News From the College

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) present the first comprehensive, evidence-based examination of cancer surgery techniques that are critical to achieve optimal outcomes in a cancer operation. Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, published in June by Wolters Kluwer, is a unique manual that focuses on best practices for breast, colon, lung, and pancreatic surgery, describing the surgical procedures that occur between skin incision and skin closure that directly affect cancer outcomes. The effort to develop a manual that details the critical elements of cancer surgery was first envisioned by Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, Fred C. Andersen Professor and vice-chair, research, department of surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

The textbook has been the main focus of the Cancer Care Standards Development Committee for the past three years, led by Kelly Hunt, MD, FACS, professor, department of surgical oncology, division of surgery, and chief, breast surgical oncology section, department of surgical oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and Program Director of the Alliance/ACS Clinical Research Program..

The manual provides concrete recommendations based on evidence of the proper conduct of operations and detailed information on the oncologic principles, avoidable pitfalls, and the quality of the evidence supporting the recommendations. Randomized trials have not addressed all components of operations within each disease site, Operative Standards draws on the experience and consensus opinion of the experts writing the individual chapters. Identifying the lack of evidence on certain topics has been an unintended consequence of writing this manual, and has galvanized the authors to establish standards. More than 120 surgeons contributed to the publication of this first edition, making it the best resource available on the proper conduct of an operation for cancer of the breast, colon, lung, and pancreas.

The manual authors describe several common but important operative procedures within each disease site. The manual focuses on oncologic fundamentals and critical elements in the conduct of the operation and intraoperative decision-making and is not a surgical atlas. In addition, the participants identify controversies and pose several key questions that are analyzed with a systematic review of current literature. These questions might serve as the basis for a new clinical trial within each disease site. A leadership committee consisting of a section editor, a methodologist, and an art/illustrations editor reviewed each disease group. Surgeons with expertise in each disease site were recruited from national societies and cooperative groups to ensure broad representation. The authors also invited international experts to participate in each section. Much of the initial work was accomplished through conference calls followed by collaborative writing over a period of one-and-a-half years. This work culminated with a textbook, which will also be available online.

Anticipating continued evolution in surgical oncology, these initial four disease site sections will be updated every two to three years. Planning is already underway for the second edition of this manual and will include procedures in melanoma, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, rectal cancer, and thyroid cancer.

Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery is available to order at http://www.lww.com/acs. Purchasers of the print edition will also receive the bundled interactive eBook edition, offering tablet, smartphone, or online access.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) present the first comprehensive, evidence-based examination of cancer surgery techniques that are critical to achieve optimal outcomes in a cancer operation. Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, published in June by Wolters Kluwer, is a unique manual that focuses on best practices for breast, colon, lung, and pancreatic surgery, describing the surgical procedures that occur between skin incision and skin closure that directly affect cancer outcomes. The effort to develop a manual that details the critical elements of cancer surgery was first envisioned by Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, Fred C. Andersen Professor and vice-chair, research, department of surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

The textbook has been the main focus of the Cancer Care Standards Development Committee for the past three years, led by Kelly Hunt, MD, FACS, professor, department of surgical oncology, division of surgery, and chief, breast surgical oncology section, department of surgical oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and Program Director of the Alliance/ACS Clinical Research Program..

The manual provides concrete recommendations based on evidence of the proper conduct of operations and detailed information on the oncologic principles, avoidable pitfalls, and the quality of the evidence supporting the recommendations. Randomized trials have not addressed all components of operations within each disease site, Operative Standards draws on the experience and consensus opinion of the experts writing the individual chapters. Identifying the lack of evidence on certain topics has been an unintended consequence of writing this manual, and has galvanized the authors to establish standards. More than 120 surgeons contributed to the publication of this first edition, making it the best resource available on the proper conduct of an operation for cancer of the breast, colon, lung, and pancreas.

The manual authors describe several common but important operative procedures within each disease site. The manual focuses on oncologic fundamentals and critical elements in the conduct of the operation and intraoperative decision-making and is not a surgical atlas. In addition, the participants identify controversies and pose several key questions that are analyzed with a systematic review of current literature. These questions might serve as the basis for a new clinical trial within each disease site. A leadership committee consisting of a section editor, a methodologist, and an art/illustrations editor reviewed each disease group. Surgeons with expertise in each disease site were recruited from national societies and cooperative groups to ensure broad representation. The authors also invited international experts to participate in each section. Much of the initial work was accomplished through conference calls followed by collaborative writing over a period of one-and-a-half years. This work culminated with a textbook, which will also be available online.

Anticipating continued evolution in surgical oncology, these initial four disease site sections will be updated every two to three years. Planning is already underway for the second edition of this manual and will include procedures in melanoma, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, rectal cancer, and thyroid cancer.

Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery is available to order at http://www.lww.com/acs. Purchasers of the print edition will also receive the bundled interactive eBook edition, offering tablet, smartphone, or online access.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) present the first comprehensive, evidence-based examination of cancer surgery techniques that are critical to achieve optimal outcomes in a cancer operation. Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery, published in June by Wolters Kluwer, is a unique manual that focuses on best practices for breast, colon, lung, and pancreatic surgery, describing the surgical procedures that occur between skin incision and skin closure that directly affect cancer outcomes. The effort to develop a manual that details the critical elements of cancer surgery was first envisioned by Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, Fred C. Andersen Professor and vice-chair, research, department of surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

The textbook has been the main focus of the Cancer Care Standards Development Committee for the past three years, led by Kelly Hunt, MD, FACS, professor, department of surgical oncology, division of surgery, and chief, breast surgical oncology section, department of surgical oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and Program Director of the Alliance/ACS Clinical Research Program..

The manual provides concrete recommendations based on evidence of the proper conduct of operations and detailed information on the oncologic principles, avoidable pitfalls, and the quality of the evidence supporting the recommendations. Randomized trials have not addressed all components of operations within each disease site, Operative Standards draws on the experience and consensus opinion of the experts writing the individual chapters. Identifying the lack of evidence on certain topics has been an unintended consequence of writing this manual, and has galvanized the authors to establish standards. More than 120 surgeons contributed to the publication of this first edition, making it the best resource available on the proper conduct of an operation for cancer of the breast, colon, lung, and pancreas.

The manual authors describe several common but important operative procedures within each disease site. The manual focuses on oncologic fundamentals and critical elements in the conduct of the operation and intraoperative decision-making and is not a surgical atlas. In addition, the participants identify controversies and pose several key questions that are analyzed with a systematic review of current literature. These questions might serve as the basis for a new clinical trial within each disease site. A leadership committee consisting of a section editor, a methodologist, and an art/illustrations editor reviewed each disease group. Surgeons with expertise in each disease site were recruited from national societies and cooperative groups to ensure broad representation. The authors also invited international experts to participate in each section. Much of the initial work was accomplished through conference calls followed by collaborative writing over a period of one-and-a-half years. This work culminated with a textbook, which will also be available online.

Anticipating continued evolution in surgical oncology, these initial four disease site sections will be updated every two to three years. Planning is already underway for the second edition of this manual and will include procedures in melanoma, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, rectal cancer, and thyroid cancer.

Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery is available to order at http://www.lww.com/acs. Purchasers of the print edition will also receive the bundled interactive eBook edition, offering tablet, smartphone, or online access.

The Joint Committee to Create a National Policy to Enhance Survivability from Intentional Mass-Casualty and Active Shooter Events, founded by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), held its third Hartford Consensus meeting April 14, 2015, in Hartford, CT. Chaired by ACS Regent Lenworth M. Jacobs, Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery; director, Trauma Institute; and vice-president of academic affairs, Hartford Hospital, the meeting focused on implementation of strategies for effective hemorrhage control.

The full Hartford Consensus III report will be published in the July issue of the Bulletin. Briefly, however, the Hartford Consensus III centers on strategies for preparing individuals at the scene of a mass-casualty event to serve as immediate responders using the group’s THREAT system. THREAT involves the following:

• Threat suppression

• Hemorrhage control

• Rapid Extrication to safety

• Assessment by medical providers

• Transport to definitive care

The Hartford Consensus calls for a seamless, integrated response from the following groups:

• Immediate responders: Individuals present at the incident

• Professional first responders: Law enforcement, emergency medical service personnel, firefighters, and rescue workers

• Trauma professionals: Hospitalists; emergency department physicians, nurses, and technicians; and trauma surgeons

Empowering immediate responders

An emphasis of the Hartford Consensus III is on empowering the public to provide lifesaving, first-line care. The Hartford Consensus III also calls for educating individuals and communities about the use of effective external hemorrhage control techniques and for ensuring access to bleeding control bags in public places in the same way that automatic external defibrillators are now accessible to the public. For example, the document calls for extending Good Samaritan protections to individuals who use tourniquets and lifesaving devices to control the bleeding of victims at mass-casualty events.

A number of ACS Fellows in addition to Dr. Jacobs participated in the Hartford Consensus III.

ACS Fellow participants in Hartford Consensus III 

.5 Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th U.S. Surgeon General
Alasdair K. T. Conn, MD, FACS, FRCSC, chief emeritus, department of emergency medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 
Alexander Eastman, MD, MPH, FACS, Major Cities Police Chiefs Association; chief of trauma, Parkland Memorial Hospital, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Houston
Lenworth M. Jacobs, Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery; director, Trauma Institute; and vice-president of academic affairs, Hartford Hospital
John Holcomb, MD, FACS, chief, division of acute care surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Norman McSwain, MD, FACS, medical director, prehospital trauma life support, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Peter Rhee, MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery, department of surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson
Ronald Stewart, MD, FACS, Chair, ACS Committee on Trauma; chair, department of surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 
ACS President Andrew L. Warshaw, MD, FACS, FRCSEd(Hon), surgeon-in-chief emeritus, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the W. Gerald Austen Distinguished Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Leonard Weireter, MD, FACS, Vice-Chair, ACS Committee on Trauma; Arthur and Marie Kirk Family Professor of Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk
Jonathan Woodson, MD, FACS, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense, Washington, DC

The Joint Committee to Create a National Policy to Enhance Survivability from Intentional Mass-Casualty and Active Shooter Events, founded by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), held its third Hartford Consensus meeting April 14, 2015, in Hartford, CT. Chaired by ACS Regent Lenworth M. Jacobs, Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery; director, Trauma Institute; and vice-president of academic affairs, Hartford Hospital, the meeting focused on implementation of strategies for effective hemorrhage control.

The full Hartford Consensus III report will be published in the July issue of the Bulletin. Briefly, however, the Hartford Consensus III centers on strategies for preparing individuals at the scene of a mass-casualty event to serve as immediate responders using the group’s THREAT system. THREAT involves the following:

• Threat suppression

• Hemorrhage control

• Rapid Extrication to safety

• Assessment by medical providers

• Transport to definitive care

The Hartford Consensus calls for a seamless, integrated response from the following groups:

• Immediate responders: Individuals present at the incident

• Professional first responders: Law enforcement, emergency medical service personnel, firefighters, and rescue workers

• Trauma professionals: Hospitalists; emergency department physicians, nurses, and technicians; and trauma surgeons

Empowering immediate responders

An emphasis of the Hartford Consensus III is on empowering the public to provide lifesaving, first-line care. The Hartford Consensus III also calls for educating individuals and communities about the use of effective external hemorrhage control techniques and for ensuring access to bleeding control bags in public places in the same way that automatic external defibrillators are now accessible to the public. For example, the document calls for extending Good Samaritan protections to individuals who use tourniquets and lifesaving devices to control the bleeding of victims at mass-casualty events.

A number of ACS Fellows in addition to Dr. Jacobs participated in the Hartford Consensus III.

ACS Fellow participants in Hartford Consensus III 

.5 Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th U.S. Surgeon General
Alasdair K. T. Conn, MD, FACS, FRCSC, chief emeritus, department of emergency medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 
Alexander Eastman, MD, MPH, FACS, Major Cities Police Chiefs Association; chief of trauma, Parkland Memorial Hospital, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Houston
Lenworth M. Jacobs, Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery; director, Trauma Institute; and vice-president of academic affairs, Hartford Hospital
John Holcomb, MD, FACS, chief, division of acute care surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Norman McSwain, MD, FACS, medical director, prehospital trauma life support, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Peter Rhee, MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery, department of surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson
Ronald Stewart, MD, FACS, Chair, ACS Committee on Trauma; chair, department of surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 
ACS President Andrew L. Warshaw, MD, FACS, FRCSEd(Hon), surgeon-in-chief emeritus, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the W. Gerald Austen Distinguished Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Leonard Weireter, MD, FACS, Vice-Chair, ACS Committee on Trauma; Arthur and Marie Kirk Family Professor of Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk
Jonathan Woodson, MD, FACS, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense, Washington, DC

The Joint Committee to Create a National Policy to Enhance Survivability from Intentional Mass-Casualty and Active Shooter Events, founded by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), held its third Hartford Consensus meeting April 14, 2015, in Hartford, CT. Chaired by ACS Regent Lenworth M. Jacobs, Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery; director, Trauma Institute; and vice-president of academic affairs, Hartford Hospital, the meeting focused on implementation of strategies for effective hemorrhage control.

The full Hartford Consensus III report will be published in the July issue of the Bulletin. Briefly, however, the Hartford Consensus III centers on strategies for preparing individuals at the scene of a mass-casualty event to serve as immediate responders using the group’s THREAT system. THREAT involves the following:

• Threat suppression

• Hemorrhage control

• Rapid Extrication to safety

• Assessment by medical providers

• Transport to definitive care

The Hartford Consensus calls for a seamless, integrated response from the following groups:

• Immediate responders: Individuals present at the incident

• Professional first responders: Law enforcement, emergency medical service personnel, firefighters, and rescue workers

• Trauma professionals: Hospitalists; emergency department physicians, nurses, and technicians; and trauma surgeons

Empowering immediate responders

An emphasis of the Hartford Consensus III is on empowering the public to provide lifesaving, first-line care. The Hartford Consensus III also calls for educating individuals and communities about the use of effective external hemorrhage control techniques and for ensuring access to bleeding control bags in public places in the same way that automatic external defibrillators are now accessible to the public. For example, the document calls for extending Good Samaritan protections to individuals who use tourniquets and lifesaving devices to control the bleeding of victims at mass-casualty events.

