ACS President Highlights Strength Through Transformation

Newly installed ACS President Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, FACS, highlighted the power of scientific, clinical, and organizational transformation to strengthen the surgical profession during his Presidential Address at Clinical Congress 2026 in Washington, DC.

Dr. Eberlein opened his address on a personal note, sharing his gratitude for the many people who helped shape him. He noted that he was raised by parents who had neither university-level education nor wealth, but who nonetheless “provided me with the support to follow my passion, and gave me the values of integrity, hard work, and respect for others.”

He then described the support of numerous mentors and sponsors in an introduction that also traced his education and career. He started with Larry Carey, MD, a general surgeon he encountered during his undergraduate years who “was responsible for my receiving a full-ride scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, without which I would not have been able to attend medical school.”

After earning his medical degree, Dr. Eberlein completed an internship and residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was mentored by surgical pioneer Francis D. Moore, Sr., MD, FACS, vascular surgeon John A. Mannick, MD, FACS, and general surgeon Richard E. Wilson, MD, FACS. He called Dr. Wilson a “larger-than-life surgeon whose patients worshipped him because of his surgical outcomes and his accessibility.”

Dr. Wilson was the namesake of the Harvard Medical School Richard E. Wilson Professor of Surgery in the Field of Surgical Oncology; Dr. Eberlein was the first person to hold that position.

Dr. Eberlein, who served as the Bixby Professor and chair of the Department of Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, for many years, is now the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor, director of the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, and senior associate dean for cancer programs at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

In conveying his thanks to leaders who had influenced and supported him, Dr. Eberlein also mentioned two cherished colleagues who preceded him as Presidents of the ACS. The first was Henry T. Bahnson, MD, FACS, who served from 1983 to 1984 and was “one of the most technically gifted surgeons I have ever had the pleasure of assisting,” Dr. Eberlein said.

The other Past President was L. D. Britt, MD, MPH, FACS, who served from 2010 to 2011. “He has worked to improve access for surgical patients,” Dr. Eberlein said, “and epitomizes our motto, ‘to Heal All with Skill and Trust.’”

Dr. Eberlein then shifted to the theme of his presidential year, “The House of Surgery: Stronger Together.”

His key messages included why “this may be the best time to enter surgery” illustrated by “a few examples that make me excited about the future,” as well as why the ACS is positioned to lead surgeons into that future.

Those examples included advances in AI-assisted phenotyping in ophthalmology, which are enabling early detection of disease and precision treatments in patients with type 2 diabetes; minimally invasive laser treatment in neurology, to treat brain tumors and epilepsy and trigger the release of biomarkers for diagnosis in lieu of brain biopsy; and steps forward in regenerative medicine, including kidney cell regeneration that could eliminate the need for dialysis.

He also cited advances in personalized cancer vaccines in his own field, surgical oncology, as well as updates to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy regimens for various cancers.

“These are incredible advancements across the House of Surgery, which have led to better patient care and less morbidity,” he said. “Each of these examples has been led by surgeons and involve many specialties, which demonstrates that we can learn from each other and make the House of Surgery stronger together.”

Dr. Eberlein highlighted ongoing efforts at the ACS to develop a new approach to clinical data. Drawing on his own institution, Washington University in St. Louis, he explained that improved access to data dashboards had improved performance and outcomes.

Similarly, the ACS is implementing an enterprise-wide data transformation. “This will result in a shift from static reports to actionable real-time feedback with advanced analytics that is AI-driven,” he explained, including “predictive models and new solutions for quality and safety. The House of Surgery will have a unified customer experience.”

Finally, Dr. Eberlein highlighted ACS efforts to support surgeons through advocacy. He listed several notable achievements, including favorable budget appropriations that funded hospital preparedness programs, emergency medical services for children, and injury care.

He also noted ongoing priorities, such as protecting physician payments, sustaining merit-based peer-reviewed funding, and promoting Medicare payment reform legislation. “Members of Congress from both parties look to the ACS for leadership and guidance on physician payment and workplace enhancements to better serve all of our Fellows,” he said.

Dr. Eberlein noted that surgical care is changing, and the ACS is transforming itself to meet the challenges of the future and help all surgeons thrive.

“Your College is doubling down on its efforts to be the best home for the entire House of Surgery, creating programs to benefit every specialty,” he said. “Whether educational programs, Quality Programs, the new digital strategy, or advocacy, the American College of Surgeons has reinvented itself.”

The full Convocation ceremony is available at facs.org/convocation.