The Board of Directors of the American College of Surgeons Professional Association (ACSPA) and the ACS Board of Regents (BoR) met October 21, 2023, at the Omni Seaport Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts.
The following is a summary of key activities discussed. The information provided was current as of the date of the meeting.
ACSPA
The ACSPA, a 501(c)(6), allows for a broader range of activities and services that benefit surgeons and patients, including expanded legislative advocacy and political programming, such as the ACSPA Political Action Committee (ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC).
From January 1 to September 15, 2023, the ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC raised more than $195,000 from 472 ACS members and eligible contributors and disbursed nearly $232,000 to 96 candidates seeking federal office, political campaigns, and other PACs. Fund distribution focuses on health professionals, key congressional leaders, and members who serve on US House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over various healthcare policies and issues, including ACS-supported legislative priorities.
ACS
The BoR accepted resignations from 18 Fellows and changed the status from Active or Senior to Retired for 112 Fellows. The Regents also approved the following items:
- Formation of the Ethiopia Chapter
- Formation of the Kenya Chapter
- Best Practice Guidelines for Geriatric Trauma Management from the Committee on Trauma
Trauma protocol for Post-Discharge Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis developed by the
- ACS Committee on Trauma and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma
Division of Education
The Division of Education reported on the following key activities.
Clinical Congress 2024
The proposed program for Clinical Congress 2024 was presented for the Regents’ comment and review. The footprint of Clinical Congress 2024 in San Francisco, California, will be moved into the weekend, starting on Saturday, October 19, and ending Tuesday, October 22. No program content will be lost by the move. The Program Committee continues to identify transformational changes to the program to be implemented over the next several years.
Committee on Ethics
The Committee on Ethics sponsored several sessions at Clinical Congress 2023, including the John J. Conley Ethics and Philosophy Lecture with Travis N. Rieder, PhD, titled America’s Opioid Dilemma: Ethical Prescribing During an Overdose Epidemic. Plans are underway for activities at Clinical Congress 2024.
Fellowship in Surgical Ethics
Applications are being accepted for the 2024–2025 academic year until January 2024. Offered for the first time in 2015, the Fellowship in Surgical Ethics is sponsored by the ACS and The MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at The University of Chicago. The program’s goals are to prepare surgeons for careers that combine clinical surgery with scholarly studies in surgical ethics and provide specialized knowledge, skills, and training to develop leaders in the field of surgical ethics.
Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care
The Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care (DROPC) encompasses the areas of Continuous Quality Improvement, including ACS research and accreditation programs.
A follow-up discussion to the strategic analysis that was conducted in February focused on:
- Advancing ACS programs and mission through partnerships
- Increasing Quality Program participation—a payer strategy
- Public reporting from the ACS
Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) continues to implement the 3–5-year strategic priorities approved by the BoR at the June meeting. External and internal strategies support the ACS’s commitment to achieving surgical excellence.
At the 2023 Quality and Safety Conference, the Office of DEI and DROPC launched the Equity in Quality Initiative. By codifying equity into quality and safety standards, the ACS will develop a system of review and verification of DEI programs for hospitals, departments of surgery, and professional organizations.
A collaborative Didactic Course—DEI and Antiracism Fundamentals, Skills Building, and Implementation Principles for Surgeons—was developed for Clinical Congress 2023. Work is underway to expand the course into a 2-year longitudinal certification program to be released in 2024.
A beta version of the ACS DEI and Antiracism Resource and Implementation Toolkit was launched in June and an official version is now available to ACS members and staff. More than 90 surgeon authors submitted content, and 22 aligned groups collaborated on the project. The interactive Toolkit provides complimentary access to a collection of authoritative and adaptable tools including:
- Content addressing more than 40 DEI and antiracism topics
- DEI and Antiracism Lexicon and Resource Library with more than 100 entries
ACS Foundation
The ACS Foundation remains focused on securing and growing financial support for the College’s charitable, educational, and patient-focused initiatives. For fiscal year 2023, the Foundation raised $1,640,832 in contributions. Individual donations totaling $606,455 supported the Greatest Needs Fund with $200,000 of those monies directed toward scholarships.
Programs, projects, and initiatives received $264,938. Corporate support reached $645,062, focusing on the support of the Resident Surgical Skills Competition, surgical skills courses at Clinical Congress, and patient education resources.
The Fall Appeal and National Doctors’ Day generated $204,031. There were 1,124 contributors, and the average individual gift was $439.
