Leadership & Advocacy Summit Provides Path for Surgeons to Lead Change

The ACS Leadership & Advocacy Summit is early next month, taking place at the Grand Hyatt Washington, DC hotel, April 5–8. The meeting will be in person only; no virtual option will be available this year.

This two-part summit offers a comprehensive program, including dynamic sessions and compelling workshops designed to strengthen surgeon leadership skills, and interactive advocacy training with coordinated, in-person visits to Congressional offices to help advance healthcare policy and influence the future of surgery.

Registration for the 2025 summit is now open at facs.org/summit.

Leadership Summit, April 5–6

The Leadership Summit—open to all US and international ACS members and nonmembers—begins Saturday evening, April 5, with a networking event, followed by a full day of programming on Sunday, April 6. ACS members may attend the Leadership Summit for free.

The comprehensive agenda for the Leadership Summit features a lineup of influential speakers and insightful sessions packed with real-world expertise, actionable insights, and strategic skill-building. Kicking off the morning session, retired US Navy Capt. Eric A. Elster, MD, FACS, from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, will provide an interesting perspective on how surgeons navigate leadership in high-stakes environments—at the federal level, in particular—drawing from his extensive experience in military medicine.

Anthony Atala, MD, FACS, from the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will follow with a session on the power of collaboration across surgical disciplines, reinforcing how unity within The House of Surgery™ can drive progress and innovation.

The morning will continue with Joshua M. V. Mammen, MD, PhD, FACS, from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, offering valuable insights on understanding one’s worth as a surgical leader and leveraging that knowledge in negotiations—an especially relevant topic for surgeons at all stages of their careers. The panel session on the benefits of leadership in surgery, moderated by Kimberly M. Lumpkins, MD, FACS, from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, will offer a broader discussion on what it takes to lead effectively at every level.

Later in the day, the sessions will focus on developing and sustaining strong surgical leaders, beginning with KMarie King, MD, MS, MBA, FACS, from Albany Medical Center in New York, who will discuss the role of advanced degrees in career growth. E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS, from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, will then address the critical topic of succession planning, underscoring its importance in ensuring the longevity and success of surgical programs and organizations. Dr. Ellison will explain how sustainability requires collaboration across all organizational components.

In addition, the summit will include a thought-provoking panel session on emotional intelligence as a leadership tool. Moderated by Sharon L. Stein, MD, FACS, from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, this discussion will feature esteemed panelists who will explore the role of emotional intelligence in their leadership journeys and share some of their favorite tools.

Throughout the day, attendees will have the opportunity to share best practices, while networking with ACS leaders and engaging with colleagues. Residents and trainees also will participate in the Advocacy and Health Policy Abstract Competition.

Three preconference, in-person-only workshops will be held on Saturday. These include:

• Leadership in Action: Making the Most of Your Communications Opportunities—From Published Research to Media Interviews
• Sustaining Lifelong Surgeon Competency
• The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust

Preregistration for the workshops is required, and there is a fee for each.

Advocacy Summit, April 7–8

Surgeon champions are instrumental in informing legislators about vital healthcare concerns and driving meaningful improvements, all while expanding the ACS’s presence and impact within Congress. The engagement of ACS members at the Advocacy Summit is crucial to advancing the College’s mission.

Open only to ACS members in the US, the Advocacy Summit begins Sunday evening, April 6, with a welcome reception and keynote dinner featuring Margaret Brennan, moderator of Face the Nation on CBS News, the network’s chief foreign affairs correspondent, and a contributing correspondent for 60 Minutes. She also moderated the CBS Vice Presidential Debate and was previously a White House correspondent for CBS.

A full day of panels, training, and programming is scheduled for Monday, April 7; in-person meetings with members of Congress and congressional staff will be on Tuesday, April 8.

Expected to be enlightening and empowering, the Advocacy Summit will offer participants the opportunity to engage with policymakers and advocacy specialists to explore the most recent shifts in healthcare policy and legislation.

The agenda will feature comprehensive advocacy training, equipping attendees with practical strategies for effectively conveying policy priorities both on Capitol Hill and in their local communities. Several members of Congress also are expected to speak during the summit, sharing their thoughts on the important role surgeons play in advocating for their patients and shaping federal healthcare policy.

In addition, attendees can expect several dynamic panel discussions, including “Changing Healthcare Landscape at the Payor, Physician, and Employer Levels,” “Digital Transformation and Evolving Surgery Policy,” “Advocating for Quality in Value-Based Care and APMs,” and “Advocacy 101.” And staff members from the ACS DC office will detail the “asks” and provide background information in preparation for in-person visits to the Congressional offices.

“The Leadership & Advocacy Summit is one of my favorite meetings,” said Jason P. Wilson, MD, MBA, FACS, a surgical oncologist from Sentara Health in Hampton, Virginia, and the 2023 ACS Advocate of the Year, following last year’s meeting. “I always learn so much at this meeting and appreciate the chance to meet new colleagues and take practical steps to help the ACS with its advocacy agenda.”

More information is available at facs.org/summit. Share updates or follow the Leadership & Advocacy Summit on X, Bluesky, and Instagram using #ACSLAS25.