David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, past-Executive Director of the ACS and an emeritus professor of surgery at the University of California (UC) Irvine, will receive the ACS Lifetime Achievement Award tonight during the Convocation ceremony, which starts at 6:00 pm and will be livestreamed.
Established by the Board of Regents in 2010, the award honors the extraordinary contributions of a qualified individual who has exhibited continuous and prolonged service to the College spanning several decades. This service can take many forms, including volunteer, elected, and staff-level contributions providing guidance, expertise, leadership, and influence across all ACS programs and activities.
“I am very proud that we have an organization that has allowed me to contribute,” said Dr. Hoyt. “This award is recognition of what I’ve done and what all surgeons can do. My message, particularly to young people, is, in addition to taking care of patients, the most satisfying thing you can do is give to your professional organization. This award is a manifestation of what I’ve always enjoyed doing.”
Contributions to the ACS
During his time as ACS Executive Director (2010-2022), Dr. Hoyt advanced his early work which focused on measuring trauma system performance via quality indicators and databases to advance ACS Quality Programs. He oversaw the development of Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety (also known as the Red Book) and the development of Optimal Resources for Surgical Education and Training (the Gold Book), leading to many new programs in quality verification and surgical education. He also oversaw the initiation of the Stop the Bleed Program, and the development of the Military Health System Strategic Partnership-ACS.
An ACS Fellow since 1987, Dr. Hoyt had served as a Chair of the ACS Committee on Trauma and past-Medical Director of the ACS Trauma, Research, and Optimal Patient Care Division (now known as the Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care), as well as a past member of multiple Board of Governors committees.
In 2007, Dr. Hoyt received the ACS Distinguished Service Award, the College’s highest annual honor in recognition of his service as an ACS Fellow and a career distinguished by exceptional leadership and devotion to standards for patient care.
Education and Career
Dr. Hoyt received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and completed his internship, surgical residency, and a research fellowship at UC San Diego and The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.
Following his surgical training, Dr. Hoyt joined the faculty at UC San Diego, where he eventually became Monroe E. Trout Professor of Surgery and vice-chair of the Department of Surgery. During this period, he maintained National Institutes of Health funding for more than a decade and served as Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium co-chair for 11 years. He simultaneously served as director of the Division of Trauma, Burns, and Critical Care at the UC San Diego Medical Center for 17 years. While in this role, he participated in the San Diego Country Trauma System’s groundbreaking Medical Audit Committee, which reviewed all trauma deaths for preventable causes and potential improvements applicable to future cases.
In 2006, Dr. Hoyt was appointed chair of the Department of Surgery and John E. Connolly Professor of Surgery at UC Irvine, where he was promoted to executive vice-dean for the UC Irvine School of Medicine.
Dr. Hoyt also is a past president of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Society of General Surgeons of San Diego, Trauma Research and Education Foundation, and Shock Society.
