The Mission of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Surgeons is to be an effective voice for surgeons and to advance the highest standards of ethical patient care through education, mentorship, fellowship, and advocacy. To Serve - as effective advocates for our patients and the integrity of patient-surgeon relationship. To Promote - the health and safety of our patients, their families, our neighbors, and our communities. To Foster - collegiality, fellowship, mentorship, and continuing medical/surgical education among our colleagues. To Conserve - our resources of time, talent, and treasure.

Dear Colleagues,
 
The council of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Surgeons met last month in Birmingham.  The annual meeting and the agenda were discussed.  The scientific portion of the meeting is under the direction of Dr. Marc Mitchell, Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Mississippi.  We will continue the resident presentations in a poster format but in a quieter environment.  We hope you will find this a meeting that will include informative education, networking with your colleagues from Alabama and Mississippi and relaxation with your family.  Please continue to give us feedback on how we can improve the meeting to meet your needs.

This year will be an active year for healthcare policy.  The Supreme Court will rule on the Health Reform legislation and there will be a national election.  Regardless of the outcomes, there will be changes that affect surgeons.  There are many ways fellows of the college can interact with the political system.  One is to attend Lobby Day in Montgomery this March.  Dr. Charles Rodning has been the driving force in this endeavor and he will be coordinating the event again this year.  This meeting has to be held mid-week because the legislature is in session Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and the members then return home for the remainder of the week. 

The Alabama Chapter was recognized in the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons for last year’s Lobby Day.  If you did not see this it was in the October 2011 issue.  It also noted that at 60 years of age, the Alabama Chapter was one of the oldest state chapters.

Surgeons will need to understand the financial demands on the state and legislators need to understand what helps and what hinders the efficient delivery of quality surgical care.  There is much we can learn about the governmental process and much that legislators can learn about the delivery of healthcare.  If we can establish an information sharing relationship with our legislators, then hopefully this will lead to better legislation with fewer unintended consequences.  The agenda for Lobby Day is included in the newsletter.

Another topic of the winter meeting was the state wide trauma system.  Dr. William Richards discussed the Statewide Trauma Funding Committee meeting where the trauma system and possible funding sources were discussed.  The council voted to support the committees’ report to the Governor.  The politics of 2012 may preclude new public funding but coordinated trauma care is important to Alabama as illustrated by the recent tornadoes.  Hopefully we can work with the legislature and insurers to see that the system remains functional and economically viable.

We will forward the agenda for the June 14-16 meeting at San Destin as it becomes available.  Remember Lobby Day on March 8 in Montgomery!  We hope you are planning to join us.
 
Sincerely,

Robert E. Willett, M.D., FACS
President
Alabama Chapter, American College of Surgeons