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Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
ACS
Governance

Pillars and Workgroups

The Board of Governors is structured under five Pillars and one Collaborative.

Advocacy and Health Policy Pillar

The Advocacy and Health Policy Pillar works closely with the ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy located in the Washington DC Office to identify and prioritize issues and concerns related to advocacy and the political process as they affect surgeons.

Health Policy and Advocacy Workgroup

To enhance communication of the ACS Fellow message to state and federal legislators by establishing effective platforms for communication, as well as gather and synthesize the key policy and legislative concerns.

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Grassroots Advocacy Engagement Workgroup

To enhance bidirectional communication between the ACS leadership and fellows regarding important legislative and regulatory issues affecting surgical patients, surgeons and their practices, and society.

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Communication Pillar

The Communication Pillar focuses on increasing the communication between Governors and their chapters and specialty societies through presentations, reports, summaries, Bulletin articles, newsletters and an annual survey.

Governor Communications and Outreach Workgroup

To support communication between the Fellows and the Governors, whether specialty society or chapter, and from the Governors to the Regents of the College.

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Survey Workgroup

To support the communication of important matters to the Chair of the Board of Governors and other College leaders through the a collaboration with the Division of Member Services on ACS Member Surveys, as well as via periodic hot topic surveys to Governors.

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Inclusive Excellence Collaborative

The Inclusive Excellence Collaborative (IEC) was approved by ACS leadership and designed to protect both
legacy and future impact.

  • Safety-First Mandate: External threats and scrutiny necessitate cautious, internal alignment.
  • Organizational Efficiency: Consolidate the Committee to Advance Surgical Excellence and Inclusion (CASEI)
    & Board of Governors (BoG) Inclusive Excellence Pillar into a single collaborative to avoid duplication.
  • Long-Term Sustainability: Empowers members to focus on work that can be advanced safely, effectively,
    and strategically.
  • Five new workgroups will focus on activities directly aligned with the new ACS Strategic Plan.
  • To strengthen partnerships with the Resident and Associate Society (RAS)/Young Fellows Association (YFA)/Advisory Councils, representatives will be included in each workgroup.
  • For effective committee participation and management, workgroup rosters should be limited to 10-12
    members.
  • The IEC will also foster the recruitment of volunteers for related ACS inclusive excellence activities.

IEC Advocacy & Surgical Workforce Workgroup

Enhance the College's activities on the workforce and pathway continuum through focused collaboration and coordination across all areas.

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IEC Convenings & Conferences Workgroup

Establish a collaborative process to develop IE educational sessions and promote IE speakers bureau to relevant groups.

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IEC Education & Curriculum Workgroup

Advance efforts to elevate IE curriculum efforts and the Safety & Response Protocol.

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IEC Quality/EQI Workgroup

Continue efforts to promote quality and health equity across the College. Synergize with the OIE’s EQI work.

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IEC Rural Surgery Workgroup

Represent rural perspectives in research, education, and clinical standards.

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Education Pillar

The Education Pillar works closely with the ACS Division of Education to recommend enhancements to current ACS education offerings and suggests potential new products, which improve the quality of care for patients. This Pillar also looks at ongoing quality education and professional development of surgeons in training.

Continuing Education Workgroup

To identify professional development needs of surgeons in practice, identify opportunities for tracking and for individual Fellows to facilitate lifelong learning, making the process more efficient.

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Patient Education Workgroup

To identify areas of need and advocate for the education of surgical patients to improve the quality of care. Works closely with the ACS Patient Education Committee.

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Surgical Training Workgroup

To identify areas of need and advocate for the ongoing quality education, professional development, and just-in-time products for medical students, surgeons in training, and practicing surgeons.

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Member Services Pillar

The Member Services Pillar works with staff in the ACS Division of Member Services to advocate, provide resources, and help strengthen chapters. Members of this Pillar review and recommend the recipients of the Surgical Humanitarian & Volunteers awards each year.

Chapter Activities Domestic Workgroup

To serve as an advocate for College Chapters within the United States and Canada. The workgroup will assist Chapters in implementing and promoting College programs.

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Chapter Activities International Workgroup

To serve as an advocate for all of the College's International Chapters, and monitor and report on the International Chapters' activities, resources, and issues.

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Surgical Volunteerism & Humanitarian Awards Workgroup

To recognize and celebrate ACS Fellows and members whose altruism, vision, leadership, and dedication provide models to emulate and whose contributions have made a lasting difference.

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Quality, Research, and Optimal Patient Care Pillar

The Quality Pillar works closely with the ACS Division of Quality, Research, and Optimal Patient Care to create and update ACS best practices guidelines, focus on the physical and mental health of surgeons, and develop programs and resources for the surgical workforce in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers.

Best Practices Workgroup

To create and disseminate current timely information on best practices both within the operating room, as well as beyond
direct clinical care. Topical content will be targeted to the entire House of Surgery across all practice types, all specialties, and all levels of practice

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Physician Competency and Health Workgroup

The workgroup is responsible for maintenance of the physical and mental wellness in the Fellows as well as addressing issues related to surgical competency, emphasizing credentialing, and practice within expected community standards.

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Surgical Care Delivery Workgroup

To provide the ACS with information regarding the important issues that affect the delivery of surgical care in hospitals and
ambulatory surgical centers, to develop and support programs that will improve the care of surgical patients, and analyze and address surgeon workforce issues.

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Telehealth and Informatics Workgroup

To ensure effective use of telehealth for practicing surgeons and explore the use of informatics in the care of surgical patients.

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Fiscal Affairs Committee

To review the dues structure of the College and recommend approval of any changes, understand and monitor the College's financial matters in order to ensure the overall financial integrity of the College; and serve as a liaison body to communicate concerns or questions regarding College programs, dues structure, allocation of resources, and other financial matters from the Board of Governors to the Board of Regents.

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