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Governor's Column
by Anton N. Sidawy, MD, FACS
First, I would like to thank the chapter for the privilege of representing
the membership as a Governor of the American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Tony Rankin just finished his term as Governor, and I would
like to thank him on behalf of the membership for a job well done.
As your Governor, I will strive to keep you informed of important
issues discussed by the leadership of the College, using mainly
the newsletter and other mailings when needed. In addition, through
an annual report that I will be submitting to the Board of Governors,
I will transmit your concerns to the leadership of the College.
The following is a summary of the minutes of the meeting of the
Board of Governors held in 2001 during the Annual Clinical Congress
of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Barbara Bass chaired the
meeting of the Board of Governors. The leadership of the College
addressed the Board of Governors.
Dr. James Carrico, who was then chair of the Board of Regents,
outlined the new clinical research projects undertaken by the College.
These projects included two hernia studies, a $5.2 million grant
from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality to evaluate
the feasibility of adopting the Veterans Affairs' National Surgical
Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) in 10 nongovemmental institutions,
and the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Clinical Trials
at Duke University. Dr. Thomas Russell, ACS executive director,
emphasized the role of the College in serving as an umbrella organization
representing ali of surgery. Ms. Gay Vincent, ACS comptroller, highlighted
the fiscal health of the College. She noted that there had been
a decline in major medical insurance and disability insurance certificates
by Fellows of the College. She also pointed out that the number
of active Fellows had been constant, but there had been a decline
in the number of members in the Associate and Candidate categories.
Dr. Bass outlined the major categories of concern expressed by the
Governors through the reports submitted to the Board of Govemors.
These areas of concern included physician reimbursement, professional
liability, graduate medical education, and work force issues.
The chair of the Governors' Committee to Study the Fiscal Affairs
of the College recommended an increase in dues (to $440 for domestic
Fellows), which was approved by a majority vote of the committee.
However, in a subsequent mail ballot conducted on October 29, 200
1, the Board of Regents voted to postpone the dues increase until
2003. This postponement was in reaction to the terrorists' attacks
of September 11, 200 1, and the news from the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS, formerly HCFA) that the Medicare conversion
factor would be reduced by 5.4%. Dr. John Daly, then chair of the
Committee on Physician Competency and Liability reported on the
cooperative endeavors between the College and the American Board
of Surgery. This partnership will continue the work toward physician
competence. The College will continue to provide lifelong leaming
and periodic self- assessment, while the Board provides testing
and individual assessment. This committee will put together a program
on the morbidity and mortality conference as an education risk reduction
tool at the 2002 Clinical Congress in San Francisco.
An important issue that was discussed by the Board of Governors
and approved by the Board of Regents was the establishment of a
501 (c) (6) corporation. The first goal of the corporation would
be to facilitate an expanded legislative support program, including
the creation of a political action committee. This entity will play
a major role in supporting legislative and political activities
conducted by the Division of Advocacy and Health Policy. The College's
executive director would serve as the chief executive officer of
this new entity. The proposed name of this new corporation is the
American College of Surgeons Professional Association, and the PAC
is now named ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC.
Those were some of the highlights of the meeting of the Board of
Govemors held last October. I am looking forward to hearing your
concerns so that I will be able to transmit them to the College's
leadership through my annual report.
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