Surgeons from the ACS Wyoming-Montana, Idaho, and Utah Chapters met March 22–24 in Sun Valley, Utah, for a combined annual chapter meeting. First Vice-President-Elect Nancy L. Gantt, MD, FACS, represented College leadership and authored the following report:
The meeting, attended by 63 ACS Fellows, surgical trainees, and medical professionals, was held at the historic Sun Valley Resort. Simultaneously, the US Alpine Championships were happening on the slopes, so we were mingling with Olympians and their families. The Chapter meeting was supported by 19 industry exhibitors. Individual chapter business meetings for the Montana-Wyoming and Idaho ACS Chapters were integrated into the first and second meeting days.
The caliber of the presentations was uniformly excellent, and every presentation was full of practical applications geared to the rural practices of many of the attendees. Presentations included “The Role of GI Endoscopy,” “Wilderness Medicine” from an Everest base camp perspective, updated surgical bleeding management, “Surgical Leaders & Mentorship,” “Common Skiing Injuries,” update in burn care (virtual), “Air Embolism,” “Osteonecrosis of the Jaw,” “Facial Fractures,” “2024 Guidelines for Thyroid Nodules and Cancer,” update in surgical oncology, management of bariatric/non-bariatric foregut patients, rectal prolapse, “Surgical Approach to Diverticulitis,” “Total Intravenous Anesthesia and Relevance to Surgeons,” “Prophylactic Salpingectomy,” and “Autologous Breast Reconstruction.”
While every presentation was excellent, a standout was the presentation on “Private Equity Pillaging of Health Care” by Robert McIntyre, MD, FACS. He clearly explained the current state of private equity encroachment into US healthcare, to the detriment of both physicians and patients.
Three excellent panels were “Updates in Management of Pilonidal Disease,” “OB Legislative Woes,” detailing all the ways current laws and regulations affect both OB/GYNs and general surgeons, and “Organization and Productivity Panel Discussion.” I participated in the last panel and also gave presentations on “Breast Cancer Updates 2024” and an “ACS Update.” Two surgical residents also presented their research.
The friendliness and camaraderie of the assembled surgeons was palpable—it was plain to see that they had built strong professional and personal relationships despite geographic separation of their practices. Several described academic or extremely high-volume practices prior to their current rural practice. I was welcomed by everyone and made to feel very “at home.”
Nancy L. Gantt, MD, FACS
ACS First Vice-President-Elect