A number of ACS Fellows in addition to Dr. Jacobs participated in the Hartford Consensus III.

ACS Fellow participants in Hartford Consensus III 

.5 Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th U.S. Surgeon General
Alasdair K. T. Conn, MD, FACS, FRCSC, chief emeritus, department of emergency medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 
Alexander Eastman, MD, MPH, FACS, Major Cities Police Chiefs Association; chief of trauma, Parkland Memorial Hospital, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Houston
Lenworth M. Jacobs, Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery; director, Trauma Institute; and vice-president of academic affairs, Hartford Hospital
John Holcomb, MD, FACS, chief, division of acute care surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Norman McSwain, MD, FACS, medical director, prehospital trauma life support, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Peter Rhee, MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery, department of surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson
Ronald Stewart, MD, FACS, Chair, ACS Committee on Trauma; chair, department of surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 
ACS President Andrew L. Warshaw, MD, FACS, FRCSEd(Hon), surgeon-in-chief emeritus, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the W. Gerald Austen Distinguished Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Leonard Weireter, MD, FACS, Vice-Chair, ACS Committee on Trauma; Arthur and Marie Kirk Family Professor of Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk
Jonathan Woodson, MD, FACS, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense, Washington, DC

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) announced the 15 winners of the 38th annual Residents Trauma Papers Competition at its Annual Meeting, March 12–14, in Chicago, IL. Each winner received $500, with an additional $500 awarded to the second-place winners in each category, and an extra $1,000 awarded to the two first-place winners.

The competition is open to surgical residents and trauma fellows. Submissions describe original research in the area of trauma care and/or prevention in one of two categories: basic laboratory research or clinical investigation. The Eastern and Western States COTs, Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) and the ACS are funding the competition.

Submissions begin at the state or provincial level, and winners are then judged at regional competitions. Each region is then eligible to submit two abstracts to a panel of COT judges, who make the final selection for presentation at the Scientific Session of the COT Annual Meeting. Leonard J. Weireter, MD, FACS, Norfolk, VA, Vice-Chair of the COT and Chair of the COT Regional Committees, moderated the session.

The 2015 competition winners are as follows:

• First Place, Basic Laboratory Research: Simone M. Langness, MD, University of California, San Diego, postgraduate year (PGY)-4 (COT Region 9): The Vagus Nerve Mediates the Neural Stem Cell Response to Intestinal Injury

• First Place, Clinical Investigation: Deepika Nehra, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, PGY-7 (COT Region 10): Acute Rehabilitation after Trauma: Does It Really Matter?

• Second Place, Basic Laboratory Research: Michaela C. Kollisch-Singule, MD, State University of New York at Stony Brook Medical University, Syracuse, PGY-4 (COT Region 2): Impact of Chest Wall Recruitment in Prevention of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

• Second Place, Clinical Investigation: Cherisse Berry, MD, University of Maryland, Baltimore, PGY-9 (COT Region 3): Prospective Evaluation of Post-Traumatic Vasospasm (PTV) and Post-Injury Functional Outcome Assessment: Is Cerebral Ischemia Going Unrecognized in TBI Patients?

Additional selected surgical residents and the papers they presented are as follows:

• Elizabeth King, MD, Boston University Medical Center, PGY-5 (COT Region 1): Valproic Acid Mitigates the Inflammatory Response in Murine Acute Lung Injury at the Expense of Bacterial Clearance

• Samuel W. Ross, MD, MPH, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, PGY-4 (COT Region 4): Hemodilution: Fact or Fiction? A Prospective, Randomized Control Trial to Quantify the Effect of Blood Loss and Crystalloid Resuscitation on Hemoglobin

• Ihab Halaweish, MD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, PGY-5 (COT Region 5): Early Resuscitation with Fresh Frozen Plasma for Traumatic Brain Injury Combined with Hemorrhagic Shock Improves Neurological Recovery

• Melody R. Saeman, MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, PGY-5 (COT Region 6): Alteration of the Circadian Network following Traumatic Brain Injury

• Haniee Chung, MD, Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, PGY-5 (COT Region 7): The Problem of Age: The Role of the Immune Response to Severe Injury in the Elderly

• Hunter B. Moore, MD, University of Colorado, Denver, PGY-3 (COT Region 8): Hyperfibrinolysis Is Driven by Hemorrhagic Shock and Attenuated by Plasma Resuscitation: The Role of Plasma First Resuscitation in Critically Injured Patients

• Timothy J. Rice, MD, Hamilton General Hospital, ON (COT Region 12): A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial on the Efficacy of Early Enoxaparin: The Optimal Timing of Thromboprophylaxis in a Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage Study

• Captain Jonathan J. Sexton, MD, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, MD (COT Region 13): Administration of FTY720 during Tourniquet-Induced Hind Limb Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Attenuates Morbidity and Mortality in a Rodent Model

• Eduardo Rissi Silva, MD, Hospital das Clinicas, Sao Paulo, Brazil (COT Region 14): Prospective Evaluation of a Protocol of Whole-Body CT Based Only in Mechanism of Injury in Major Trauma Patients

• Jacqueline van Laarhoven, MD, Ratboud University, Netherlands (COT Region 15): Associated Thoracic Injury in Patients with a Clavicle Fracture: An Analysis of 1478 Polytrauma Patients

• Felix Che-Lok Chow, MB, BS (HK), MHKICSBCS, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital (COT Region 16): Clinical Parameters Predicting In-Hospital Mortality in Geriatric Patients following Severe Trauma: A 15-Year Experience

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) announced the 15 winners of the 38th annual Residents Trauma Papers Competition at its Annual Meeting, March 12–14, in Chicago, IL. Each winner received $500, with an additional $500 awarded to the second-place winners in each category, and an extra $1,000 awarded to the two first-place winners.

The competition is open to surgical residents and trauma fellows. Submissions describe original research in the area of trauma care and/or prevention in one of two categories: basic laboratory research or clinical investigation. The Eastern and Western States COTs, Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) and the ACS are funding the competition.

Submissions begin at the state or provincial level, and winners are then judged at regional competitions. Each region is then eligible to submit two abstracts to a panel of COT judges, who make the final selection for presentation at the Scientific Session of the COT Annual Meeting. Leonard J. Weireter, MD, FACS, Norfolk, VA, Vice-Chair of the COT and Chair of the COT Regional Committees, moderated the session.

The 2015 competition winners are as follows:

• First Place, Basic Laboratory Research: Simone M. Langness, MD, University of California, San Diego, postgraduate year (PGY)-4 (COT Region 9): The Vagus Nerve Mediates the Neural Stem Cell Response to Intestinal Injury

• First Place, Clinical Investigation: Deepika Nehra, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, PGY-7 (COT Region 10): Acute Rehabilitation after Trauma: Does It Really Matter?

• Second Place, Basic Laboratory Research: Michaela C. Kollisch-Singule, MD, State University of New York at Stony Brook Medical University, Syracuse, PGY-4 (COT Region 2): Impact of Chest Wall Recruitment in Prevention of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

• Second Place, Clinical Investigation: Cherisse Berry, MD, University of Maryland, Baltimore, PGY-9 (COT Region 3): Prospective Evaluation of Post-Traumatic Vasospasm (PTV) and Post-Injury Functional Outcome Assessment: Is Cerebral Ischemia Going Unrecognized in TBI Patients?

