Chapter news

Domestic and international chapters of the American College of Surgeons  (ACS) met in the last several months to host a variety of activities, including annual meetings, award presentations, Surgical Jeopardy competitions, and other events. Following are highlights and photos from these programs. 

Domestic chapters

Connecticut Chapter

Recipients of each chapter-awarded scholarship—created to stimulate student interest in surgery and to recognize outstanding achievements of physician graduates of medical schools in the state—were (from left) Carla Marisa Lopez, MD, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven; Sarah Grout, MD, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington; and Kayla Bassett, MD, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, North Haven.

Florida Chapter

A chapter delegation attended the 2018 Florida Medical Association (FMA) House of Delegates meeting August 5. Mark Dobbertien, DO, FACS, ACS Governor and Chapter Advocacy Chair, was elected to the FMA Board of Governors Surgical Specialty Seat for a two-year term by the surgical specialty delegates to the FMA.

Pictured (from left, all MD, FACS): John H. Armstrong, Chapter President-Elect; Christine Laronga, President; Joseph T. Gallagher, ACS Governor; Vic Velanovich, Councilor; and Mark Dobbertien, DO, FACS. Not pictured: Susan Hoover, MD, FACS, Chair, Women in Surgery Committee.

South Florida Chapter

Annual Meeting, April 28, Fort Lauderdale. Recipients of awards for best oral presentation were presented to Lisandro Montorfano, MD, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, first place; Shrey Modi, MD, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, second place; David Gutierrez-Blanco, MD, Cleveland Clinic Florida, third place. Other awardees included Chase Knickerbocker, MD, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami, best video presentation; J. Paul Perales-Villarroel, MD, Kendall Regional Medical Center, Tamiami, best poster presentation; Savannah Moon, DO, Cleveland Clinic Florida, best case report presentation. Alfredo Lloreda, MD, and Marina Gorelik, MD, Kendall Regional Medical Center, won the Surgical Jeopardy competition and will represent the chapter at the Surgical Jeopardy competition at Clinical Congress 2018 in Boston, MA.

Massachusetts Chapter (MCACS)

May 27, Boston. More than 30 people from MCACS’ team Cut to the Chase participated in either a five-mile or half-marathon race in the Run to Remember Boston. Cut to the Chase plans to participate during the 15th Run to Remember on May 26, 2019, and President Anne C. Larkin, MD, FACS, welcomes new members. Go to the MCACS Fun Run web page for more information.

Photo: Team Cut to the Chase 2018, including Dr. Larkin (front row, second from left); Faina Nakhlis, MD, Councilor (far right); Terry Buchmiller, MD, FACS, ACS Governor (back row, third from left); and Kevin Patrick Moriarty, MD, FACS, FAAP, Governor (back row, fourth from right), with other members and guests.

North Carolina and South Carolina Chapters

Joint Annual Meeting, Myrtle Beach, SC. Anthony Charles, MD, MPH, FACS, associate professor of surgery, division of general and acute care, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (right), received the President’s Gavel Award for his distinguished service as the 2017–2018 President of the North Carolina ACS Chapter (NC-ACS) from  incoming NC-ACS President David Wayne Grantham, MD, FACS, Pinehurst Surgical (left).

North Dakota and South Dakota Chapters

Joint Annual Meeting, April 13–14, Deadwood, SD. Residents challenged and won over faculty in Surgical Jeopardy. Pictured (from left): Jay M. MacGregor, MD, FACS, director of surgical education, University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Grand Forks; Melissa K. Johnson, MD, FACS, general surgery residency associate program director, University of South Dakota, Columbia; Thavam C. Thambi-Pillai, MD, FACS, general surgery residency program director, University of South Dakota; Sara R. Marroquin, MD, postgraduate year (PGY)-3, and Hassan H. Al-Turaihi, MD (PGY-5), from the University of South Dakota; and Cecilia Benz, MD (PGY-3), and Elleson (Elle) Schurtz, MD (PGY-4), University of North Dakota.

Tennessee Chapter (TNACS)

Annual Meeting, August 10–12, Nashville. TNACS welcomed Christian Shalgian, Director, ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy, who gave an advocacy update. Photo (from left): William Edwards, MD, MBA, FACS, Governor; Gayle Minard, MD, FACS, Governor; Mr. Shalgian; Ingrid Meszoely, MD, FACS, President; and Tony Haley, MD, FACS, Governor.

International chapters

Lebanon Chapter

The chapter presented The Principles of Perioperative Safety and Efficiency course, July 7, Beirut, funded by the Dr. Pon Fund International Chapter Opportunity Program. Domestic and international speakers addressed all aspects of perioperative safety during the one-day course and shared the latest recommendations with approximately 180 attendees.

Photo: (from left, all MD, FACS): Haytham Kaafarani, member, ACS International Relations Committee (IRC); George Tsoulfas, IRC Vice-Chair; Richard Schulick, IRC Chair; Jamal Hoballah, Past-Governor; Tarek Berjawi, President; Mohammad Younis, Secretary; Riad Zbibo; Ghassan Nawfal, Governor; Kamal M. F. Itani; and Ahmad Zaatari, President-Elect.

Portugal Chapter

The Sociedade Portuguesa de Cirurgia XXXVIII Congress, March 9, Lisboa. The chapter session has been gaining prominence as one of the most attended by young surgeons. More than 150 participants attended the two-hour meeting.

Photo: Prof. Paulo Costa, MD, PhD, FACS, Governor of the Portugal Chapter (right, at podium), honored the late Prof. Francisco Castro e Sousa, MD, PhD, FACS(Hon), founder and first President of the chapter.

Saudi Arabia Chapter

Chapter meeting, April 16, Riyadh. Jamal Jomah, MD, FACS, FRCSC, FRCSEd, ACS Governor, coordinated a meeting that included Mohammed Al Sultan, MD, Deputy of General Secretary for Executive Affairs of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, and Abdulaziz Jarman, MD, of the Saudi Board of Plastic Surgery. Discussions engaged ACS members and promoted the ACS to Saudi plastic surgeons.

After the chapter meeting, the international interview team, led by Dr. Jomah and Young Fellows Association Chapter Representatives Mohamed Amir Mrad, MB, BS, FRCSC, FACS; Bisher Alshanawani, MB, BS, FACS; and Adnan Gelidan, MBBS, FACS, conducted the interviews for 32 ACS Fellowship applicants.

Photo (from left): Drs. Jomah, Al Sultan, Mrad, and Jarman.