The American College of Surgeons (ACS) actively participates in the meetings of the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates (AMA HOD). Currently the College supports a delegation which includes: Jacob Moalem, MD, FACS, Rochester, NY (delegation chair); John Armstrong, MD, FACS, Ocala, FL (ACS Delegate and AMA House of Delegates Vice Speaker); Daniel Dent, MD, FACS, San Antonio, TX; Lena Napolitano, MD, FACS, Ann Arbor, MI; Leigh Neumayer, MD, FACS, Salt Lake City, UT; Naveen Sangji, MD, Ann Arbor, MI (also serves as the ACS delegate to the AMA Young Physicians Section); Kenneth Sharp, MD, FACS, Nashville, TN; Michael R. Visenio, MD, FACS, Omaha, NE (Residents and Fellows Section); and Alternate, Luke Selby, MD, FACS, Leawood, KS.
The House of Delegates is the principal policymaking body of the AMA and functions like a Congress. State medical societies and national specialty societies are represented in the House, and during these meetings ACS delegates advocate for resolutions and reports on a variety of issues of interest to surgery. The College has introduced and successfully passed resolutions dealing with reimbursement for ultrasound imaging in the office; medical liability reform relating to expert witness qualifications and affirmation statements; studying the issue of specialty hospitals to determine their impact on the health care system; and development of patient safety principles for office-based surgery.
ACS delegates are leaders in the Surgical Caucus of the AMA, which is managed by staff of the College. The Caucus provides an opportunity for all surgeons in the HOD to meet and discuss resolutions and reports, and take in an educational session focusing on a topic of interest to surgery.
The ACS delegation is staffed through the Division of Advocacy and Health Policy. Questions relating to the AMA House of Delegates and the Surgical Caucus may be addressed to Catherine Hendricks at chendricks@facs.org or Cory Bloom at cbloom@facs.org.
ACS actively participates in the meetings of the AMA’s House of Delegates (AMA HOD). In these meetings, ACS advocates for resolutions and reports on issues such as reimbursement for ultrasound imaging, medical liability reform, and development of patient safety principles for office-based surgery, among others.
The Surgical Caucus of the American Medical Association (SCAMA) provides a forum at each session of the AMA House of Delegates (HOD) for discussion and recommendations concerning professional and socioeconomic issues of interest to surgeons. An Executive Committee manages the affairs of the Caucus and provides direction to administrative support through the ACS.
Caucus membership is open to all physicians who are designated by the AMA as practicing surgery or any of its subspecialties who are serving as delegates or alternate delegates in the HOD, the Organized Medical Staff Section, the Medical Student Section, the Young Physicians Section, or the Resident and Fellow Section. In addition, Officers of the AMA and state medical society presidents are welcome to join. Finally, physicians who are not surgeons but who practice in specialties with significant clinical interactions with surgeons may also become members of the Caucus. Examples include anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medicine, interventional cardiology, and interventional radiology.
Support by members of the AMA HOD is important for the Caucus to maintain activities. In addition to sponsoring a handbook review session to discuss HOD issues from a surgical perspective, the Caucus hosts an accredited continuing medical education session at each meeting.
HOD delegates or alternates who wish to support the Caucus through their dues may do so by completing a dues form. The cost of annual dues is $65, and payment may be made by check or credit card. Dues are invoiced from July to October.
The Caucus is scheduled to meet on Saturday, November 9th, with breakfast at 6:30 am, and the meeting takes place 7:00–10:00 am. The location of the meeting room will be shared once confirmed.
Surgical Caucus Grid for the AMA Interim Meeting on November 9
For ACS Delegates and Alternate Delegates
Catherine Hendricks or Cory Bloom
American College of Surgeons
20 F Street NW. Suite 1000
Washington, DC, 20001
surgical.caucus@facs.org
For Surgical Caucus Members
Katie Fitzgerald
American College of Surgeons
633 N. St. Clair
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-202-5201
Email: scama@facs.org
November 2023–November 2024
Chair
Steven Chen, MD, FACS (2nd term exp 11/24)
Chair-Elect
Mary Ann Contogiannis, MD (2nd term exp 11/24)
Secretary
Tripti Kataria, MD (2nd term exp 11/24)
Treasurer
Alisha Reiss, MD, FACS (2nd term exp 11/24)
Members-at-Large
Hans Arora, MD (exp 11/26)
Brigitta Robinson, MD (exp 11/25)
Kassandra Scales, MD, MPH (exp 11/24)
ACS Delegate
Jacob Moalem, MD, FACS
RFS Representative
Daniel Kerekes, MD
YPS Representative
TBD
Dues: Dues shall be assessed of the members to annually defray the administrative costs of operating the Caucus. Dues shall be set on a yearly basis by the Executive Committee. Medical Student and Resident members are not required to pay dues.
Meetings: Notice of the time and place of the meetings shall be publicized by the Secretary at least two (2) weeks in advance of the meeting date and may be posted on the Caucus website, included in the Speakers’ memo to the House of Delegates, or publicized by any other appropriate means. Minutes of the prior meeting as well as a preliminary agenda will be distributed prior to the beginning of the meeting. Insofar as possible, the agenda shall indicate items of proposed business before the current House sessions that are of particular interest to surgeons.
Governance: The Surgical Caucus shall conduct its business according to the governance procedures used by the House of Delegates.
Conduct of Meetings: The Chair, or in his absence, the Chair-Elect, or other successive officer should the Chair-Elect be absent shall preside at all meetings.
Amendments: These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a scheduled meeting.
Adopted 12/4/89; Amended 6/22/92, 12/2/95, 12/2/00, 6/18/05, 11/8/08, 6/18/11, 6/15/13