The annual ACS Tennessee Chapter meeting was held at the Westin Chattanooga. There were 139 registrants, 69 of which were medical students or residents.
A unique feature of the chapter structure is its leadership division into East, Central, and West groups. The Chapter Presidency is rotated among the geographic groups, and Directors, ACS Governors, Young Fellows Association representatives and Resident and Associate Society representatives are chosen from each area to assure that the needs of surgeons across the state are addressed.
The meeting commenced with the day-long Oscar Guillamondegui Tennessee Trauma Symposium, named to honor the contributions of the beloved Vanderbilt trauma surgeon and past-ACS Governor. After a symposium introduction by Tennessee Committee on Trauma (COT) Chair Brian J. Daley, MD, FACS, an exemplary keynote address was delivered by Ben L. Zarzaur, MD, FACS, from the University of Wisconsin: “Improving Quality of Life after Health Shocks—Leveraging Hospitals and Trauma Systems to Implement Interventions to Improve Long-term Outcomes.” Presentations throughout the day focused on the spectrum of trauma issues confronting surgeons across Tennessee, with the afternoon sessions splitting into prehospital and hospital tracks.
The annual meeting started with COT and ACS Commission on Cancer (CoC) CLP meetings. The COT meeting focused on trauma policies across the state, while the CoC meeting updated attendees on Operative Standards and management of thyroid, adrenal and pancreatic neuroendocrine malignancies. Following a welcome and introduction by W. Heath Giles, MD, FACS, Chapter President, the keynote address, “Robotics for the General Surgeon” was provided by John R. Porterfield Jr., MD, FACS, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The curriculum and embedded videos with participation metrics were extremely effective at conveying how to roll out a robotic surgery curriculum.
An ACS update was well-received, followed by Tennessee’s favorite surgeon John L. Tarpley, MD, FACS, discussing “Short-term Global Surgical Engagements: Getting to a Win-Win.” He clarified many aspects of low- and middle-income country surgical training through the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons. ACS Regent Kenneth Sharp, MD, FACS, updated attendees on both national and Tennessee ACS Foundation activities and congratulated chapter members for their ongoing support of the Tennessee Chapter Initiative Fund. Surgeons who were sponsored to attend national ACS meetings gave testimonials as to the positive impact on their careers and leadership advancement.
The background of the Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative (TSQC), and ongoing projects, including the colon bundle, were presented by the TSQC lead Elizabeth Jackson, MD, FACS. A panel of surgeons from across the state presented experiences with the NSQIP Quality Verification Program (QVP). Many tips, tricks and obstacles were shared, including setting milestones to reach QVP benchmarks.
Surgical trainees were spotlighted in multiple forums. Competitive opportunities to present trauma, oncology, clinical science, basic science, surgical care disparities, and surgical education research projects and “Quick shots” were spread throughout the meeting. Residents also expertly debated “Appendicitis: A Surgical or Medically Managed Disease?” and “Coding vs. Clinical Data.”
The Association of Women Surgeons luncheon panel discussion highlighted “Challenges in Mentorship and Surgical Trainee Support in 2024” and featured Drs. Giles and Sharp, as well as David Shibata, MD, FACS. Raeshell Sweeting, MD, FACS, gave a powerful presentation on “The Power of Literature to Tell Our Stories and Improve Patient Care.” She also awarded the annual Dorothy Brown Memorial Scholarship, which provides a $500 stipend for a fourth-year medical student to support an away surgical rotation.
The highlight of the meeting was Dr. Giles’s interview of Atlanta Braves legend Andruw Jones, focusing on “Thriving Through Stressful Times.” The inspiring and, at times, jaw-dropping details of Andruw’s journey were matched by Dr. Giles’s incredible knowledge of baseball. As a bonus, attendees who contributed $250 to the ACS Foundation were offered one-on-one time and a photograph with Mr. Jones. This was followed by a cocktail reception, including the traditional Tennessee Chapter moonshine, and a stellar performance by The SteelHouse Band, featuring two University of Tennessee at Chattanooga surgical residents.
The Tennessee ACS Chapter has a strong, well-organized foundation and is thoughtfully including and supporting young surgeons and trainees across the state. The annual meeting was excellent, conveying extensive information to, and providing strong camaraderie for, all the attendees.
Nancy L. Gantt, MD, FACS
ACS First Vice-President-Elect