Additional selected surgical residents and the papers they presented are as follows:

• Elizabeth King, MD, Boston University Medical Center, PGY-5 (COT Region 1): Valproic Acid Mitigates the Inflammatory Response in Murine Acute Lung Injury at the Expense of Bacterial Clearance

• Samuel W. Ross, MD, MPH, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, PGY-4 (COT Region 4): Hemodilution: Fact or Fiction? A Prospective, Randomized Control Trial to Quantify the Effect of Blood Loss and Crystalloid Resuscitation on Hemoglobin

• Ihab Halaweish, MD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, PGY-5 (COT Region 5): Early Resuscitation with Fresh Frozen Plasma for Traumatic Brain Injury Combined with Hemorrhagic Shock Improves Neurological Recovery

• Melody R. Saeman, MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, PGY-5 (COT Region 6): Alteration of the Circadian Network following Traumatic Brain Injury

• Haniee Chung, MD, Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, PGY-5 (COT Region 7): The Problem of Age: The Role of the Immune Response to Severe Injury in the Elderly

• Hunter B. Moore, MD, University of Colorado, Denver, PGY-3 (COT Region 8): Hyperfibrinolysis Is Driven by Hemorrhagic Shock and Attenuated by Plasma Resuscitation: The Role of Plasma First Resuscitation in Critically Injured Patients

• Timothy J. Rice, MD, Hamilton General Hospital, ON (COT Region 12): A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial on the Efficacy of Early Enoxaparin: The Optimal Timing of Thromboprophylaxis in a Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage Study

• Captain Jonathan J. Sexton, MD, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, MD (COT Region 13): Administration of FTY720 during Tourniquet-Induced Hind Limb Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Attenuates Morbidity and Mortality in a Rodent Model

• Eduardo Rissi Silva, MD, Hospital das Clinicas, Sao Paulo, Brazil (COT Region 14): Prospective Evaluation of a Protocol of Whole-Body CT Based Only in Mechanism of Injury in Major Trauma Patients

• Jacqueline van Laarhoven, MD, Ratboud University, Netherlands (COT Region 15): Associated Thoracic Injury in Patients with a Clavicle Fracture: An Analysis of 1478 Polytrauma Patients

• Felix Che-Lok Chow, MB, BS (HK), MHKICSBCS, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital (COT Region 16): Clinical Parameters Predicting In-Hospital Mortality in Geriatric Patients following Severe Trauma: A 15-Year Experience

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) announced the 15 winners of the 38th annual Residents Trauma Papers Competition at its Annual Meeting, March 12–14, in Chicago, IL. Each winner received $500, with an additional $500 awarded to the second-place winners in each category, and an extra $1,000 awarded to the two first-place winners.

The competition is open to surgical residents and trauma fellows. Submissions describe original research in the area of trauma care and/or prevention in one of two categories: basic laboratory research or clinical investigation. The Eastern and Western States COTs, Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) and the ACS are funding the competition.

Submissions begin at the state or provincial level, and winners are then judged at regional competitions. Each region is then eligible to submit two abstracts to a panel of COT judges, who make the final selection for presentation at the Scientific Session of the COT Annual Meeting. Leonard J. Weireter, MD, FACS, Norfolk, VA, Vice-Chair of the COT and Chair of the COT Regional Committees, moderated the session.

The 2015 competition winners are as follows:

• First Place, Basic Laboratory Research: Simone M. Langness, MD, University of California, San Diego, postgraduate year (PGY)-4 (COT Region 9): The Vagus Nerve Mediates the Neural Stem Cell Response to Intestinal Injury

• First Place, Clinical Investigation: Deepika Nehra, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, PGY-7 (COT Region 10): Acute Rehabilitation after Trauma: Does It Really Matter?

• Second Place, Basic Laboratory Research: Michaela C. Kollisch-Singule, MD, State University of New York at Stony Brook Medical University, Syracuse, PGY-4 (COT Region 2): Impact of Chest Wall Recruitment in Prevention of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

• Second Place, Clinical Investigation: Cherisse Berry, MD, University of Maryland, Baltimore, PGY-9 (COT Region 3): Prospective Evaluation of Post-Traumatic Vasospasm (PTV) and Post-Injury Functional Outcome Assessment: Is Cerebral Ischemia Going Unrecognized in TBI Patients?

Additional selected surgical residents and the papers they presented are as follows:

• Elizabeth King, MD, Boston University Medical Center, PGY-5 (COT Region 1): Valproic Acid Mitigates the Inflammatory Response in Murine Acute Lung Injury at the Expense of Bacterial Clearance

• Samuel W. Ross, MD, MPH, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, PGY-4 (COT Region 4): Hemodilution: Fact or Fiction? A Prospective, Randomized Control Trial to Quantify the Effect of Blood Loss and Crystalloid Resuscitation on Hemoglobin

• Ihab Halaweish, MD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, PGY-5 (COT Region 5): Early Resuscitation with Fresh Frozen Plasma for Traumatic Brain Injury Combined with Hemorrhagic Shock Improves Neurological Recovery

• Melody R. Saeman, MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, PGY-5 (COT Region 6): Alteration of the Circadian Network following Traumatic Brain Injury

• Haniee Chung, MD, Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, PGY-5 (COT Region 7): The Problem of Age: The Role of the Immune Response to Severe Injury in the Elderly

• Hunter B. Moore, MD, University of Colorado, Denver, PGY-3 (COT Region 8): Hyperfibrinolysis Is Driven by Hemorrhagic Shock and Attenuated by Plasma Resuscitation: The Role of Plasma First Resuscitation in Critically Injured Patients

• Timothy J. Rice, MD, Hamilton General Hospital, ON (COT Region 12): A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial on the Efficacy of Early Enoxaparin: The Optimal Timing of Thromboprophylaxis in a Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage Study

• Captain Jonathan J. Sexton, MD, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, MD (COT Region 13): Administration of FTY720 during Tourniquet-Induced Hind Limb Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Attenuates Morbidity and Mortality in a Rodent Model

• Eduardo Rissi Silva, MD, Hospital das Clinicas, Sao Paulo, Brazil (COT Region 14): Prospective Evaluation of a Protocol of Whole-Body CT Based Only in Mechanism of Injury in Major Trauma Patients

• Jacqueline van Laarhoven, MD, Ratboud University, Netherlands (COT Region 15): Associated Thoracic Injury in Patients with a Clavicle Fracture: An Analysis of 1478 Polytrauma Patients

• Felix Che-Lok Chow, MB, BS (HK), MHKICSBCS, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital (COT Region 16): Clinical Parameters Predicting In-Hospital Mortality in Geriatric Patients following Severe Trauma: A 15-Year Experience

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Thursday, May 14, reviewed and passed a draft of legislation known as the 21st Century Cures Initiative.

The full committee will consider this third draft of the proposed legislation in the near future.

