Washington Roundup: ACS Fellow Confirmed to Lead FDA, ACS Priorities Included in Congressional Action

In recent weeks, the US Congress has taken on federal health leadership and several ACS priorities, as follows. 

ACS Fellow Dr. Makary Confirmed as FDA Commissioner

On March 25, the Senate voted by a margin of 56-44 to confirm ACS Fellow Marty Makary, MD, MPH, FACS, as the next Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner. Dr. Makary will lead the influential arm of the US healthcare system that regulates billions of dollars in medication, therapies, and medical devices.

Dr. Makary succeeds Robert Califf, MD, MACC, who held the position from 2022 to January 2025, and interim Commission Sara Brenner, MD, MPH. He is the third Fellow to serve as FDA Commissioner, following Charles Edwards, MD, FACS (1969–1973), and Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, FACS (2006–2009).

An ACS Fellow since 2007, Dr. Makary is the chief of islet transplant surgery and professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a prolific researcher and speaker on surgical quality and safety and was a key contributor to the safe surgery checklist that has been adopted by the World Health Organization.

ACS Supports Prior Authorization Reform Legislation

The ACS recently signed a letter led by the Regulatory Relief Coalition supporting the Reducing Medically Unnecessary Delays in Care Act, which would reduce the burden of prior authorization.

This bill, introduced by Rep. Mark Green, MD (R-TN), would reform prior authorization in Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D by requiring that all prior authorizations and adverse determinations be made by a licensed physician who is board certified in the specialty relevant to the healthcare item or service requested. It would also require these plans to create policies based on medical necessity and written clinical criteria.

Lawmakers Reintroduce REDI Act to Ease Burden of Student Loan Debt for Physicians

Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and John Boozman, OD (R-AR), and Representatives Brian Babin, DDS (R-TX), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) recently reintroduced the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, which would allow borrowers in medical or dental internships or residency programs to defer student loan payments without interest until the completion of their programs.

Surgeons often accumulate immense student debt during their education and then must undertake several years of residency training with low pay, during which time their student loans accrue significant interest. This financial burden may pose a barrier for students wishing to pursue certain specialties, practice in underserved areas, or even enter the healthcare profession at all. The REDI Act will alleviate some of the financial burden of medical education and help address ongoing physician and health care provider shortages to ensure patients can access the care they need.

The ACS joined a coalition letter in support of this important legislation. Read it here. 

Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Reauthorize the MISSION ZERO Grant Program

Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) have reintroduced the MISSION ZERO Reauthorization Act to reauthorize the Military and Civilian Partnership for Trauma Readiness Grant Program (MISSION ZERO) for 5 years.

MISSION ZERO provides critical funding through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to cover the administrative costs of embedding military trauma professionals in civilian trauma centers. These military-civilian trauma care partnerships allow military trauma providers to gain exposure to treating critically injured patients and increase readiness for when these units are deployed, further advancing trauma care and providing greater patient access. Just as military trauma providers learn from their civilian counterparts, the best practices learned on the battlefield are brought home to further advance trauma care and provide greater civilian access.

The ACS thanks Representatives Castor and Hudson for their leadership on this issue.