Rural Surgery, Resident Innovation Define Maine ACS Meeting

The ACS Maine Chapter meeting, March 21–22 at the Grand Summit Hotel in Newry, Maine, brought together approximately 100 surgeons, residents, and medical students for a weekend of learning and professional updates. The program featured presentations on topics such as rural surgery, multimodal pain management, and surgical oncology with a focus on young-onset cancer. In addition to clinical presentations, attendees received timely updates on ACS initiatives and the evolving landscape of surgical practice. This travel report from ACS President Beth H. Sutton, MD, FACS, provides a summary of the highlights:

I was pleased to attend the meeting of the Maine Chapter of the ACS. The focus of this year's meeting was rural surgery. In my presentation, "ACS Perspective on Rural Surgery," I shared information on the Rural Trauma Program from the ACS Committee on Trauma, which is under development, and the proposed rural cancer program designation from the Commission on Cancer. ACS educational offerings to support rural surgeons also were discussed.

The program included the presentation, "Residency and Rural Track," from Jaswin S. Sawhney, MD, from MaineHealth in Portland, as well as the panels "Residency and Rural Panel Perspectives from a Medical Student, Resident, Recent Graduate, and Rural Surgeon" and "Updates on Rural Surgery for Breast, Bariatric, Vascular, and Oncology.” In addition, the topics of interventional GI options, geriatric surgery, care for ostomates, and colon cancer genetics were covered, and the President's Dinner presentation was "Firearms, Ballistics, and Trauma." The meeting also featured a resident paper presentation competition and robot competition for residents.

The Welcome Reception on Friday was casual with children present, and Saturday’s schedule included a break from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm to allow attendees and their families to ski or enjoy the surroundings. There was strong family participation.

Newry is approximately 80 miles northwest of Portland, which offered the opportunity for a beautiful drive. On the return drive, I stopped briefly at the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum in nearby Bethel, Maine, which has remarkable specimens of tourmaline, quartz, and other minerals from the mines in the Newry area and records the rich history of mineral mining in Maine.

I very much enjoyed attending this meeting and was grateful for the warm welcome I received from the officers and members of the Maine Chapter and from Chapter Administrator Tracy J. Lloyd, MD.

With a well-rounded agenda and strong engagement from participants, the meeting provided a valuable forum for learning, networking, and addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the surgical community in Maine.

Beth H. Sutton, MD, FACS
President