at countless chapter and surgical society meetings, engaged corporations and organizations with the ACS Foundation, and advanced the spirit of giving among his colleagues and friends.

Dr. Reiling is medical director at the Presbyterian Cancer Center in Charlotte, NC. A Fellow of the College since 1977, he has long been a strong advocate for the College and the ACS Foundation. Including his recent term as Second Vice-President of the ACS, Dr. Reiling has served as a Governor-at-Large and member of the Governor's Committee on Ambulatory Surgical Care. He has also served on numerous College committees, such as the Committee on Development, Nominating Committee of the Fellows, Committee on Ethics, Member Services Liaison Committee, the Commission on Cancer, and as an ACS delegate to the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates. His distinctive service also includes serving as the President of the Ohio Chapter of the College, Chair of its Socioeconomic Committee, and Editor of the Ohio Chapter Newsletter. He also was the recipient of the ACS Distinguished Service Award in 2004. Dr. Reiling currently serves as Vice-Chair of the ACS Foundation. Dr. and Mrs. Reiling reside in Charlotte, NC

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September 2009

Scholarship Grants Awarded to the ACS Foundation

The American College of Surgeons Foundation is pleased to announce two recent grants have been received in support of scholarships. A new Scholar-in-Residence has been established at the College through an educational grant from Genentech, Inc. The ACS Scholar-in-Residence in Surgical Oncology will receive a one-year fellowship to be announced this fall and begin in July 2010. Working with ACS Cancer Programs, the Scholar will focus on utilizing the power of the National Cancer Data Base to devise studies that will impact patient care by contributing to the surgical quality programs of the College, including the Commission on Cancer’s National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Also, Ethicon, Inc. has awarded an educational grant in support of the College’s Resident Scholarship Fund. The ACS established the Resident Scholarship program in order to develop outstanding young surgeons and prepare them for careers in academic surgery. The College has chosen to dedicate this grant to support surgical residents focusing on the healing of soft tissue and minimally invasive surgery.

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August 2009

Operation Giving Back Receives Renewed Support from Pfizer

Pfizer, Inc has awarded a renewal sponsorship to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Foundation to continue funding the work of Operation Giving Back (OGB) during the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The sponsorship will also be used to support the Surgical Volunteerism and Humanitarian Awards to be presented during the 2009 Clinical Congress in Chicago. OGB promotes volunteer outreach by connecting surgeons to opportunities to "give back" by sharing their skills and expertise through clinical outreach, educational partnerships, training programs, strengthening the surgical components of public health systems, celebrating surgical champions and best practices, and advocating for better access and delivery of care to the underserved. The Surgical Volunteerism and Humanitarian Awards are presented annually to those members of the College who best manifest the spirit of giving back through volunteerism. The sponsorship marks the sixth consecutive year the College has received support from Pfizer to recognize this vital work. For more information on the ACS Foundation, visit http://www.facs.org/acsfoundation/.

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July 2009

ACS-Emerson Scholar in Medical Ethics Announced

The American College of Surgeons (ACS)-Emerson Scholar in Medical Ethics program is a two-year fellowship made possible through a grant from the Emerson Charitable Trust. The availability of this award was made possible through the efforts of ACS Foundation board member William F. Sasser, MD, FACS.

Jason Keune, MD, a Resident Member of the College and a surgical resident at Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, has been named as the inaugural ACS-Emerson Scholar. Dr. Keune will pursue his studies in St. Louis under the mentorship of Tim Keane, PhD, director of the Emerson Ethics Center in the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University (SLU), and in Chicago under the mentorship of ACS Executive Consultant and Past-President C. Rollins Hanlon, MD, FACS. As part of the fellowship, Dr. Keune will receive an MBA degree from SLU's John Cook School of Business. The ACS-Emerson Scholar in Medical Ethics will focus on the critical issues in ethics and business practices facing the medical profession and will contribute to medical ethics-related literature based on findings resulting from the program.

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April 2009

Grants Support Research

The American College of Surgeons Foundation is pleased to acknowledge Kinetic Concepts, Inc. for its grant in support of a Research Scholarship.

The ACS Foundation is also pleased to recognize Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for its support of the Annual Residents Trauma Papers Competition held during the Annual Meeting of the Committee on Trauma.

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March 2009

ACS Foundation Surpasses $1 Million in Gifts

The Board of Directors of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Foundation would like to express its appreciation to all donors who have contributed gifts. So far this fiscal year (July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009), gifts have totaled more than one million dollars.

Through the generous support to the ACS Foundation, the College has been able to expand its significant accomplishments and provide even greater benefits, including the latest in education and research to benefit members of the College and surgical patients throughout the world. Resident research scholarships, faculty fellowships, named lectures, resident paper competitions, the Nora Institute for Surgical Patient Safety, and Operation Giving Back are only a few of the many programs supported by our donors.

The College recognizes there are many organizations that request financial support. During these challenging economic times, it is gratifying to see the number of donors who choose to invest in the mission of the ACS.

To make a gift, visit the ACS Foundation Web site at http://www.facs.org/acsfoundation/ or call 312-202-5338.

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November 2008

Stock that has appreciated can be donated to the American College of Surgeons Foundation, and such a gift would avoid capital gains taxes and be a tax deduction. Stock that has suffered during the current economic downturn might be turned into a salvageable benefit if it is sold, a tax deduction is taken related to the loss, and the proceeds of the sale are then donated to the ACS Foundation. The donor can also receive a charitable contribution tax deduction for his or her gift.

Congress has approved extension of the law providing for tax-free IRA Rollovers for individuals age 70 ½ and older. If you are 70 ½ or older, you can give up to $100,000 from your IRA without paying income tax on the withdrawal. This donation will also count toward your minimum required distribution.

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September 2008

The ACS Foundation is pleased to report four recent gifts:

Raghuvir B. Gelot, MD, FACS
Raghuvir B. Gelot, MD, FACS, has recently established a permanently endowed fund in memory of his parents. The Baxiram S. and Kankuben B. Gelot Endowment Fund will provide annual funding for a selected international Fellow to attend the Clinical Congress. The first Baxiram S. and Kankuben B. Gelot Fellow will be selected to attend the 2009 Clinical Congress in Chicago

Alvin Mooney, MD, FACS
The Foundation has received notification that a bequest of was included in the estate of Alvin W. Mooney, MD, FACS. The proceeds from this bequest are unrestricted.

Emerson Foundation
Emerson Foundation has announced their support for the Emerson / ACS Scholar in Residence in Ethics. This new scholarship brings together Washington University, St. Louis University, the American College of Surgeons, and the Emerson Foundation to provide a promising surgical resident the opportunity to participate in a two-year program addressing ethical issues facing surgeons today.

Pfizer
Pfizer has provided a grant to continue funding the work of Operation Giving Back and to provide surgical volunteerism awards.

 

Revised September 1, 2010