Conference Highlights

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ACS Members Descend on the Capitol for Visits with Congressional Members and Staff

Tuesday, April 18

Today, Advocacy Summit attendees met with Congressional members and their staff members to advocate for ACS-supported legislation at the state and national levels. Our surgeon advocates put into practice what they learned over the weekend in their Hill visits.

ACS members from Missouri and Arizona are ready to meet with their Members of Congress.

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Massachusetts surgeons sat down with Rep. Jake Auchincloss for a great conversation on for a great conversation on the importance of access to surgical care.

Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Cancer Programs, and her fellow Minnesotans are ready for their Hill visit.

ACS members from Arizona, including Board of Governors Chair Ross F. Goldberg, MD, FACS, discussed non-compete agreements and rural surgery with Senator Mark Kelly's staff.

Arizona ACS Members met with Rep. David Schweitker's Chief of Staff to talk about physician fee schedules, rural surgery, and more.

The Pennsylvania team is working hard during their Hill visits.

The UW Surgery team is advocating for their patients on Capitol Hill.

Fellows and surgical trainees from Illinois met with Senator Tammy Duckworth's office.

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Inaugural Advocacy and Health Policy Abstract Competition Winners Announced

This year, the ACS introduced the Resident Advocacy and Health Policy Abstract Competition. Congratulations to our winners!

First place 🥇: Stephanie Jensen, MD
Second place 🥈: Courtney Meyer, MD
Third place 🥉: Madeline Matthys, MD

Congratulations to our competition winners! Pictured (left to right): Christian Shalgian, Director, ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy; Madeline Matthys, MD; Stephanie Jensen, MD; Courtney Meyer, MD; and Michael Sutherland, MD, FACS, Director, ACS Division of Member Services.

Advocacy Summit Features Dynamic Panels and Training for Tomorrow's Hill Visits and Surgeon Advocacy Efforts

Monday, April 17

On Monday morning, attendees heard several engaging panel discussions on topics including The Value of a Surgeon: Exploring the Nuances of the Contributions Surgeons Make to Healthcare; A Conversation with CMS Leaders About Updates in Quality; and Inside Politics and Policy Experts.

The first panel of the day explored the nuances of how surgeons contribute to healthcare. Our panel was moderated by Don Selzer, MD, FACS, and featured Francois de Brantes, Andrew Hajde, and Kimberly Russo.

Moderator Jill Sage, MPH, leads a panel discussion with CMS Chief Transformation Officer Doug Jacobs, MD, MPH; Courtney Collins, MD, MS, FACS, and Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, FASCRS, about quality and CMS.

Director of ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy Christian Shalgian and Frank Opelka, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Quality and Health Policy, give an inside look at DC politics and policy.

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"Physician wellness—it's not enough to say be resilient. We have to get to the root of these issues." - Todd Askew

ACS Executive Director and CEO Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, moderated an afternoon discussion about collaborative opportunities and challenges for surgeons in the healthcare community with Todd Askew from the AMA and Molly Smith from the AHA.

ACS staff reviewed Congressional asks and ACS priorities for attendees who will be participating in tomorrow's Hill visits. Some of the issues included:

Stopping cuts to Medicare Physician Payment
Supporting legislation that bans non-compete agreements
Ensuring access to general surgery care
Supporting the physician workforce by addressing student loan debt

Speaker Kevin McCarthy

In advance of Hill visits tomorrow, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy stopped by the Advocacy Summit to talk about the important role surgeons play in advocating for their patients in federal healthcare policy.

Attendees broke out into groups to prepare for their visits to Capitol Hill tomorrow. Groups will meet with Congressional members and staff to advocate for ACS priorities and legislation to improve patient care.

Attendees from Washington State prepare for visits to Capitol Hill with Douglas Wood, MD, FACS, ACS Regent, and Eileen M. Bulger, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Trauma Programs.

"Falling is allowed, but getting up is mandatory. You never lose if you learn or win." - Paula Ferrada, MD, FACS

Leadership Summit Showcases Insightful Sessions and Dynamic Speakers

Sunday, April 16

The Leadership Summit started out strong with a terrific collection of presentations Sunday, April 16. Morning sessions included Defining Your Path: Your Personal Mission Statement; Can We Find a Silver Lining? The Role of Leadership in Times of Challenge; Strategies To Get What You Deserve; and A Novel Approach to Understanding Surgeon Burnout and Operationalizing Solutions at Individual Institutions.

"We can build better workplaces that are engines of well-being. There's a lot of discourse about one correct answer, and that well-being is a personal issue. But it's an issue that involves individuals, systems, and organizations equally." - Carter Lebares, MD, FACS

As the day went on, attendees heard Chapter Success Stories from the ACS San Diego Chapter, New York Chapter, and Bolivia Chapter Presentations were given on Effective Performance-Based Teaching: Lessons from Aviation and The Equity Imperative of Graduate Medical Education.

The ACS San Diego Chapter shared how they pushed for the passage of STOP THE BLEED legislation in California.

Bonnie Simpson Mason, MD, FAAOS, presented on the importance of equity in graduate medical education.

ACS Executive Director and CEO Dr. Patricia L. Turner gave an Executive Director's Update to attendees.

Director of ACS Member Services Michael Sutherland, MD, FACS, closes out the Leadership Summit.

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    "We need to be the gold standard ... the arbiter of all things surgery." - Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS

        

ACS Executive Director & CEO, Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, shared an Executive Director's Update and closing comments from ACS Member Services Director Michael Sutherland, MD, FACS, wrapped up the Leadership Summit.

Attendees Participate in Workshops Focusing on Social Media and Media Training, Successfully Negotiating, and Leadership

Saturday, April 15

The ACS Leadership and Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC began on Saturday, April 15 with a workshop titled, Leadership in Action: Making an Impact in the Media and on Social, which provided medical professionals with best practices for navigating various communications platforms both online and in traditional media.

This session was followed by a seminar titled, Negotiation Practice and Principles: Tips, Tactics, and Traps. The Resident and Associate Society held a leadership workshop for early-career surgeons If I Knew Then What I Knew Now. The Leadership Summit officially kicked off with a networking event on Saturday evening.

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Leadership and Advocacy Summit Highlights

Access Free Leadership Summit Content

ACS Members Descend on the Capitol for Visits with Congressional Members and Staff

Inaugural Advocacy and Health Policy Abstract Competition Winners Announced

Advocacy Summit Features Dynamic Panels and Training for Tomorrow's Hill Visits and Surgeon Advocacy Efforts

Leadership Summit Showcases Insightful Sessions and Dynamic Speakers

"We need to be the gold standard ... the arbiter of all things surgery." - Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS

Attendees Participate in Workshops Focusing on Social Media and Media Training, Successfully Negotiating, and Leadership