CHICAGO: Five prominent members of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) have been appointed to the Board of Directors for the American College of Surgeons Foundation and will direct the foundation's fund-raising initiatives in support of the College's surgical education, research, and patient safety programs. The newly appointed members of the Board of Directors of the ACS Foundation are: Oliver H. Beahrs, MD, FACS, Rochester, MN; John L. Cameron, MD, FACS, Baltimore, MD; Edward R. Laws, MD, FACS, Charlottesville, VA; Richard B. Reiling, MD, FACS, Charlotte, NC; and Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS, Chicago, IL.

A separate not-for-profit corporation, the American College of Surgeons Foundation was established by the College's Board of Regents in February 2005 and officially began its activities in July. The Foundation's sole mission is to raise funds to support the mission of the American College of Surgeons, which is to improve the care of the surgical patient and safeguard standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment. The Foundation will serve as the College's philanthropic arm for reaching out to both its members and its public constituencies.

The funds raised by the Foundation will support College research programs such as domestic and international scholarships and fellowships. Currently, the American College of Surgeons provides approximately $1.5 million in scholarships and fellowships in support of surgical education and research. An immediate goal of the foundation will be to double the funds available to support the scholarship programs of the College.

Other activities and programs the Foundation will work to support include the College's endowment fund; cancer and trauma programs, including awards; archives program; surgical volunteerism program, Operation Giving Back; Web portal; online Surgical Index, a monthly review service of current clinical literature; courses in new procedures; and general support programs.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 66,000 members and it is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

Online August 5, 2005

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