Ronald. V. Maier, MD, FACS, FRCSEd(Hon), FCSHK(Hon), the Jane and Donald D. Trunkey Endowed Chair in Trauma Surgery; vice-chairman, department of surgery; and professor of surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, was installed as the 99th President of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) at Convocation, October 21, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, MA. The First and Second Vice-Presidents also were installed as well.
Dr. Maier is highly esteemed for his contributions to trauma surgery, surgical research, and surgical education. In addition to his positions at the University of Washington, he is director, Northwest Regional Trauma Center; and surgeon-in-chief and co-director, surgical intensive care unit (SICU), Harborview Medical Center, Seattle. He also is associate medical staff, University of Washington Medical Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
Prior to his current positions at the University of Washington School of Medicine, he was assistant professor (1981−1984) and then associate professor of surgery (1984−1990). At Harborview Medical Center, he previously served as associate director, SICU (1981−1983); director, SICU (1983−2001); acting chief of trauma, Northwest Regional Trauma Center; and acting chief of surgery (1992−1994).
A Fellow of the College since 1984, Dr. Maier served as the First Vice-President of the ACS (2015−2016). He has played an active role on several key committees, most notably the Committee on Trauma (COT). He chaired the COT’s Ad Hoc Committee on Prevention (1992−2002) after serving as a member of the committee for three years (1989−1992). He also served on the COT Performance Improvement Committee (1994−2004), Trauma System Committee (1994−2004), Regional Committee Organization (1990−2000), and Publications Committee (1988−2004). He was COT State Chair (1987−1990) and Chair, Region X (1990−1996). Dr. Maier has served on the Program Committee as a Consultant (2007−2017), Vice-Chair (2004−2005), and Member (2001−2007). He has served on the Committee on Emerging Surgical Technology and Education (member, 2001, senior member, 2001−2003); the Committee for the Forum on Fundamental Surgical Problems (1991−1994); and the Member Services Liaison Committee (2015−2016). At present, Dr. Maier is a member of the Board of the American College of Surgeons Professional Association Political Action Committee (ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC).
In addition to the ACS, Dr. Maier has held leadership positions in a number of professional associations, serving as president of the Society of University Surgeons, Shock Society, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Surgical Infection Society, International Surgical Society, International Association of Trauma Surgery and Intensive Care, the Halsted Society, the North American Trauma Association, and immediate past-president, American Surgical Association. He is a past-director (1996−2004) and past-chair (2003−2004), American Board of Surgery.
Among his many honors, Dr. Maier is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award, department of surgery, University of Washington; Lifetime Achievement Award in Trauma Resuscitation for outstanding contributions in trauma science, American Heart Association; Dr. Rodman E. Sheen and Thomas G. Sheen Award for outstanding contributions to the medical profession; Lifetime Service Award, International Association for Trauma Surgery and Intensive Care; the Scientific Achievement Award, the Shock Society; the Flance-Karl Award for seminal contributions in basic laboratory research with clinical surgery applications, American Surgical Association; the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; and the Surgeons’ Award for Service to Safety, National Safety Council.
He delivered both the Fitts Oration in Trauma at the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma in 2017, and the Scudder Oration in Trauma at the ACS Clinical Congress in 2013.
He received the Medal for Lifetime Achievement for published work that has made the most notable and useful contribution to surgical science, International Society of Surgery/Société Internationale de Chirurgie (ISS/SIC); and the World Society of Emergency Surgery Orazio Campione Prize in 2017.
Dr. Maier also is a member of the Gold Humanism Honors Society, and has been an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science since 1995 for his research on molecular signaling during proinflammatory innate immunity.
Dr. Maier serves on the editorial boards of several prestigious journals, including World Journal of Surgery, World Journal of Emergency Surgery, Injury, and European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery. He is associate editor of SHOCK and the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. Since 1995, Dr. Maier has been a visiting professor or named lecturer on 41 occasions and has delivered more than 400 lectures on trauma, critical care medicine, and surgical immunology. He has written more than 370 peer-reviewed articles and contributed chapters to 70 books and eight textbooks. Dr. Maier has been funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1981, totaling more than $20 million in grants, and has been a member and Chair of the NIH Surgery, Anesthesiology and Trauma Study Section.
He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree from the University of Notre Dame, IN, in 1969. Dr. Maier earned his medical degree at Duke University, Durham, NC, in 1973, where he also completed a research assistantship. He did a clerkship in surgical and gross pathology at St. Bartholomew’s Medical College, University of London, U.K., and an externship in medicine and oncology at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital, Denver, CO. His internship in surgery was conducted at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Southwestern Medical School, University of Texas, Dallas.
