Surgeons at Leadership Summit Rally for Progress, Purpose, and Impact

Surgeons from across the country gathered in Washington, DC, for the ACS Leadership & Advocacy Summit—an event that focused on developing exemplary surgical leadership skills and championing critical policies and legislation that will help shape the future of surgery and surgical patient care.

The meeting, held this year at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel, April 5–8, served as both a training ground and rallying point for more than 450 surgeons dedicated to meaningful engagement and advancing the profession.

“The Leadership & Advocacy Summit inspired thoughtful reflection and sparked important conversations about our shared responsibilities—not only as surgeons, but as changemakers,” said Michael J. Sutherland, MD, MBA, FACS, Senior Vice President of Member Services. “The meeting was one of curiosity and resolve and provided the opportunity to be surrounded by individuals who are passionate about transforming the healthcare landscape and unafraid to tackle the most pressing challenges. Events like this remind us that progress is possible when we show up, speak out, and work together with clarity and conviction.”

Lifelong Surgeon Competency

Ahead of the summit, special preconference workshops were offered, including “Sustaining Lifelong Surgeon Competency.” Todd K. Rosengart, MD, MBS, FACS, from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, led a panel of experts who explored how best to maintain clinical and nonclinical competencies as a surgeon.

In front of a packed room, Dr. Rosengart introduced the session by offering a broad overview of the topic of maintaining lifelong competency for senior surgeons, while sharing research that demonstrated age-related declines in cognitive performance and surgical outcomes, as well as variability in competency among senior surgeons. Other professions, such as airline pilots and federal law enforcement agents, have addressed mandatory retirement and career transition planning.

“Captain Chesley Sullenberger was already preparing for his post-cockpit career as a consultant. It is one of the reasons why he was so capable during the landing in the Hudson River,” Dr. Rosengart said, adding that, similarly, the goal is to implement a comprehensive system of assessments, training, and alternative roles to help surgeons maintain competency throughout their careers.

The session also included a pro-con debate that Dr. Rosengart later described as “appropriately provocative.”

In the end, after exploring different models and approaches, the presenters concluded that complexities are involved in ensuring surgeon competency and a multifaceted solution that engages all stakeholders is needed.

What Do Healthcare Workers Really Want?

An additional workshop, “The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust,” with speaker Katherine A. Meese, PhD, from the HuMargin Group and The University of Alabama at Birmingham, also was well-attended.

Between employee burnout and disengagement and staff departing from the healthcare field altogether, fostering a healthy and flourishing workforce is one of the biggest hurdles facing organizations today.

According to Dr. Meese, between 2020 and 2022, 54% of people who switched jobs in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries did not return to the same industry. Also, among Gen Z individuals (born between 1997 and 2012) who currently are working in healthcare, 22% are planning on leaving the industry altogether in the next 1–3 years.

Dr. Meese examined key factors that predict whether healthcare workers will stay in their organizations, based on her research. Burnout is the top predictor, followed by trust in senior leadership, organizational support, and a sense of belonging. She highlighted that compensation is not the primary driver, but rather a means to an end—healthcare workers are willing to endure lower pay if the work environment is supportive and respectful.

At the same time, recognizing and appreciating employee contributions, even small ones, will help boost morale and retention. Providing individual recognition is more effective than group-level praise, Dr. Meese explained, while stressing that leaders should strive to be “world-class noticers” of the good work happening around them.

KSAs + OKRs = Transformative Change

The Leadership Summit kicked off Sunday morning, with US Navy Captain (retired) Eric Elster, MD, FACS, from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland, presenting “Leading at the Federal Level—How Surgeons Lead in Big Environments.”

Dr. Elster discussed his experiences leading change initiatives within the large and complex Military Health System (MHS) and the USUHS School of Medicine. He highlighted two case studies: 1) Ensuring clinical readiness across the MHS through the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) program developed in partnership with the ACS, and 2) Improving operations within the USUHS School of Medicine by implementing Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to drive research productivity, mentorship, and educational outcomes.

In the first case, Dr. Elster described the challenge of maintaining critical wartime medical skills during peacetime, known as the “Walker Dip.” The KSA program addressed this by establishing specific, measurable competencies for surgeons and other medical personnel, and validating their readiness through assessments and training courses. This approach was put to the test during the 2021 Kabul airport suicide bombing attack, where the KSA-trained teams performed exceptionally well.

“We can talk a lot about that incident. But what’s key is the response of our teams and that there were 10 surgeons there, all of whom had been through the KSA program,” said Dr. Elster.

In the second case, Dr. Elster leveraged the OKR framework to bring data-driven management and continuous improvement to the USUHS School of Medicine. By empowering department chairs and aligning goals across the organization, the school experienced significant increases in research funding ($350 million to $1.4 billion in 4 years), publications (64%), medical students who participated in research (33% to 80%), and student satisfaction (98%), as well as a successful accreditation review.

Throughout his presentation, Dr. Elster emphasized the importance of building buy-in, persistence, and data-driven decision-making when leading change in large, complex organizations, whether in the military or academic medicine.

“We live in a VUCA world—volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous—and I think every day it gets more VUCA. But in this uncertainty, these tools—KSAs and OKRs—present a blueprint for transformative change. I think we as surgeons are well poised to do this,” he said.

Join the Band

In the next presentation, “The Impact of Surgical Disciplines United: House of Surgery,” Anthony Atala, MD, FACS, added his perspective on the external challenges facing surgery and healthcare more broadly. Like Dr. Elster, he used history to contextualize present-day efforts and inspire future direction.

The College was founded in 1913 by Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS, a gynecologist, with the goal of establishing professional, ethical, and moral standards for surgeons. Despite initial resistance, Dr. Atala explained, the ACS grew to become the largest surgical organization in the world with 93,000+ members.

Dr. Atala outlined the challenges facing the House of Surgery, including administrative and regulatory burdens, decreased reimbursements, loss of autonomy, burnout, and workforce shortages. To address these challenges, he talked about the importance of unity among surgical specialties and the ACS acting as a collective advocate for surgeons.

While encouraging the audience, as leaders and aspiring leaders, to mentor and engage their colleagues to join the ACS, Dr. Atala emphasized that the College’s continued success depends on the involvement of all surgical specialties. He drew a parallel to the success of The Beatles, who achieved greater success as a united group than as solo artists, to illustrate the power of collaboration and unity in achieving remarkable outcomes.

“If you take all their solo careers combined over 55 years, they sold a total of 270 million records. However, in their 7 years together, as a group, they sold 650 million records. So, let’s work together. Let’s join the band,” said Dr. Atala.

Right Place, Right Time

Joshua M. V. Mammen, MD, PhD, FACS, from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, continued the conversation about the importance of being a surgeon-leader. However, he acknowledged that for surgeons, there can be uncertainty and fear involved—at least early in the leadership journey.

In his presentation, “Knowing Your Worth as a Surgical Leader and Negotiating Accordingly,” Dr. Mammen shared that effective leaders must understand their own strengths and priorities and align them with their organization’s goals. This starts with thorough research to identify key stakeholders, what the organization values, and the potential impact they can make.

It’s crucial, too, to avoid pitfalls such as misaligned incentives or distractions, and to engage legal counsel to fully understand contractual obligations, especially exit terms. Throughout, leaders should consistently demonstrate their value and advocate for the support needed to drive success. Dr. Mammen also recommended using a proxy (“to take the emotion out of it”) or bundling requests with others to strengthen the negotiating position.

When asked by an attendee about his own personal leadership experience, Dr. Mammen concluded the session by sharing, “Leaning in and actually showing up makes a big difference. I think that’s a big part of the journey—showing up and being given these opportunities when you’re in the right place at the right time. But if you don’t show up, you’re never in the place at right time.”

Raise Your Hand

In the session, “Career Development as a Surgeon: The Value of Advanced Degrees,” KMarie King, MD, MS, MBA, FACS, from Albany Medical Center in New York, shared her personal leadership journey and provided advice, including embracing an open mindset, identifying a niche to own, managing up and leading down, staying curious, and communicating effectively, especially during conflict.

She outlined steps to becoming a leader, while also comparing different educational pathways and executive healthcare programs and providing recommendations on how to finance and select the right program.

“Raise your hand for leadership roles and take on challenges that you are tempted to complain about. Instead of going to the chair or CEO with a complaint, go with a business plan. Go with a vision statement. Go with your ideas documented so they can think ‘This person is ready,’” said Dr. King.

EI Impacts Performance

The final session of the day, “Emotional Intelligence as a Leadership Tool,” was moderated by Sharon L. Stein, MD, FACS, from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio.

The panelists—Carlos A. Pellegrini, MD, FACS, from the University of Washington in Seattle, Mary T. Killackey, MD, FACS, from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Harry T. Papaconstantinou, MD, FACS, FASCRS, from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas—joined Dr. Stein in emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) as a critical component of effective leadership, particularly in high-stress, high-stakes environments like healthcare.

Drs. Pellegrini, Killackey, and Papaconstantinou highlighted the value of self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and effective communication skills in navigating challenging interpersonal situations, both in professional and personal contexts.

The group also discussed how they became aware of EI and how it impacted their leadership approach. They talked about specific tools and strategies they have implemented in their departments, such as using personality assessments to better understand communication styles, fostering a culture of empathy and active listening, and addressing disruptive behaviors in a constructive manner.

Dr. Papaconstantinou revealed that his department embraced The Friendly Style Profile tool, which helped “create an opportunity for me to shift what my communication style was and dramatically improve communication and effectiveness.”

Attendee Khuaten Maaneb de Macedo, MD, a general surgery resident from Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts and recipient of the 2025 ACS Massachusetts Chapter essay contest, described attending the Leadership Summit as “a truly incredible experience.” She said: “It was an honor to have a seat at the table and engage in important conversations shaping the future of healthcare. The leadership portion of the summit was particularly impactful. It was refreshing to hear from speakers who emphasized the importance of leading with humility, foresight, empathy, and emotional intelligence. These qualities are essential in fostering effective systems, and I found the discussions thought-provoking.”

Executive Director’s Update

ACS Executive Director and CEO Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, provided a comprehensive overview of the College’s strategic plan, key achievements, new leadership roles, current initiatives and priorities, and future plans.

She explained that the ACS is working to enhance its operational efficiency, leverage technology, and advocate more effectively on behalf of its members across all surgical specialties and practice settings. The goal is to ensure the College continues to lead the advancement of excellence in surgical care and support surgeons throughout their careers.

“We try to speak with one voice, and we represent all individuals, all practice types, all practice patterns, all specialties, in all locations. This is what brings the power to our organization, and your presence here helps carry that message forward,” said Dr. Turner.

In looking toward the Advocacy Summit, Dr. Turner reminded attendees of the ACS’s long history of advocacy, including examples dating back to World War I, and its continued efforts to be a trusted voice and resource for surgeons and policymakers on issues impacting the surgical profession and patient care.

“We are communicating with you—our members—to assess your current advocacy priorities. And then we are opening new lines of communication, while also continuing old lines of communication,” said Dr. Turner. “We are trying to keep the dialog alive and open because that’s the only way we can defend what’s important to us as surgeons. It’s our duty to protect our extraordinary profession.”

Attendee David S. Shapiro, MD, MHCM, FACS, a general surgeon from Connecticut, agreed, sharing that his most important takeaway from the summit was “If you don’t speak up, then you have no voice.”

Having been to a “handful” of ACS Leadership & Advocacy Summits, Dr. Shapiro explained that each one becomes more interesting, concerning, and empowering. “When we stand up for the House of Surgery, it not only becomes more stable, stronger, higher, and better, but remains surefooted on the foundation of its members. This summit should be attended at least once by every surgeon.”

To hear more about the 2025 Leadership Summit from Dr. Sutherland and other presenters, listen to the May 2 episode of The House of Surgery podcast at facs.org/houseofsurgery.

The 2026 Leadership & Advocacy Summit will be February 28–March 3 in Washington, DC.

Jennifer Bagley is the Editor-in-Chief of the Bulletin and Senior Manager in the ACS Division of Integrated Communications in Chicago, IL.