Dr. Amawi Installed as President One of the highlights of the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Kansas Chapter, American College of Surgeons was the installation of Mohammad Amawi, MD FACS as President of the Chapter. Dr. Amawi is a general surgeon practicing in Dodge City. Michael Davoren, MD was chosen by the membership to become President-Elect of the Chapter. Dr. Davoren's general surgery practice is located in Olathe. Surgical CME Opportunity The 2010 Annual Meeting of the Kansas Chapter of the ACS will be September 11-12, 2010 at the Wichita Airport Hilton Inn Wichita,Kansas. Topics will be designed to meet the continuing education needs of surgical specialists. All surgeons are invited to attend and participate in the continuing medical education program. Governor's Report GOVERNOR'S REPORT TO THE KANSAS CHAPTER MAY 2010 4-15-2010 It is an honor to be your governor. I have spent as much time as I can on College issues. Through both good luck and hard work I've been able to spend time with many of the current leaders of the ACS and have transmitted as well as I can the concerns of the chapter membership. Without question health care reform legislation has been the 500 lb gorilla in the room since I've been in office. In my first national conference call as a governor the subject was exclusively on legislative issues. During the call, Senator Brown was declared the winner in Massachusetts. Health Care Reform was declared dead only to rise from its coffin and pass without the endorsement of the ACS (ACS supported the House version and not the Senate version which was passed). We now live in an era in which health care funding will inevitably change. The only problem is that no one really understands the implications of this. President Lamar McGinnis told me that despite considerable effort the ACS was only able to marginally influence the legislation. What was accomplished by the ACS was important, but it was a fact that policy makers largely ignored the input and advice of the major medical associations. The burden now is for the ACS to weigh in as the new legislation moves into its executive branch phase as well as to effect amendment type legislation to improve whatever it is that was actual ly passed. In the arena of politics I received a personal letter of congratulations and support from Rep. Jerry Moran expressing his willingness to work with our chapter. Should he win the current senatorial race, he is already aware and supportive of the ACS. I have not heard from the other candidates. SGR repeal remains a major effort of the ACS and every medically oriented organization. Killing this monster is difficult, but it is essential that every chapter member try to influence this legislation and cooperate with efforts to tell our Congressman our positions on this. At the time of this writing the cap on pain and suffering is under a cloud pending the ruling of the Kansas Supreme Court. There is suspicion that the Court will not rule until the Legislature is out of session forcing a delay in any remedial legislation or constitutional amendment mitigating the effect of the loss of this protection. The KMS is proposing a constitutional amendment should the Court strike down the current law. I have asked the ACS to assist Kansas in this fight should it become necessary. Very relevant to Kansas is the coming surgeon shortage which is a front burner issue for the College. Particularly because of the rural nature of our state there is much activity that could be relevant to us. Rural track residencies continue to be developed though there are significant issues with the ACGME and RRC. Further complicating surgical training is an ongoing potent debate regarding the fate of general surgery and also the fast tracking of subspecialty training. While there is much heat and light in this arena, at present little sudden movement seems impending in this regard. Maintenance of Certification continues to move forward but is primarily facing issues of how to show CME of diplomats that is specifically relevant to their surgical practice. Post residency training is also under serious consideration. ACS Education Centers continue to be developed, but are not having wide spread effect as of yet. A rural surgeons' post-residency training course, likely at Northwestern University Hospital in the spring of 2011, is in the process of development. I have been appointed to the socioeconomic committee as suggested by the Council. My first actions in that regard were in helping select the winners of the various humanitarian and volunteer service awards given by the College. Reviewing the achievements of the nominees was a truly humbling experience as well as highly inspirational putting the internecine irritations of health care reform in their true perspective. Below is the narrative part of my report to the Board of Governors which is due to be submitted by May 31st. Please review this. If you have objections or additions please inform me by call or email before that date so that I can edit the report. I remain at your service. Respectfully, Tyler G. Hughes, MD FACS Narrative to the Board of Governors I conducted a statewide email based survey and obtained several thoughtful, reasoned replies. Health care reform dominated the responses. The disquiet and disgust expressed by surgeons was mainly based on the inability of organized medicine to have a meaningful impact on the legislation. The general consensus was that the enacted legislation is simply unworkable, will not drive down costs, will only exacerbate access