Experts to Discuss Use of AI in Surgery, Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Screening, STOP THE BLEED® Legislation, and More in Boston Next Week

BOSTON: The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2023, one of the largest international meetings of surgeons in the world, convenes in Boston next week, October 22–25. This year’s Clinical Congress offers several prime opportunities for reporters, editors, and producers who cover healthcare and health policy beats to report on the latest information on these topics for their readers or viewers. 

In addition to hundreds of general and specialty sessions and research-in-progress reports to be presented during the Scientific Forum, media events will be held during the conference on the following topics: 

• Better Surgical Care Through Artificial Intelligence 
• STOP THE BLEED® Legislation in Massachusetts  
• The Continued Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care* 
• Fostering the Next Generation of Surgeons in Boston 

*Experts can also discuss previously unpublished data related to disruptions in cancer care during the pandemic in the New England area 

Further details about these events are below. Apply today for media credentials to cover these events and more.

News Briefing: Better Surgical Care Through Artificial Intelligence 

Surgeons at the forefront of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve surgical care will discuss the potential uses and ability of AI to predict adverse events and prevent complications in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative settings during a news briefing at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Room 50, at 10:00 a.m. ET on October 23. The event will feature a discussion of the application of AI in surgical practice, including in local Boston medical centers. 

Members of the media are invited to attend the briefing in person—email pressinquiry@facs.org for more information—or watch via livestream on the ACS Media Center.  

Learn more about this news briefing.

News Conference: Massachusetts STOP THE BLEED® Legislation  

Representatives from the ACS STOP THE BLEED® program, along with Massachusetts state legislators, will host a news conference on Monday, October 23, 3:00 p.m. ET, in support of recent legislation that would expand lifesaving STOP THE BLEED® kits and training throughout Massachusetts. The proposed legislation would require the placement of STOP THE BLEED® kits—containing a tourniquet, gauze, gloves, and a training booklet—in public buildings across the Commonwealth.  

The news conference will be held at the Massachusetts State House. Journalists planning to attend should contact Robert Tougas, Robert.Tougas@mahouse.gov. For more information about the event, contact pressinquiry@facs.org.  

Cancer Experts Available to Discuss Continued Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care 

Cancer researchers attending the Clinical Congress in Boston will be available to speak to reporters in person or virtually through Zoom to share recent national data on cancer trends related to the pandemic that showcase the startling effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on cancer diagnoses and what this means for cancer care in 2023 and beyond. For journalists based in the New England area, the researchers will be able to share previously unpublished data related to the New England area and how that data compares with national trends. 

Interviews will be scheduled with the researchers for Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 9:00–11:00 a.m. ET. Requests outside this timeframe may also be accommodated with advanced notice. To arrange an interview with the researchers, email pressinquiry@facs.org. 

Learn more about this interview opportunity. 

ACS High School Program Will Foster Next Generation of Surgeons in Boston 

On Wednesday, October 25, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, the ACS will host its annual A Day with the American College of Surgeons High School Program, a unique initiative that introduces historically excluded high school students, especially those who are under-represented in medicine, to the joys of a career in medicine and surgery at a time when they are formulating future life plans. About 70 students from four local Boston-area high schools will join the program this year. Media members will be allowed to film or photograph portions of the program and interview surgeons and local Boston-area high school students as they interact with surgeons and learn more about the profession. 

• 10:00-11:45 a.m. ET: Students and mentors will visit the exhibit hall to interact with the latest surgical technology.  
• 12:30-1:15 p.m. ET: Students and mentors will learn how to STOP THE BLEED®, which teaches basic bleeding control techniques that can be used to save a life in a bleeding emergency.  

Learn more about this event and obtain media credentials or email pressinquiry@facs.org for more information.  

More information on the full Clinical Congress program can be viewed on the ACS website. 

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Contact

• Dan Hamilton | 312-202-5328
• Sheila Lai | 312-202-5403
• Email: pressinquiry@facs.org