Dr. Maier performed his surgical residency at the University of Washington, and he was chief resident in general surgery at that institution (1977−1978). He did a research fellowship in immunopathology (1978−1980) and was a research associate in immunopathology (1980−1981) at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, CA.
Vice-Presidents
Mark C. Weissler, MD, FACS, Past-Chair of the ACS Board of Regents (2014−2015) was installed as the First Vice-President-Elect. An otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon, Dr. Weissler is the Joseph P. Riddle Distinguished Professor, department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, and chief, division of head and neck surgery, University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine, Chapel Hill.
An ACS Fellow since 1989, Dr. Weissler is a former ACS Regent (2006−2015), serving as Vice-Chair of the Board of Regents for two years (2012–2014) and Chair for one year (2014−2015). He has served on the ACS Board of Governors (2002–2007) and in other leadership capacities for the College, including the Committee on Ethics (Chair, 2011–2013, Consultant, 2013−present, Member, 2009−2011); Chair, Central Judiciary Committee (2011–2012); member and Past-Chair, Advisory Council for Otolaryngology−Head and Neck Surgery (2002–present); and President, North Carolina Chapter of the ACS (2002–2003). He has been a member of the ACS Scholarships Committee (2007−2013); Comprehensive Communications Committee (2008−2017); the Health Information Technology Committee (2011−2017); the Program Committee (Liaison, 2011−2013); and the Health Policy and Advocacy Group (Ex-Offico, 2014−2015).
In addition, Dr. Weissler is one of 16 directors of the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (2012–present), former chair of the membership committee of the American Laryngological Association (2012–2014), and a member of numerous other medical and surgical associations.
Dr. Weissler’s practice at UNC focuses on the multidisciplinary treatment of head and neck neoplasia, laser head and neck surgery, and laryngeal/tracheal stenosis. He was a co-investigator on the Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Study (CHANCE)—a population-based, case-control study of head and neck cancer in a 46-county region of North Carolina. The study evaluated the relationship between polymorphisms of diverse genes that, in combination with exposure to tobacco and alcohol, modify the risk of head and neck cancer. Data and tissue samples from that multiyear study are still being used today. His recent work has focused on new treatment paradigms for human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer.
Dr. Weissler is a member of the Editorial Board of ACS Surgery News (2007–present), was a case report associate editor for Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (2009–2012), and is a reviewer for numerous otolaryngology–head and neck surgery journals.
A 1980 summa cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Medicine, a six-year medical program, Dr. Weissler completed two years of general surgery residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, in 1982, and a residency in otolaryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard University, Boston, in 1985, followed by a fellowship in head and neck oncologic surgery at the University of Cincinnati, OH (1985–1986).
The Second Vice-President-Elect is Phillip R. Caropreso, MD, FACS, a general surgeon from Keokuk, IA. A committed rural surgeon, Dr. Caropreso has practiced in Mason City, IA (1976−1998); Keokuk, IA (1998−2005); and Carthage, IL (2005−2013). Academic positions have included serving on the teaching faculty, family practice residency, North Iowa Medical Center, Mason City; adjunct clinical professor of surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City; and director, general surgery rotation, North Iowa Medical Center.
A Fellow of the ACS since 1979, Dr. Caropreso has been active at the local and national level. He was Chair, Iowa State COT (2002−2008); President of the Iowa Chapter (2004); and ACS Governor (2006−2012), serving on the Board of Governors Committee on Surgical Practices. He has served on the Advisory Council for Rural Surgery (member, 2012−2014, Vice-Chair, 2014−2016); Advisory Council for General Surgery (Liaison, 2014−2016); and the Advisory Council Chairs (2014−2016). He has been a member of the Comprehensive Communications Committee (2011−2014), the Coalition for Quality Geriatric Surgery, and of the COT Trauma Systems Consultation and Disaster and Mass Casualty Management Committees. He has led numerous Advanced Trauma Life Support® and Advanced Trauma Operative Management courses and served as an ACS COT Verification, Review, and Consultation Surveyor.
Among his honors, Dr. Caropreso received the ACS COT Millenium Commitment Award in 2000, the ACS Certificate of Recognition for his service as Web Portal Editor (2014), and the ACS Caropreso Rural Surgery Distinguished Service Award (2014).
Dr. Caropreso graduated cum laude from Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, and earned his medical degree at State University of New York, Health Science Center, Syracuse, in 1972. He completed his surgical training in 1976 at Polyclinic Hospital, Harrisburg, PA.
