Other News

ACS H.O.P.E. Partners with WACS to Strengthen Surgical Leadership in West Africa

In February 2026, ACS Health Outreach Program for Equity in Global Surgery (ACS H.O.P.E.^®) partnered with the West African College of Surgeons (WACS) to deliver a 2-day Surgical Leadership Course in Accra, Ghana. The course, February 6–7, adapted the US-based Surgeons as Leaders curriculum to reflect the West African healthcare context and brought together 26 WACS members for an intensive learning experience.

Led by ACS faculty Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS; Rebecca M. Minter, MD, MBA, FACS; Bonnie Simpson Mason, MD, FAAOS, FAOA; Fiemu Nwariaku, MD, MBA, FACS; Benedict Nwomeh, MD, FACS; Carlos Pellegrini, MD, FACS; Michael Sutherland, MD, MBA, FACS; Girma Tefera, MD, FCS (ECSA)(Hon)FACS; Gary L. Timmerman, MD, FACS; and Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS,  in collaboration with WACS faculty Peter Donkor, MD, FWACS, FGCS, and Emmanuel R. Ezeome, MBBS, MA, FWACS, the program combined didactic sessions with interactive case discussions. The curriculum emphasized practical leadership skills—including communication, decision-making, and team engagement—within complex, resource-variable healthcare environments.

Participants explored strategic thinking, conflict management, team building, and leading change, with content tailored to regional realities. Post-course evaluations underscored the program’s immediate relevance to clinical practice. Attendees highlighted the value of structured communication strategies, coaching techniques, and conflict resolution frameworks, noting their applicability in strengthening team dynamics and navigating difficult conversations within their institutions.

The course also fostered a strong foundation for sustainability. Many participants expressed interest in serving as future faculty, reflecting a growing commitment to expanding leadership development across West Africa. Feedback identified opportunities to further strengthen future offerings, including additional focus on financial management, supply chain considerations, and continued alignment with local practice environments.

This collaboration demonstrates ACS H.O.P.E.’s commitment to advancing surgical leadership and supporting health system strengthening through trusted partnerships, locally relevant education, and sustained capacity building.

Shaping the Future of Global Engagement: Highlights from the 2026 CoGE Executive Committee Strategic Retreat

On February 28, the Committee on Global Engagement (CoGE) leadership convened in Washington, DC, for an in-person strategic retreat to define future priorities and strengthen collaboration across subcommittees. The retreat brought together the Chair and Vice-Chair of each subcommittee—Advocacy, Domestic, Education, and International—along with CoGE Chair Raphael Lee, MD, ScD, FACS, and Vice-Chair Sandra Freiwald, MD, FACS.

The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on progress since the 2023 Strategic Retreat and align strategic goals for the coming years. Across subcommittees, discussions emphasized the importance of building sustainable, high-impact programs while expanding engagement and visibility. Key priorities included advancing global surgery education through the Global Health in Surgery Certificate Program, strengthening mentorship and international partnerships, addressing barriers to domestic surgical volunteerism, and elevating advocacy efforts that demonstrate the value of global surgery to the US healthcare system.

A central theme of the retreat was the need for greater integration across subcommittees. Participants identified opportunities to better align efforts in education, advocacy, and domestic programming—particularly in workforce development, competency standards, and policy initiatives. They also underscored the importance of data, measurable outcomes, and clearly defined concept proposals to support continued growth and future funding opportunities.

The retreat marked an important step in positioning ACS H.O.P.E. for continued expansion, reinforcing a shared commitment to collaboration, innovation, and advancing global surgical care.

ACS H.O.P.E. and SURGhub Partner to Expand Global Surgical Education

ACS H.O.P.E. and SURGhub have established a new collaborative relationship to promote shared educational resources and expand access to high-quality surgical training worldwide. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening frontline care through accessible, scalable learning solutions. Please see the following message from our partners at SURGhub:

Did you know you can earn a United Nations (UN) Certificate of Completion? If not, we invite you to explore this opportunity.

SURGhub is a UN-backed, award-winning digital learning platform designed specifically for frontline surgical care. It delivers high-quality, evidence-based clinical education—accessible anywhere, at any time—supporting healthcare professionals in delivering safe, effective care.

Although many educational resources exist, they often are fragmented, restricted by costly paywalls, or not designed for low-bandwidth environments. SURGhub addresses these challenges directly. The platform is intentionally built to be seamless and efficient, allowing time-constrained healthcare workers to create a free account within seconds, enroll in more than 135 specialized courses, and download content for offline learning during demanding shifts or when conserving data.

SURGhub supports a growing global community of more than 40,000 healthcare providers, with projections to exceed 100,000 by year-end. To date, more than 18,000 official UN Certificates of Completion have been awarded, reflecting both engagement and measurable progress in surgical education.

Recognized for its impact, SURGhub has received international distinction, including the Times Higher Education (THE) Award for Best Digital Innovation in 2024 and the QS Award for the World’s Best E-Learning Platform in 2025.

As this collaboration grows, ACS H.O.P.E. and SURGhub invite surgeons, healthcare professionals, and partners to participate in advancing equitable access to surgical education.

You are invited to:

• Subscribe and Learn: Access high-quality courses designed for real-world clinical environments.
• Get Involved: Join as an expert advisor or participate in the Ambassadors Programme.
• Spread the Word: Share SURGhub with colleagues and professional networks.

Together, this partnership aims to ensure that healthcare providers—regardless of location—have the knowledge and tools needed to deliver safe, high-quality surgical care.

For more information, visit Global Surgery Training Hub | Online Surgical Courses.