Margaret C. Tracci, MD, JD, FACS, is the Medical Director for Surgeon Engagement in the ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy.
Dr. Tracci is an endovascular surgeon and professor of surgery in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine in Charlottesville. She also is an associate professor at the UVA School of Public Health.
As Medical Director for Surgeon Engagement, Dr. Tracci’s responsibilities include engaging Fellows in advocacy initiatives, drafting health policy and advocacy articles, and presenting to surgeon audiences regarding advocacy and health policy issues. She also leads the coordination and development of practice management resources to assist Fellows with the business aspects of their practices.
Dr. Tracci has served as a member or leader in several capacities in healthcare advocacy. Most recently, she was part of the teaching and research faculty within the UVA Center for Health Policy. Before that, she served as faculty liaison for government relations within the UVA Health System, wherein she coordinated federal advocacy efforts. Her responsibilities included increasing faculty awareness of and access to health system advocacy staff, strengthening health system advocacy efforts by engaging faculty, and establishing a pathway for faculty to bring issues to the attention of the government relations group.
Additionally, Dr. Tracci has worked as health counsel in the US Senate, where she helped develop legislation related to patient safety, health information technology, prescription drug monitoring, and more. She served as a liaison between the Senate and federal and state agencies, state healthcare entities, and state constituents.
Dr. Tracci has extensive experience as an advocacy leader for professional medical associations, including the ACS.
An ACS Fellow since 2012, Dr. Tracci currently is Chair of the ACS Legislative Committee, as well as a member of the Board of Regents Healthy Policy and Advocacy Group. She has been President and Secretary/Treasurer of the ACS Virginia Chapter, as well. In addition, she has worked on government relations, policy, and advocacy committees in other healthcare organizations.
Dr. Tracci earned her MD and JD degrees in the Medical Scholars Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is a prolific researcher, having published nearly 100 combined articles and book chapters on high-impact clinical topics such as value-based purchasing and performance in federal value programs.
