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Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

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ACS NEWS

American College of Surgeons announces Dr. Bonnie Simpson Mason as its first Medical Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

February 1, 2022

CHICAGO: Bonnie Simpson Mason, MD, FAAOS, joined the American College of Surgeons (ACS) January 31 as its inaugural Medical Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Serving in this new ACS executive role, Dr. Simpson Mason will lead the development and implementation of proactive antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in support of the College's strategic plan in partnership with Cie Armstead, DBA, ACS Director of DEI. She will also remain in her current position as a clinical professor at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitative medicine.

"Dr. Simpson Mason has a long history of developing innovative programs that help foster awareness about diversity in medicine and its benefits for our profession and our patients. She is passionate about education and physician workforce development, and we are privileged to have her on the ACS leadership team," said Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, ACS Executive Director.

At the ACS, Dr. Simpson Mason will champion the importance and value of a diverse and inclusive environment and support the development of a vision and effective strategy to create a culture for DEI and ensure compliance with applicable laws. Her work will involve actively engaging leadership, members, volunteers, and staff to further behaviors, attitudes, and policies that support DEI. She will collaborate with ACS stakeholders to assess potential barriers, identify opportunities, and develop innovative strategies to recruit and retain a diverse workforce and membership. Dr. Simpson Mason also will work with College stakeholders to assess the need and recommend programs for collaboration and training initiatives on antiracism, cultural competency, gender differences, and other DEI issues.

Bonnie Simpson Mason, MD, FAAOS
Bonnie Simpson Mason, MD, FAAOS

At the ACS, Dr. Simpson Mason will champion the importance and value of a diverse and inclusive environment and support the development of a vision and effective strategy to create a culture for DEI and ensure compliance with applicable laws. Her work will involve actively engaging leadership, members, volunteers, and staff to further behaviors, attitudes, and policies that support DEI. She will collaborate with ACS stakeholders to assess potential barriers, identify opportunities, and develop innovative strategies to recruit and retain a diverse workforce and membership. Dr. Simpson Mason also will work with College stakeholders to assess the need and recommend programs for collaboration and training initiatives on antiracism, cultural competency, gender differences, and other DEI issues.

“I am honored and excited about the opportunity to serve as the inaugural Medical Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the American College of Surgeons. I am optimistic that we can strategically align the substantial DEI and antiracism strides currently being made by a plethora of ACS stakeholders into meaningful and sustainable equity practices that permeate the house of surgery. It is through measured and strategic action that collective transformation toward a culture of equity for all occurs—a culture that secures the longevity of our specialty and ultimately, if not most importantly, serves to benefit our patients, their families, and all communities.”

As a nationally recognized educator and speaker, Dr. Simpson Mason is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery with private practice experience who comes to ACS from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), where she served as vice president, diversity and inclusion. During her time at the ACGME, Dr. Simpson Mason primarily led the design, development, and implementation of Equity Matters, a 10-year continuous learning and process-improvement initiative in DEI and antiracism. This program actively engaged a 1,000-member specialty society and GME community in education, peer-advising, and solutions development to address disparities, racism, and seek health equity in their respective environments.

About Dr. Bonnie Simpson Mason

Dr. Simpson Mason earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Howard University (Washington, D.C.) and her medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine (Atlanta). She completed a general surgery internship at the University of California Los Angeles and returned to Howard University to complete her residency in orthopaedic surgery. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery recognized her ongoing commitment to physician development by awarding her with the 2015 Diversity Award, one of the Academy’s highest recognitions.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

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