The 21st Century Cures Initiative was created to more quickly bring medical treatments and cures to the American public without being overburdened by government regulations.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) will submit a letter to the committee providing input on the bill. More information on the 21st Century Cures Initiative is on the Energy & Commerce Committee website at http://
energycommerce.house.gov/cures.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Thursday, May 14, reviewed and passed a draft of legislation known as the 21st Century Cures Initiative.

The full committee will consider this third draft of the proposed legislation in the near future.

The 21st Century Cures Initiative was created to more quickly bring medical treatments and cures to the American public without being overburdened by government regulations.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) will submit a letter to the committee providing input on the bill. More information on the 21st Century Cures Initiative is on the Energy & Commerce Committee website at http://
energycommerce.house.gov/cures.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Thursday, May 14, reviewed and passed a draft of legislation known as the 21st Century Cures Initiative.

The full committee will consider this third draft of the proposed legislation in the near future.

The 21st Century Cures Initiative was created to more quickly bring medical treatments and cures to the American public without being overburdened by government regulations.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) will submit a letter to the committee providing input on the bill. More information on the 21st Century Cures Initiative is on the Energy & Commerce Committee website at http://
energycommerce.house.gov/cures.

The American College of Surgeons Professional Association Political Action Committee (ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC) launched its first peer-to-peer membership campaign on May 26. The six-week “PAC Captain” campaign will promote the ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC to a broad College audience. More than 40 surgeons from across the country will serve as PAC Captains. These strong supporters of ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC are the College’s most valuable resource for advancing the surgical profession through political involvement. The Captains will work to increase the PAC’s membership base throughout the 2015-2016 election cycle. For more information, contact Katie Oehmen, PAC Associate, at 202-672-1503 or koehmen@facs.org.

The American College of Surgeons Professional Association Political Action Committee (ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC) launched its first peer-to-peer membership campaign on May 26. The six-week “PAC Captain” campaign will promote the ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC to a broad College audience. More than 40 surgeons from across the country will serve as PAC Captains. These strong supporters of ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC are the College’s most valuable resource for advancing the surgical profession through political involvement. The Captains will work to increase the PAC’s membership base throughout the 2015-2016 election cycle. For more information, contact Katie Oehmen, PAC Associate, at 202-672-1503 or koehmen@facs.org.

The American College of Surgeons Professional Association Political Action Committee (ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC) launched its first peer-to-peer membership campaign on May 26. The six-week “PAC Captain” campaign will promote the ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC to a broad College audience. More than 40 surgeons from across the country will serve as PAC Captains. These strong supporters of ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC are the College’s most valuable resource for advancing the surgical profession through political involvement. The Captains will work to increase the PAC’s membership base throughout the 2015-2016 election cycle. For more information, contact Katie Oehmen, PAC Associate, at 202-672-1503 or koehmen@facs.org.

Most hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) improve surgical outcomes over time, and improvement continues with each year that hospitals participate in the program, according to a study recently published online in Annals of Surgery.*

The study by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) research team found that among hospitals currently participating in the program for at least three years, 69 percent reduced their mortality rate, 79 percent reduced their complications rate, and 71 percent reduced their surgical site infection (SSI) rate. It was estimated that, on average, these hospitals reduced their death rate by 0.8 percent per year, their complications rate by 3.1 percent per year, and their SSI rate by 2.6 percent per year, based on comparisons with rates from the previous year.

The study is based on ACS NSQIP data collected between 2006 and 2013. Complications included in morbidity were superficial, deep, or organ space SSI; failure to wean; pneumonia; renal complications; urinary tract infection; cardiac complications; and vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism.

Annual reductions allow hospitals committed to participation in the program to see significant improvements accumulate over time, according to the study authors. For example, by year five of participation, an average-size hospital is likely to prevent at least seven deaths, 150 complications, and 66 SSIs per 10,000 surgical procedures. A large hospital with 800 to 1,000 beds could prevent twice as many instances of patient harm, study authors noted. The estimates likely underrate the actual benefits of the program, as some complications were excluded from the study because they could not be counted consistently over time and because multiple complications in the same patient were omitted.

“These results show that hospitals committed to measuring and acting on their clinical data, implementing steps to improve, and establishing a culture for continuous quality improvement can achieve significant reductions in patient harm,” said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, Director, ACS NSQIP and ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care.

“Studies have consistently shown that reliance on clinical data is necessary for hospitals to get an accurate picture of their outcomes and to identify areas for improvement. Because of inaccuracies, it is often inappropriate to use administrative data to make quality improvement assessments,” Dr. Ko added. “We now have enough evidence to know that the best approach to quality improvement requires clinical outcomes data. Then, once hospitals have an accurate measure of their quality, they must act on that data to improve.”

At press time, the study was scheduled to be published later this year in the print edition of Annals of Surgery.

*Cohen ME, Liu Y, Ko CY, Hall BL. Improved surgical outcomes for ACS NSQIP hospitals over time: Evaluation of hospital cohorts with up to 8 years of participation. Ann. Surg. 2015; Feb. 26 (e-pub ahead of print).

Most hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) improve surgical outcomes over time, and improvement continues with each year that hospitals participate in the program, according to a study recently published online in Annals of Surgery.*

The study by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) research team found that among hospitals currently participating in the program for at least three years, 69 percent reduced their mortality rate, 79 percent reduced their complications rate, and 71 percent reduced their surgical site infection (SSI) rate. It was estimated that, on average, these hospitals reduced their death rate by 0.8 percent per year, their complications rate by 3.1 percent per year, and their SSI rate by 2.6 percent per year, based on comparisons with rates from the previous year.

The study is based on ACS NSQIP data collected between 2006 and 2013. Complications included in morbidity were superficial, deep, or organ space SSI; failure to wean; pneumonia; renal complications; urinary tract infection; cardiac complications; and vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism.

Annual reductions allow hospitals committed to participation in the program to see significant improvements accumulate over time, according to the study authors. For example, by year five of participation, an average-size hospital is likely to prevent at least seven deaths, 150 complications, and 66 SSIs per 10,000 surgical procedures. A large hospital with 800 to 1,000 beds could prevent twice as many instances of patient harm, study authors noted. The estimates likely underrate the actual benefits of the program, as some complications were excluded from the study because they could not be counted consistently over time and because multiple complications in the same patient were omitted.

“These results show that hospitals committed to measuring and acting on their clinical data, implementing steps to improve, and establishing a culture for continuous quality improvement can achieve significant reductions in patient harm,” said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, Director, ACS NSQIP and ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care.

“Studies have consistently shown that reliance on clinical data is necessary for hospitals to get an accurate picture of their outcomes and to identify areas for improvement. Because of inaccuracies, it is often inappropriate to use administrative data to make quality improvement assessments,” Dr. Ko added. “We now have enough evidence to know that the best approach to quality improvement requires clinical outcomes data. Then, once hospitals have an accurate measure of their quality, they must act on that data to improve.”

At press time, the study was scheduled to be published later this year in the print edition of Annals of Surgery.

*Cohen ME, Liu Y, Ko CY, Hall BL. Improved surgical outcomes for ACS NSQIP hospitals over time: Evaluation of hospital cohorts with up to 8 years of participation. Ann. Surg. 2015; Feb. 26 (e-pub ahead of print).

Most hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) improve surgical outcomes over time, and improvement continues with each year that hospitals participate in the program, according to a study recently published online in Annals of Surgery.*

The study by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) research team found that among hospitals currently participating in the program for at least three years, 69 percent reduced their mortality rate, 79 percent reduced their complications rate, and 71 percent reduced their surgical site infection (SSI) rate. It was estimated that, on average, these hospitals reduced their death rate by 0.8 percent per year, their complications rate by 3.1 percent per year, and their SSI rate by 2.6 percent per year, based on comparisons with rates from the previous year.

The study is based on ACS NSQIP data collected between 2006 and 2013. Complications included in morbidity were superficial, deep, or organ space SSI; failure to wean; pneumonia; renal complications; urinary tract infection; cardiac complications; and vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism.

Annual reductions allow hospitals committed to participation in the program to see significant improvements accumulate over time, according to the study authors. For example, by year five of participation, an average-size hospital is likely to prevent at least seven deaths, 150 complications, and 66 SSIs per 10,000 surgical procedures. A large hospital with 800 to 1,000 beds could prevent twice as many instances of patient harm, study authors noted. The estimates likely underrate the actual benefits of the program, as some complications were excluded from the study because they could not be counted consistently over time and because multiple complications in the same patient were omitted.

“These results show that hospitals committed to measuring and acting on their clinical data, implementing steps to improve, and establishing a culture for continuous quality improvement can achieve significant reductions in patient harm,” said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, Director, ACS NSQIP and ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care.

“Studies have consistently shown that reliance on clinical data is necessary for hospitals to get an accurate picture of their outcomes and to identify areas for improvement. Because of inaccuracies, it is often inappropriate to use administrative data to make quality improvement assessments,” Dr. Ko added. “We now have enough evidence to know that the best approach to quality improvement requires clinical outcomes data. Then, once hospitals have an accurate measure of their quality, they must act on that data to improve.”

At press time, the study was scheduled to be published later this year in the print edition of Annals of Surgery.

*Cohen ME, Liu Y, Ko CY, Hall BL. Improved surgical outcomes for ACS NSQIP hospitals over time: Evaluation of hospital cohorts with up to 8 years of participation. Ann. Surg. 2015; Feb. 26 (e-pub ahead of print).

Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, FACS, Chair of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Board of Governors, was awarded the Castle Connolly 2015 National Physician of the Year Award for Clinical Excellence on March 23 in New York, NY, at the 10th annual National Physician of the Year Awards, sponsored by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. Dr. Michelassi is the Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor and Chairman, department of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, and surgeon-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York.

Dr. Michelassi is a renowned gastrointestinal surgeon and an expert in the surgical treatment of gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers, as well as inflammatory bowel disease. A prolific author of more than 270 papers, book chapters, and abstracts, Dr. Michelassi has made significant contributions to surgical treatment of pancreatic and colorectal cancers, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. He has pioneered the development of techniques that improve the quality of life for patients with rectal cancer and ulcerative colitis. His experience and expertise in treating Crohn’s disease led him to develop a novel bowel-sparing procedure, now known as the Michelassi strictureplasty, which obviates chronic intestinal obstruction in extensive Crohn’s disease without sacrificing the intestine.

“I am truly humbled to receive this award,” Dr. Michelassi said. “It is amazing to me that someone could receive an award like this just for doing something that has been such a pleasure to do: taking care of patients in a compassionate, expert, professional way.”

Dr. Michelassi is a clinician, researcher, and teacher who has served as a visiting professor at nearly 50 national and international institutions. He has delivered more than 40 named lectures and keynote addresses. He is associate editor of the Annals of Surgical Oncology and serves on the editorial board of five prestigious medical journals: Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Surgery, British Journal of Surgery, Annals of Surgery, and the World Journal of Surgery. He has been the recipient of many awards, including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Award, the American Cancer Society Cancer Development Award, and the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

John B. Mulliken, MD, FACS, professor of surgery, Harvard Medical School and co-director, Vascular Anomalies Center and director, Cranofacial Centre, Boston Children’s Hospital, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year Awards. In addition, Henry Brem, MD, FACS, Harvey Cushing Professor of Neurosurgery, ophthalmology, oncology, and biomedical engineering, and director, department of neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, was recognized for Clinical Excellence.

Find more information regarding the Castle Connolly awards and a list of all 2015 honorees at www.castlecconnollyawards.com.

Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, FACS, Chair of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Board of Governors, was awarded the Castle Connolly 2015 National Physician of the Year Award for Clinical Excellence on March 23 in New York, NY, at the 10th annual National Physician of the Year Awards, sponsored by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. Dr. Michelassi is the Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor and Chairman, department of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, and surgeon-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York.

Dr. Michelassi is a renowned gastrointestinal surgeon and an expert in the surgical treatment of gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers, as well as inflammatory bowel disease. A prolific author of more than 270 papers, book chapters, and abstracts, Dr. Michelassi has made significant contributions to surgical treatment of pancreatic and colorectal cancers, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. He has pioneered the development of techniques that improve the quality of life for patients with rectal cancer and ulcerative colitis. His experience and expertise in treating Crohn’s disease led him to develop a novel bowel-sparing procedure, now known as the Michelassi strictureplasty, which obviates chronic intestinal obstruction in extensive Crohn’s disease without sacrificing the intestine.

“I am truly humbled to receive this award,” Dr. Michelassi said. “It is amazing to me that someone could receive an award like this just for doing something that has been such a pleasure to do: taking care of patients in a compassionate, expert, professional way.”

Dr. Michelassi is a clinician, researcher, and teacher who has served as a visiting professor at nearly 50 national and international institutions. He has delivered more than 40 named lectures and keynote addresses. He is associate editor of the Annals of Surgical Oncology and serves on the editorial board of five prestigious medical journals: Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Surgery, British Journal of Surgery, Annals of Surgery, and the World Journal of Surgery. He has been the recipient of many awards, including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Award, the American Cancer Society Cancer Development Award, and the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

John B. Mulliken, MD, FACS, professor of surgery, Harvard Medical School and co-director, Vascular Anomalies Center and director, Cranofacial Centre, Boston Children’s Hospital, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year Awards. In addition, Henry Brem, MD, FACS, Harvey Cushing Professor of Neurosurgery, ophthalmology, oncology, and biomedical engineering, and director, department of neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, was recognized for Clinical Excellence.

Find more information regarding the Castle Connolly awards and a list of all 2015 honorees at www.castlecconnollyawards.com.

Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, FACS, Chair of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Board of Governors, was awarded the Castle Connolly 2015 National Physician of the Year Award for Clinical Excellence on March 23 in New York, NY, at the 10th annual National Physician of the Year Awards, sponsored by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. Dr. Michelassi is the Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor and Chairman, department of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, and surgeon-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York.

Dr. Michelassi is a renowned gastrointestinal surgeon and an expert in the surgical treatment of gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers, as well as inflammatory bowel disease. A prolific author of more than 270 papers, book chapters, and abstracts, Dr. Michelassi has made significant contributions to surgical treatment of pancreatic and colorectal cancers, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. He has pioneered the development of techniques that improve the quality of life for patients with rectal cancer and ulcerative colitis. His experience and expertise in treating Crohn’s disease led him to develop a novel bowel-sparing procedure, now known as the Michelassi strictureplasty, which obviates chronic intestinal obstruction in extensive Crohn’s disease without sacrificing the intestine.

“I am truly humbled to receive this award,” Dr. Michelassi said. “It is amazing to me that someone could receive an award like this just for doing something that has been such a pleasure to do: taking care of patients in a compassionate, expert, professional way.”

Dr. Michelassi is a clinician, researcher, and teacher who has served as a visiting professor at nearly 50 national and international institutions. He has delivered more than 40 named lectures and keynote addresses. He is associate editor of the Annals of Surgical Oncology and serves on the editorial board of five prestigious medical journals: Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Surgery, British Journal of Surgery, Annals of Surgery, and the World Journal of Surgery. He has been the recipient of many awards, including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Award, the American Cancer Society Cancer Development Award, and the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

John B. Mulliken, MD, FACS, professor of surgery, Harvard Medical School and co-director, Vascular Anomalies Center and director, Cranofacial Centre, Boston Children’s Hospital, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year Awards. In addition, Henry Brem, MD, FACS, Harvey Cushing Professor of Neurosurgery, ophthalmology, oncology, and biomedical engineering, and director, department of neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, was recognized for Clinical Excellence.

Find more information regarding the Castle Connolly awards and a list of all 2015 honorees at www.castlecconnollyawards.com.

The Leadership Group of the newly formed Military Health System Strategic Partnership American College of Surgeons (MHSSPACS) held its inaugural meeting March 31 at the College’s headquarters in Chicago, IL. ACS Executive Director David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, and Captain Eric Elster, MD, FACS, chair, department of surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Services, and U.S. Navy staff transplant surgeon, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, co-chaired the meeting.

M. Margaret Knudson, MD, FACS, Medical Director for the MHSSPACS, organized the meeting, which was attended by leaders from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as representatives of key divisions of the ACS that are involved in this new partnership. The group considered four major topics that will be jointly addressed by the partnership, including quality of care in the military health system, education and training in combat care for military surgeons, trauma and combat casualty research, and the military’s Joint Trauma System.

In addition, the group discussed plans for a new military surgical society, called the Excelsior Society, which will meet for the first time at the ACS Clinical Congress in 2015.

MHSSPACS Leadership Group

Sameera Ali, Administrative Director, Continuous Quality Improvement, ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care
Jeffrey Bailey, MD, FACS, Director, Institute for Surgical Research, U.S. Air Force, San Antonio, TX
Patrick Bailey, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy
Patrice Gabler Blair, MPH, Associate Director, ACS Division of Education
Admiral Raquel Bono, MD, FACS, ACS Governor, U.S. Navy
Connie Bura, Associate Director, ACS Division of Member Services
Jean Clemency, Administrative Director, ACS Trauma Programs
Paul Cordts, MD, FACS, Department of Defense, Health Affairs
Captain Eric Elster, MD, FACS, Chair, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Services, and U.S. Navy staff transplant surgeon, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
Colonel Kirby Gross, MD, FACS, U.S. Army, Director, Military Joint Trauma System
David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, ACS Executive Director
Donald Jenkins, MD, FACS, Executive Committee, ACS Committee on Trauma
Garrett Kirk, MPH, Program Administrator, MHSSPACS
M. Margaret Knudson, MD, FACS, ACS Medical Director, MHSSPACS
Colonel Matthew Martin, MD, FACS, Trauma Medical Director and Chief, Surgical Critical Care, Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Colonel Todd Rasmussen, MD, FACS, Director, U.S. Combat Casualty Research Program, U.S. Air Force
Michael Rotondo, MD, FACS, Director, ACS Trauma Programs
Ajit Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, Director, ACS Division of Education
C. William Schwab, MD, FACS, Captain (Retired), U.S. Navy
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Stamp, MD, FACS, ACS Governor, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO
Girma Tefera, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Operation Giving Back
Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS, Director, ACS Division of Member Services
David P. Winchester, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Cancer Programs

The Leadership Group of the newly formed Military Health System Strategic Partnership American College of Surgeons (MHSSPACS) held its inaugural meeting March 31 at the College’s headquarters in Chicago, IL. ACS Executive Director David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, and Captain Eric Elster, MD, FACS, chair, department of surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Services, and U.S. Navy staff transplant surgeon, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, co-chaired the meeting.

M. Margaret Knudson, MD, FACS, Medical Director for the MHSSPACS, organized the meeting, which was attended by leaders from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as representatives of key divisions of the ACS that are involved in this new partnership. The group considered four major topics that will be jointly addressed by the partnership, including quality of care in the military health system, education and training in combat care for military surgeons, trauma and combat casualty research, and the military’s Joint Trauma System.

In addition, the group discussed plans for a new military surgical society, called the Excelsior Society, which will meet for the first time at the ACS Clinical Congress in 2015.

MHSSPACS Leadership Group

Sameera Ali, Administrative Director, Continuous Quality Improvement, ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care
Jeffrey Bailey, MD, FACS, Director, Institute for Surgical Research, U.S. Air Force, San Antonio, TX
Patrick Bailey, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy
Patrice Gabler Blair, MPH, Associate Director, ACS Division of Education
Admiral Raquel Bono, MD, FACS, ACS Governor, U.S. Navy
Connie Bura, Associate Director, ACS Division of Member Services
Jean Clemency, Administrative Director, ACS Trauma Programs
Paul Cordts, MD, FACS, Department of Defense, Health Affairs
Captain Eric Elster, MD, FACS, Chair, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Services, and U.S. Navy staff transplant surgeon, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
Colonel Kirby Gross, MD, FACS, U.S. Army, Director, Military Joint Trauma System
David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, ACS Executive Director
Donald Jenkins, MD, FACS, Executive Committee, ACS Committee on Trauma
Garrett Kirk, MPH, Program Administrator, MHSSPACS
M. Margaret Knudson, MD, FACS, ACS Medical Director, MHSSPACS
Colonel Matthew Martin, MD, FACS, Trauma Medical Director and Chief, Surgical Critical Care, Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Colonel Todd Rasmussen, MD, FACS, Director, U.S. Combat Casualty Research Program, U.S. Air Force
Michael Rotondo, MD, FACS, Director, ACS Trauma Programs
Ajit Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, Director, ACS Division of Education
C. William Schwab, MD, FACS, Captain (Retired), U.S. Navy
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Stamp, MD, FACS, ACS Governor, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO
Girma Tefera, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Operation Giving Back
Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS, Director, ACS Division of Member Services
David P. Winchester, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Cancer Programs

The Leadership Group of the newly formed Military Health System Strategic Partnership American College of Surgeons (MHSSPACS) held its inaugural meeting March 31 at the College’s headquarters in Chicago, IL. ACS Executive Director David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, and Captain Eric Elster, MD, FACS, chair, department of surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Services, and U.S. Navy staff transplant surgeon, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, co-chaired the meeting.

M. Margaret Knudson, MD, FACS, Medical Director for the MHSSPACS, organized the meeting, which was attended by leaders from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as representatives of key divisions of the ACS that are involved in this new partnership. The group considered four major topics that will be jointly addressed by the partnership, including quality of care in the military health system, education and training in combat care for military surgeons, trauma and combat casualty research, and the military’s Joint Trauma System.

In addition, the group discussed plans for a new military surgical society, called the Excelsior Society, which will meet for the first time at the ACS Clinical Congress in 2015.

MHSSPACS Leadership Group

Sameera Ali, Administrative Director, Continuous Quality Improvement, ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care
Jeffrey Bailey, MD, FACS, Director, Institute for Surgical Research, U.S. Air Force, San Antonio, TX
Patrick Bailey, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy
Patrice Gabler Blair, MPH, Associate Director, ACS Division of Education
Admiral Raquel Bono, MD, FACS, ACS Governor, U.S. Navy
Connie Bura, Associate Director, ACS Division of Member Services
Jean Clemency, Administrative Director, ACS Trauma Programs
Paul Cordts, MD, FACS, Department of Defense, Health Affairs
Captain Eric Elster, MD, FACS, Chair, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Services, and U.S. Navy staff transplant surgeon, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
Colonel Kirby Gross, MD, FACS, U.S. Army, Director, Military Joint Trauma System
David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, ACS Executive Director
Donald Jenkins, MD, FACS, Executive Committee, ACS Committee on Trauma
Garrett Kirk, MPH, Program Administrator, MHSSPACS
M. Margaret Knudson, MD, FACS, ACS Medical Director, MHSSPACS
Colonel Matthew Martin, MD, FACS, Trauma Medical Director and Chief, Surgical Critical Care, Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Colonel Todd Rasmussen, MD, FACS, Director, U.S. Combat Casualty Research Program, U.S. Air Force
Michael Rotondo, MD, FACS, Director, ACS Trauma Programs
Ajit Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, Director, ACS Division of Education
C. William Schwab, MD, FACS, Captain (Retired), U.S. Navy
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Stamp, MD, FACS, ACS Governor, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO
Girma Tefera, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Operation Giving Back
Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS, Director, ACS Division of Member Services
David P. Winchester, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Cancer Programs

Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS, Director, Division of Member Services, American College of Surgeons (ACS), recently was elected the first female president-elect of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS). The election took place at the SBAS Annual Scientific Assembly, in Chapel Hill, NC, cohosted by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill department of surgery, and chaired by Anthony A. Meyer, MD, PhD, FACS, FRCS, Governor of the ACS North Carolina Chapter.

Dr. Turner’s one-year term as president will begin at next year’s annual meeting, which will be cohosted with The Ohio State University and chaired by Robert S. D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, FACS, Columbus.

Dr. Turner will preside at the 2017 SBAS annual meeting in Chicago, IL, cohosted by the University of Chicago and chaired by Jeffrey B. Matthews, MD, FACS. Dr. Turner is an adjunct associate professor in surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, and a clinical associate professor of surgery at the University of Chicago. SBAS nurtures the involvement and development of academic surgeons, providing a robust and research-oriented annual scientific forum for academic surgeons. View the SBAS website at http://www.sbas.net/.

Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS, Director, Division of Member Services, American College of Surgeons (ACS), recently was elected the first female president-elect of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS). The election took place at the SBAS Annual Scientific Assembly, in Chapel Hill, NC, cohosted by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill department of surgery, and chaired by Anthony A. Meyer, MD, PhD, FACS, FRCS, Governor of the ACS North Carolina Chapter.

Dr. Turner’s one-year term as president will begin at next year’s annual meeting, which will be cohosted with The Ohio State University and chaired by Robert S. D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, FACS, Columbus.

Dr. Turner will preside at the 2017 SBAS annual meeting in Chicago, IL, cohosted by the University of Chicago and chaired by Jeffrey B. Matthews, MD, FACS. Dr. Turner is an adjunct associate professor in surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, and a clinical associate professor of surgery at the University of Chicago. SBAS nurtures the involvement and development of academic surgeons, providing a robust and research-oriented annual scientific forum for academic surgeons. View the SBAS website at http://www.sbas.net/.

Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS, Director, Division of Member Services, American College of Surgeons (ACS), recently was elected the first female president-elect of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS). The election took place at the SBAS Annual Scientific Assembly, in Chapel Hill, NC, cohosted by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill department of surgery, and chaired by Anthony A. Meyer, MD, PhD, FACS, FRCS, Governor of the ACS North Carolina Chapter.

Dr. Turner’s one-year term as president will begin at next year’s annual meeting, which will be cohosted with The Ohio State University and chaired by Robert S. D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, FACS, Columbus.

Dr. Turner will preside at the 2017 SBAS annual meeting in Chicago, IL, cohosted by the University of Chicago and chaired by Jeffrey B. Matthews, MD, FACS. Dr. Turner is an adjunct associate professor in surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, and a clinical associate professor of surgery at the University of Chicago. SBAS nurtures the involvement and development of academic surgeons, providing a robust and research-oriented annual scientific forum for academic surgeons. View the SBAS website at http://www.sbas.net/.

As a lasting memorial to the extraordinary life and work of the late Claude H. Organ, Jr., MD, FACS, former ACS President, his family and friends established an endowment through the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Foundation in 2008 to provide funding for an annual fellowship to be awarded to an outstanding surgeon from the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, the Association of Women Surgeons, or the Surgical Section of the National Medical Association. The fellowship is available to a U.S. or Canadian ACS Fellow who is 45 years old or younger. The award of $5,000 will support the travel, per diem, and course costs for the recipient to attend a meeting or make a research-related visit.

The full requirements for the 2015 traveling fellowship are posted on the ACS website at https://www.facs.org/member-services/scholarships/special/organ. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is June 1, and decisions will be made by July 31. Questions and applications should be submitted to the attention of the ACS Scholarships Administrator at kearly@facs.org.

As a lasting memorial to the extraordinary life and work of the late Claude H. Organ, Jr., MD, FACS, former ACS President, his family and friends established an endowment through the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Foundation in 2008 to provide funding for an annual fellowship to be awarded to an outstanding surgeon from the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, the Association of Women Surgeons, or the Surgical Section of the National Medical Association. The fellowship is available to a U.S. or Canadian ACS Fellow who is 45 years old or younger. The award of $5,000 will support the travel, per diem, and course costs for the recipient to attend a meeting or make a research-related visit.

The full requirements for the 2015 traveling fellowship are posted on the ACS website at https://www.facs.org/member-services/scholarships/special/organ. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is June 1, and decisions will be made by July 31. Questions and applications should be submitted to the attention of the ACS Scholarships Administrator at kearly@facs.org.

As a lasting memorial to the extraordinary life and work of the late Claude H. Organ, Jr., MD, FACS, former ACS President, his family and friends established an endowment through the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Foundation in 2008 to provide funding for an annual fellowship to be awarded to an outstanding surgeon from the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, the Association of Women Surgeons, or the Surgical Section of the National Medical Association. The fellowship is available to a U.S. or Canadian ACS Fellow who is 45 years old or younger. The award of $5,000 will support the travel, per diem, and course costs for the recipient to attend a meeting or make a research-related visit.

The full requirements for the 2015 traveling fellowship are posted on the ACS website at https://www.facs.org/member-services/scholarships/special/organ. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is June 1, and decisions will be made by July 31. Questions and applications should be submitted to the attention of the ACS Scholarships Administrator at kearly@facs.org.