Welcome

This section of the American College of Surgeons Web site is presented by the Surgical Palliative Care Task Force of the Division of Education. The task force was formed to facilitate introduction of the precepts and techniques of the palliative care to surgical practice and education in the United States and Canada. The task force endeavors to meet its goals by bringing together surgeons with demonstrated interest in palliative care to share resources, strategies and expertise, and in so doing, act as a catalyst for change.

The Surgical Palliative Care Task Force meets a number of the Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care National Program Office priorities by gathering data and developing tools that will help surgeons become more effective in the art and science of palliation of all illness. This goal is consistent with the "Principles Guiding Care at the End of Life" statement developed by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Ethics and approved by the Board of Regents at its February 1998 meeting.

Charter for the Surgical Palliative Care Task Force

Task Force Membership

2002 Clinical Congress Session:
"When Do We Stop and How Do We Do It? Medical Futility and Withdrawal of Care?"
Sponsored by the ACS Program Committee, scheduled panelists for this session include members of the Work Group for Surgical Palliative Care and experts in biomedical ethics and medical education.

Annoted Bibliography

Articles on the Surgeon and Palliative Care from the Journal of the American College of Surgeons

The Surgeon and Palliative Care: Other Web Sites of Interest

Minutes from Past Meetings and Teleconference Sessions (private access)

Online Discussion Area : Palliative care issues for today's practicing surgeon (private access)

Revised January 21, 2003
This page and all contents are Copyright © 2002-2003 by the American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL 60611-3211