ACS Foundation Support Helps Advance Surgical Innovation

The ACS Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the College that supports its initiatives to improve surgical care for better patient outcomes, raising money for surgical research, scholarships, fellowships, and philanthropic programs. All its work is made possible by donations, large and small, from the surgeons it supports—and you can become a part of the Foundation’s ongoing mission by donating today.

The impact of ACS Foundation extends to many surgeons and their patients:

• ACS Award Helps Pioneer Treatment for Congenital Colorectal Disease
  Ankush Gosain, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, received the Clowes Award for his pioneering work studying the enteric nervous system and gastrointestinal mucosal immune development and function as they relate to congenital colorectal disease, specifically Hirschsprung disease.

• Dr. Pon’s Transformative Gifts Unlock New Opportunities for Surgery
  The largest individual gift in the ACS Foundation’s 21-year history—$2 million—was contributed by Pon Satitpunwaycha, MD, FACS, in 2025. His generosity over the years has helped fund trauma surgery education, provide research fellowships and scholarships to burgeoning female surgeons in Africa, and create opportunities for surgeons to better understand and effectively integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning into surgical practice.

• Dr. Jesse Columbo Receives Clowes Award
  Jesse A. Columbo, MD, MS, FACS, received the 2025 ACS George H. A. Clowes, MD, FACS, Memorial Career Development Award for his project, “Risk of Stroke after Carotid Revascularization among Standard-Risk Patients.” 

In addition, the ongoing Surgical Adhesions Improvement Project, which has disbursed grants and is developing conversation in this notable surgical quality topic, was created through the largest-ever individual donation to the Foundation.

Be a part of these critical and ever-growing initiatives that continue to transform surgery and patient care.