In an emotional address to thousands of people at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, as well as those watching virtually around the world, newly inducted ACS President Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS, urged colleagues to rededicate themselves to the 112-year-old ACS motto—To Heal All with Skill and Trust.
For more than a century, this premise has allowed the College to set the highest standards for training and surgical practice to help ensure the best possible outcomes for all patients.
“’All’ is an inclusive term that precludes discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, religion, geography, class, or sexual orientation,” Dr. Ford proclaimed. “The overarching goal of healing all with skill and trust or achieving health equity for all surgical patients creates an imperative not only for inclusive excellence, but also for global engagement.”
Dr. Ford described several decades where the ACS struggled to become an umbrella organization for all surgical specialties and diversify the makeup of its members. He also highlighted the key role that the Board of Regents played in creating the infrastructure for training in surgery by establishing a Committee on Graduate Training for Surgery and the Surgical Specialties in 1932, with representation from OB-GYN, thoracic surgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, orthopaedic surgery, and neurosurgery.
“Together, these disciplines epitomize the notion that we achieve our best together,” he said, adding that the changing physiognomy of the ACS has coincided with the “most extensive proliferation of initiatives to support the Fellows.”
Dr. Ford described the expansion of educational programs, introduction of numerous quality initiatives and verification programs, and the growing influence that the ACS has in shaping health policy at the state and national levels. He outlined the increasing number of ACS chapters outside of the US and Canada, as well as growing impact of the ACS Health Outreach Program for Equity in Global Surgery (formerly Operating Giving Back).
“I believe that we are stronger and more vibrant today because of our intentional efforts to promote inclusive excellence,” Dr. Ford said. “Despite what some critics and skeptics may argue, the ACS’s bold and courageous embrace of inclusive excellence that began post World War II and accelerated in the 1990s has allowed it to not only blossom, but also to deliver on the promise of its motto to promote health equity for all surgical patients, with unprecedented success.”
As he concluded his address, Dr. Ford urged his colleagues to “carry the mantle” in the struggle for health equity and never waver from the ACS mission.
The full Convocation ceremony, which includes Dr. Ford’s Presidential Address, is available online at facs.org/convocation. The address also is available as an episode on The House of Surgery podcast.
Dr. Ford is the dean and chief academic officer of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida.