issues and will lead to the early retirement of older surgeons. The ACS efforts, despite what I know to be substantial efforts to the otherwise, were not well understood and considerable resentment for supporting any of the bills was noted. I am proud to say that much of the dismay was not because surgeons felt they were getting a raw economic deal but that the revamped system would not improve patient care and would divert much needed money away from actual patient care, surgeon training, and surgeon updating. Repeal of SGR is a very hot topic and organized medicine is being seen as incompetent to effect a change of this truly horrid problem which is harming patients. Malpractice reform remains a very sore point with surgeons pointing out that attorney dominated Congress is more than willing to overhaul our system while pretending to be ignorant of the problems the tort system causes in both health care costs and patient care. Surgeons, like society in general, remain dissatisfied with our health care system (which is actually not a system at all) and deeply divided among themselves as to what the greater good is for our patients. Statements by some surgeons feel that it is time to be more cohesive in our efforts to draw attention to clinical hindrances caused by both government and industry. Some would like to see the College take positions of a much more stringent nature such as refusing to participate in programs unless payers accept our clinically relevant concerns. Kansas surgeons very passionately still feel that it is the moral obligation of a surgeon to treat all who present for care while understanding that without some reasonable system of reimbursement the ability to perform those services will simply evaporate. Health Care Reform is not "over" and the ACS must take a prominent and obdurate stance to correct the errors and harms of the current legislation. Without that, the rest of the ACS accomplishments and goals will be endangered through lack of support by the fellows and the general public. Commission on Cancer Report Name: James J. Hamilton, Jr. State: KS Home Hospital: St. Francis Health Center St. Francis Health Center 1. Please indicate the meetings attended 2009: State Chairs' Annual Meeting (May 2009) State Chairs' Annual Meeting (May 2009) Cancer Liaison Physician Breakfast (October 2009 Clinical Congress) American College of Surgeons Chapter Meeting(s) in your state zone 2. Did you communicate with your Cancer Liaison Physicians in the last year? In Person teleconference/webinar newsletter/other communication Yes No Was the American Cancer Society involved in your CLP Meeting? Yes No 3. How often do you communicate with your CLPs? Twice a year 4. Do you review the Activity Reports completed by your CLPs available on CoC Datalinks? If no, why not (e.g. I do not know how to access the reports, time, constraints, do not find the reports useful). Yes No 5. On a scale of 1-5, rate your level of involvement with your American College of Surgeons Chapter. 1: Very uninvolved 6. Did you provide a written or verbal report on CoC activities and your activities as State Chair to your local College Chapter in 2009? Yes No 7. On a scale of 1-5, rate your level of involvement with your American Cancer Society Division? 1: Very uninvolved 8. Please describe your participation in the following American Cancer Society opportunities. (check all the apply) ACS Division Board Member or other committee member Supports ACS screening guidelines or participates in prevention or early detection initiatives Promotes ACS programs and services Participate in fundraising ACS CAN legislative initiativese Facilitate relationships between CLPs and ACS staff Other 9. On a scale of 1-5, rate your level of involvement with your state cancer plan. If involved, how? Prof. Education Committee 1: Very uninvolved 10. Did you observe/attend a CoC cancer program survey of a cancer program other than your own this past year? Yes No Was this activity beneficial to your role? If yes, how? Yes No 11. Did you contact facilities in your state about releasing FIPS Level II data in 2009? Yes No 12. Did you utilize NCDB tools to analyze patterns of diagnosis and treatment in your state in 2009? Yes No 13. Did you present on the CoC to any of the following groups in 2009? (check all that apply) CoC-accredited facility(s) State or Territory Cancer Plan Team State Cancer Registrars' Association None of the above Facility(s) seeing CoC approval American Cancer Society ACOS Chapter Other 14. Are you a member of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG)? Yes No 15. On a scale of 1-5, please rate your overall satisfaction with your role as State Chair 1: Very unsatisfied 16. Please provide any additional comments about your role as State Chair e.g. other areas of engagement you participate in or would like to have supported in your role as CoC State Chair: Kansas passed comprehensive smoke free legislation this year which eliminated smoking in virtually all public spaces and places of employment. I was heavily involved with the ACS in making this happen by testifying at the legislature and promoting this to our state reps and senators. 17. Please provide any additional comments about your relationships with Cancer Liaison Physcians, the American Cancer Society, and/or Comprehensive Cancer Control: The least fun part of my job concerns the CLP's. Getting busy docs to respond is the most challenging part of the state chair's role. 18. Please indicate any training needs or suggestions for topics at future State Chair Meetings: