Dear Fellows,

I am honored by the opportunity to serve as the President of our North Texas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons this year. The Executive Council is the key working group that carries forward the affairs of our organization. Their combined efforts continue to make us one of the top Chapters in the country, furthering the local agenda, particularly the Annual Scientific Meeting, as well as providing representation for us at the National level.

American medicine is embarking upon a radical new direction in the organization, financing, and delivery of health care services. Just as Medicare revolutionized not only patient access, but also our own practice patterns, the new legislation will take us all into new and uncertain territory. It is imperative that we as surgeons remain strong advocates for our patients. Franklin Martin, MD, FACS, established the American College of Surgeons in 1913 to promote the highest standards of surgical care during a similar time when the business and ethics of medical practice were in evolution, not unlike today. The ACS has remained a shining light in this debate, serving the Fellows by keeping our patients’ interests as the absolute focus of our organization.

I am personally disappointed that quality of care and education of the next generation of physicians were rarely mentioned in the debate, which focused on the business of medicine. The ACS has been a leader in medical education, a crucial quality component for both graduate and post graduate medicine. As a group, American surgeons have done an excellent job keeping up to date with the rapid changes in technology that impact our specialty. We must all support and encourage the rising generation of surgeons at the student and resident level. We must not lose sight of the reason we all chose this rigorous but rewarding profession: our desire to help people. