Surgery News - February 2008 - (Page 9)

F E B R U A RY 2 0 0 8 • SURGERY NEWS OPINION with regional surgical societies to cosponsor programs at their annual meetings, the first of which will be our participation at the Southeastern Surgical Congress and Southwestern Surgical Congress meetings. We also are developing a growing array of programs to help surgeons develop the skills necessary to nonsurgically diagnose and treat patients, including imaging, ultrasound, irradiation, and so on. We are attempting to train surgeons in the full spectrum of services that an aging patient population will require in an era of continued technological and scientific advances. The College also has accepted full responsibility for presenting Selected Readings in General Surgery to help surgical residents stay abreast of the current literature and to assist practicing surgeons who are trying to meet Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements. The content is being expanded to include topics such as evidence-based surgery and patient safety and outcomes. We are also integrating Selected Readings into other ACS programs, such as the Surgical Index and the newly revised Surgical Education and Self-Assessment Program. In this way, the College is serving as a critical resource for surgeons striving for MOC. 9 Continued from previous page ence it needs on Capitol Hill. We also have new strategies planned to keep the College’s membership and leadership better informed about legislative and regulatory issues and activities, including publication of a new electronic newsletter summarizing ACS activities in Washington. And, we will continue to coordinate and collaborate with surgical and medical specialty societies to ensure that our voice is strong and united. We anticipate that the move to our new Washington office located closer to Capitol Hill will be completed in 2010. In addition to housing the staffs of our Washington operation and other surgical societies, the new building will be the home of the ACS Health Policy Research Institute, which will gather and analyze data on surgeons’ practices and the effects of legislation and regulations on how we deliver surgical services to our patients. This data will be critically important in our negotiations with policy makers. Research and Quality Improvement The College’s National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP)— the only validated, risk-adjusted system for measuring surgical outcomes—continues to grow in scope and influence. ACS NSQIP is now being applied in more than 143 private sector hospitals, and the College continues to work with CMS to determine how ACS NSQIP data might be applied in a broader context to evaluate the quality and value of surgical care. For instance, the ACS NSQIP Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) module has been developed and is being tested with CMS. (SCIP is sponsored by CMS in collaboration with the College and other national partners with the goal of reducing surgical complications by 25% by the year 2010.) The College has successfully launched another research-oriented program, a Scholars in Residence initiative. Surgical investigators who participate in this project are enabling us to make better use of the ACS National Cancer Data Base and National Trauma Data Bank in the development of best practices and evidencebased guidelines. In addition, we have released the seventh edition of the Advanced Trauma Life Support manual, and have secured an extension on the grant from the National Cancer Institute that funds the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG). ACOSOG is run out of Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., and conducts important clinical trials in the management of patients with malignant solid tumors. Education Last year, we initiated the ACS Program for the Accreditation of Education Institutes, through which we now accredit nearly 30 Level I Comprehensive Education Institutes. To receive ACS endorsement, regional education centers must meet rigorous standards and offer programs that use state-of-the-art equipment to help surgeons sharpen their cognitive and technical skills. Although we have ended our annual Spring Meeting program, we are working We are also refining our Case Log System and Web portal to enhance their utility in practice-based education and outcomes evaluation. Conclusion The American College of Surgeons is evolving to meet the changing expectations of surgeons who are trying to provide cost-effective, high-quality care to their patients during these challenging times. As always, I welcome your advice on how the College can best meet your needs. ■ DR. RUSSELL is Executive Director of the American College of Surgeons. http://www.surgitel.com http://www.surgitel.com http://www.surgitel.com

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Surgery News - February 2008 Contents IOM Committee Looks Into Safety Of Work Schedules Expertise Can Extend Liver Resectability Report Faults Specialty Hospitals' EDs Meeting Expectations Silver Lining HOD on Health Longer Liver Life?

Surgery News - February 2008

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