House of Delegates
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) actively participates in the meetings of the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates (AMA HOD). Currently the College supports a delegation which includes: Daniel Dent, MD, FACS, San Antonio, TX; Jacob Moalem, MD, FACS, Rochester, NY; Leigh Neumayer, MD, FACS, Salt Lake City, UT; Naveen Sangji, MD, Ann Arbor, MI (also serves as the ACS delegate to the AMA Young Physicians Section); Kenneth Sharp, MD, FACS, Nashville, TN; and Patricia Turner, MD, FACS, Chicago, IL (delegation chair). In 2019, additional ACS leadership participated as delegates during the Annual Meeting of the HOD, including: David Hoyt, MD, FACS, Chicago, IL; Lena Napolitano, MD, FACS, Ann Arbor, MI; Gary Timmerman, MD, FACS, Sioux Falls, SD; and Mark Weissler, MD, FACS, Chapel Hill, NC.
The House of Delegates is the principal policymaking body of the AMA and functions like a Congress. State medical societies and national specialty societies are represented in the House, and during these meetings ACS delegates advocate for resolutions and reports on a variety of issues of interest to surgery. The College has introduced and successfully passed resolutions dealing with reimbursement for ultrasound imaging in the office; medical liability reform relating to expert witness qualifications and affirmation statements; studying the issue of specialty hospitals to determine their impact on the health care system; and development of patient safety principles for office-based surgery.
ACS delegates are leaders in the Surgical Caucus of the AMA, which is managed by staff of the College. The Caucus provides an opportunity for all surgeons in the HOD to meet and discuss resolutions and reports, and take in an educational session focusing on a topic of interest to surgery.
The ACS delegation is staffed through the Division of Advocacy and Health Policy. Questions relating to the AMA House of Delegates and the Surgical Caucus may be addressed to kmcdonald@facs.org.
Surgical Caucus of the AMA
ACS actively participates in the meetings of the AMA’s House of Delegates (AMA HOD). In these meetings, ACS advocates for resolutions and reports on issues such as reimbursement for ultrasound imaging, medical liability reform, and development of patient safety principles for office-based surgery, among others.
The Surgical Caucus of the American Medical Association (SCAMA) provides a forum at each session of the AMA House of Delegates (HOD) for discussion and recommendations concerning professional and socioeconomic issues of interest to surgeons. An Executive Committee manages the affairs of the Caucus and provides direction to administrative support through the ACS.
Membership
Caucus membership is open to all physicians who are designated by the AMA as practicing surgery or any of its subspecialties who are serving as delegates or alternate delegates in the HOD, the Organized Medical Staff Section, the Medical Student Section, the Young Physicians Section, or the Resident and Fellow Section. In addition, Officers of the AMA and state medical society presidents are welcome to join. Finally, physicians who are not surgeons but who practice in specialties with significant clinical interactions with surgeons may also become members of the Caucus. Examples include anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medicine, interventional cardiology, and interventional radiology.
Dues
Support by members of the AMA HOD is important for the Caucus to maintain activities. In addition to sponsoring a handbook review session to discuss HOD issues from a surgical perspective, the Caucus hosts an accredited continuing medical education session at each meeting.
HOD delegates or alternates who wish to support the Caucus through their dues may do so by completing a dues form. The cost of annual dues is $65, and payment may be made by check or credit card. Dues are invoiced from July to October.
Surgical Caucus Meeting during AMA House of Delegates Interim Meeting
The Caucus is scheduled to meet on Saturday, June 8th, with breakfast at 6:30 am, and the meeting takes place 7:00–10:00 am. The location of the meeting room will be shared once confirmed. RSVP for the meeting.
Candidate Introductions can be scheduled through this link and will take place between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 8th, during the Annual Caucus Meeting.
SCAMA Meeting Minutes—November 11, 2023
Executive Committee Minutes—May 23, 2023
SCAMA Meeting Minutes—June 10, 2023
SCAMA Meeting Minutes—November 22, 2022
