Member News November-December 2025

Four ACS Fellows Are Elected to NAM

Gail E. Besner, MD, FACS, Andrea Hayes Dixon, MD, PhD, FACS, Margaret “Gretchen” Schwarze, MD, MPP, FACS, and Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, were elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). 

Dr. Besner, a pediatric surgeon, director of the Division of Pediatric Surgery, and H. William Clatworthy Jr. Professor of Surgery at The Ohio State University in Columbus, was recognized “for being an internationally renowned expert on novel therapeutics to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis since her seminal discovery of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor.”

Dr. Dixon, a pediatric surgeon, dean, and senior vice president of health affairs at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC, as well as an ACS Regent, was recognized “for pioneering cytoreductive therapy for rare pediatric cancers, increasing survival rates from 30% to 70%. As the first African American woman pediatric surgeon in the US and the first female dean of Howard University College of Medicine, she is inspiring and training the next generation of physicians from underrepresented backgrounds.”

Dr. Schwarze, a vascular surgeon and the Morgridge Endowed Professor of Vascular Surgery in the Department of Surgery and Department of Medical History and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, was recognized “for her pioneering work that has transformed how surgeons communicate with patients about major treatment decisions and informed consent for surgery.”

Dr. Turner, a general surgeon and the ACS Executive Director and CEO, was recognized “for her visionary leadership at the American College of Surgeons that coalesced all surgical specialties into the ‘House of Surgery,’ creating a forceful, influential voice promoting evidence-based care. Her tireless efforts enable surgeons ‘to heal all patients with skill and trust.’”

Wexner Leads Colorectal Surgery in Washington, DC

Steven D. Wexner, MD, FACS, is executive director and system chair for colorectal surgery, professor, and vice chair for professional development in the Department of Surgery at Georgetown University and MedStar Health in Washington, DC. For more than 35 years, Dr. Wexner was at the Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston, most recently serving as director of the Ellen Leifer Shulman and Steven Shulman Digestive Disease Center and emeritus chair of the Department of Colorectal Surgery. He also is a past Regent of the ACS.

James Joins Perimeter as Chief Medical Officer

Ted A. James, MD, MHCM, FACS, is chief medical officer for Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc., a commercial-stage medical technology company. Dr. James, a surgical oncologist, also will continue in his roles as the system physician executive of the Endeavor Health Cancer Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and faculty director of executive education at Harvard Medical School Corporate Learning, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Yoon-Flannery Heads Women’s Oncology in South Jersey

Kay Yoon-Flannery, DO, MPH, FACS, has been appointed chief of women’s oncology at the AtlantiCare Cancer Care Institute in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. A breast surgical oncologist, she will lead the strategic expansion of AtlantiCare’s comprehensive Women’s Oncology Program while continuing her surgical practice. Dr. Yoon-Flannery previously served as director of quality and process improvement and director of physician engagement at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, and co-director of the Janet Knowles Breast Cancer Center, both in Camden, New Jersey.

Nwariaku Is President-Elect of SBAS

Fiemu Nwariaku, MD, MBA, FACS, was named president-elect of The Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS) at the recent annual meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He will formally become the 32nd SBAS president in September 2026 and serve a 1-year term. Dr. Nwariaku is chair of the Department of Surgery at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and Helen Lowe Bamberger Colby Presidential Endowed Chair in Health Sciences at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Smith Is Appointed UofL Health CEO

Jason W. Smith, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, is chief executive officer (CEO) of the University of Louisville (UofL) Health in Kentucky. He has been in the role on an interim basis since June.  With his appointment, UofL Health becomes the only physician-led health system in the region. A trauma surgeon, Dr. Smith also will continue to serve as chief medical officer for UofL Health, as well as the Berel L. Abrams, MD Endowed Professor in Surgery and chief of the Division of General Surgery at the UofL School of Medicine.

Basu Takes Over as Plastic Surgeons President

C. Bob Basu, MD, MBA, MPH, FACS, was elected president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). He will lead ASPS—the world’s largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons—for 1 year. Dr. Basu is the founder and managing director of Basu Aesthetics + Plastic Surgery, a Houston-based independent private practice specializing in aesthetic plastic surgery of the face, breast, and body.

Have you or an ACS member you know achieved a notable career highlight recently? If so, send potential contributions to Jennifer Bagley, MA, Bulletin Editor-in-Chief, at jbagley@facs.org. Submissions will be printed based on content type and available space.