On behalf of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), I am pleased to welcome you to the 2023 ACS Quality and Safety Conference (QSC) in Minneapolis, MN, also known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” After holding a smaller-scale meeting last year to transition back to an in-person format, we are delighted to be back at a convention center that provides ample space for an abundance of incredible content.
The ACS QSC is the premier forum for learning about the latest developments in quality and safety, best practices, and actionable items that you can implement in your own institutions. Unlike any other conference, this event brings together healthcare professionals from around the world to discuss opportunities to improve surgical patient care. The theme of this year's conference is "The Patient Voice." You will hear from patients, surgeons, physicians, and other healthcare professionals who directly and indirectly influence patient outcomes. Our goal is to achieve high-quality care for our patients that reflects their priorities and individual health goals.
As mentioned previously, content will be robust this year and will include sessions from the many established ACS Quality Programs, as well as from new ACS Programs. In addition to programmatic content, there will be sessions on the ACS Quality Framework, sustainability in healthcare, residents as patient advocates, and much more. General sessions will highlight moving beyond the fundamentals of leadership, putting the patient first, integrating equity into quality, and the importance of data and analytics.
We will host many notable educational and social events this year. Two simultaneous Quality Improvement (QI) Basics Workshops will be held on Sunday afternoon, one for general attendees and one for surgical residents, that will teach QI principles and provide tools to implement and track initiatives at your institution. The workshop will conclude Monday morning before the main conference kicks off. The Welcome Reception will be held on Monday evening at The Mill City Museum, a national historic landmark. The Abstract Poster Reception will take place on Tuesday evening where hundreds of scientific posters will be presented, and you can engage with presenters about their research and QI projects. On Wednesday evening, there will be a series of Quality Program Socials where you can socialize and network with colleagues working in the ACS Quality Programs.
We are excited to welcome you to this year's conference and hope you will find it educational, rewarding, and motivating. Our ultimate goal is for you to leave with new knowledge and actionable items that you can implement when you return to work on Monday!
Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, FASCRS
Director, ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care
