ACS NewsScope

A Weekly News Update from the American College of Surgeons

Highlights for the week:

• Dr. Camins to Become AANS Vice-President
• New Faculty Research Award on Wound Care Management Announced
• First Quarter 2008 Performance Report Issued for SDIF
• Official Scoring for SESAP 13 to Begin May 1
• Ophthalmologist Needed for Expedition to Guyana, South America
• ACS Hosts Next Round of Coding Workshops in Dallas
• ACS and UCSF Announce New CME Opportunity

Dr. Camins to Become AANS Vice-President

Martin B. Camins, MD, FACS, will become vice-president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) during the society's Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 28-May 1, 2008. A member of the AANS since 1980, Dr. Camins is currently clinical professor of Neurosurgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital and an attending neurosurgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Dr. Camins has also been a member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) since 1981 and is currently a member of the College’s Board of Regents representing neurosurgery. He served on the Executive Committee of the ACS Board of Governors from 1992 to 1997 and as Chair of its Advisory Council for Neurological Surgery from 1998 to 2001.

For more information, visit http://www.aans.org/Library/Article.aspx?ArticleId=50925.

Highlights

New Faculty Research Award on Wound Care Management Announced

The American College of Surgeons is offering a new two-year faculty research award for a general surgeon engaged in a research project addressing wound care management. Being made available through the generosity of KCI USA, this fellowship is intended to allow the surgeon to acquire knowledge leading to new clinical applications or projects that will provide the medical community with a better understanding of the use of advanced wound healing therapies. Specifically being sought are translational projects focusing on new methods to mechanically stimulate wound healing; the design of clinically applicable skin substitutes; methods to enhance specific, difficult-to-heal wounds related to general or extremity trauma; various soft-tissue injuries; quality limb salvage, or methods to reduce surgical intervention to heal a variety of wounds.

Complete requirements and the application form can be found at http://www.facs.org/memberservices/acswoundcare.html. The application deadline for this award is May 1, 2008.

Highlights

First Quarter 2008 Performance Report Issued for SDIF

First quarter 2008 performance information for the Surgeons Diversified Investment Fund (SDIF) is now available; see the chart below or visit http://www.surgeonsfund.com for details.

Average Annual Total Returns¹ For Periods Ended 3/31/08:

¹Average annual total return figures include changes in principal value, reinvested dividends, and capital gain distributions.
²YTD return is not annualized and represents an aggregate total return.
³SDIF commenced operation September 22, 2006.

For more information about SDIF or if you would like to receive a hardcopy of the performance sheet, please contact Savi Pai at 312-202-5056 or spai@facs.org, or Tom Kiley at 312-202-5019 or tkiley@facs.org. You may also contact the Fund directly at 800-208-6070.

An investor should consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of SDIF carefully before investing. SDIF’s prospectus contains this and other information about SDIF and should be read before investing. SDIF's prospectus may be obtained by downloading it from SDIF's Web site at www.surgeonsfund.com or by calling 800-208-6070.

Performance numbers have been positively impacted by fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. Without such fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, performance numbers would have been lower.

Returns for SDIF are before taxes and are net of all expenses and advisory fees. All index returns listed herein also include the reinvestment of dividends, distributions, and interest (total return). The returns shown do not reflect the deduction of taxes a shareholder may pay on the redemption of SDIF shares or SDIF distributions.

The S&P 500 Index/Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Index is comprised of 70% S&P 500 Index and 30% of Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Index.

SDIF is distributed by Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC, 225 Pictoria Dr., Suite 450, Cincinnati, OH 45246. The phone number is 513-587-3400.

Highlights

Official Scoring for SESAP 13 to Begin May 1

The official scoring and posting of data from the 13th edition of the Surgical Education and Self-Assessment Program (SESAP 13) begins May 1. Participants returning the Answer Sheet or using the CD’s verification system are eligible for a maximum of 60 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Participation in SESAP 13 also fulfills the second component of the American Board of Surgery’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, evidence of commitment to lifelong learning through continuing education and periodic self-assessment.

Please note: Official scoring and reporting of data from the 12th edition, SESAP 12, will be discontinued April 30.

For more information, e-mail sesap@facs.org or call 312-202-5419.

Highlights

Ophthalmologist Needed for Expedition to Guyana, South America

Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps is in need of an ophthalmologist for an expedition to Guyana, South America, November 9 - 23, 2008. The Vision Team for this expedition hopes to do cataract surgery for needy Amerindian people from the southern interior of the country. Guyana is an English-speaking country.

For more information on this and other surgical volunteerism opportunities, visit Operation Giving Back at http://www.operationgivingback.facs.org. Be sure to register for a "My Giving Back" account when you visit the site, and take a few minutes to explore the various resources available to those interested in surgical volunteerism.

Highlights

ACS Hosts Next Round of Coding Workshops in Dallas

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) will present introductory and advanced coding workshops August 7 and 8 in Dallas, TX. Introduction to CPT, ICD-9-CM, and Evaluation and Management Coding will be presented August 7 by Betsy Nicoletti, MS, CPC, for surgeons and staff who are relatively new to coding. A fast-paced course on Surgical and Office-based Coding and Reimbursement geared toward experienced coders will take place August 8, with Mary LeGrand, RN, CCS-P, CPC, instructing. These courses are certified for 6.5 continuing medical education credits or 6.5 continuing education units. Evaluations for the workshops presented earlier this year have been excellent.

Register for the Dallas course online now at http://www.facs.org/ahp/workshops/registrationfees.html. For more information, go to http://www.facs.org/ahp/workshops/index.html, e-mail dmariani@facs.org, or call 202-672-1506.

Highlights

ACS and UCSF Announce New CME Opportunity

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) will host the American College of Surgeons Thyroid and Parathyroid Ultrasound Skills-Oriented Course on October 23, 2008, in conjunction with UCSF's Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery course on October 24 and 25. Both courses are open to all physicians and allied health professionals. Those wishing to attend may register for one of these two courses, or they may register for both.

The American College of Surgeons Thyroid and Parathyroid Ultrasound Skills-Oriented course will introduce the practicing surgeon to office-based examination of the thyroid and parathyroid glands and related pathology. The distinction between normal and malignant lymphadenopathy will be emphasized with a demonstration of the comprehensive examination of lymph node basins in cervical zones I-VI . The process of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules and enlarged lymph nodes will be demonstrated in didactic lecture format. In addition, the hands-on skill sessions allow the surgeon to learn varied techniques of FNA in phantom models. Patient volunteers with thyroid and parathyroid pathology and normal glands will participate in the skill sessions. Credentialing and coding issues will also be discussed.

The UCSF Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery Course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the evaluation, treatment, surveillance, and new approaches in the surgical management of thyroid and parathyroid disorders. A distinguished guest faculty along with faculty from UCSF will offer an outstanding series of lectures, case presentations and panel discussions.

Both courses will be held at the Grand Hyatt in San Francisco and will be presented by Lisa Orloff, MD, FACS, and David Eisele, MD, FACS, of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at University of Califonia, San Francisco.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.cme.ucsf.edu/ or call 415-476-4251.

Highlights

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