Dear Members of the Excelsior Surgical Society, Friends, Colleagues:
It is my great honor to serve as the 9th President of the re-invigorated Excelsior Surgical Society (ESS). Excelsior Surgical Society is the home for Military Surgeons (and those who support Military Surgeons) in the American College of Surgeons. Being part of this group demonstrates your commitment to military surgery, its past, present, and future.
For my part, as President, I commit to working with Vice President CAPT Matt Tadlock, the ESS Executive Council, the ESS Committee Chairs, and our ACS Governor CAPT (ret) Gordon Wisbach to further strengthen our voice and influence as the military’s home within the ACS as we continue to guard against the peacetime effect. Thanks to past president Jeremy Cannon, we will have the second 2nd printing of Surgeon to Soldiers in 2024.
The roots of Excelsior go back to true greats in Military Surgery; we all stand on the shoulders of these giants and seek to advance what they started 79 years ago at the Excelsior Hotel in Rome at the end of World War II. The Excelsior Surgical Society stands as a beacon of excellence, a testament to the commitment, skill, and compassion that define our noble profession, our surgical heritage, and the pillars of military surgery.
Military surgeons do not have to look far to know that we will have substantial challenges in 2024, challenges to our readiness and our overall system of deployed and CONUS surgical care and capacity. These are not like the challenges of wartime surgery that many of us experienced in the past, but instead, they are the challenges of the "peacetime effect" which, in some ways, is more insidious and difficult to overcome.
As Dr. Mayo said in 1919, the only ‘victor in war is medicine’ and over the last 20 years the spoils were the lessons learned to improve the care of those injured in the combat environment. Whether you are a robotic surgeon, a pediatric surgeon, or a trauma surgeon, we all serve in the military knowing that we may have to care for military service members wounded at war. In ESS we are bonded by this reality as well as a shared ethos that embodies the spirit of our two professions as surgeons and as military officers. To combat the ’peacetime effect,’ ESS members need to remember the combat casualty lessons learned, maintain our resilience, and embrace uncertainty with agility, growth mindsets, and unification of efforts. We do this by remembering our past, growing our knowledge as a community through monthly webinars, mentoring junior surgeons, and advocating for what is best for our current and future patients just like Dr. Edward Churchill did in 1943 for whole blood.
ESS is a tapestry of diverse talents, experiences, and perspectives, woven together by a shared commitment to advancing military surgical care. As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of the MHS, let us embrace innovation, foster collaboration, and continue to uphold the highest standards. I hope our journey with the Excelsior Surgical Society in 2024 will be one of continual growth, collaboration, and impact. This will depend on all members contributing in some fashion. There are six committees within ESS: Program, Membership, Mentorship, Outreach, Research, and DEI. Send an email to excelsior@facs.org to get involved. Let’s continue to foster ESS to be a safe and thriving home for military surgeons striving for excellence in our professions as surgeons and officers.
COL Jennifer Gurney, MD, FACS
President, Excelsior Surgical Society
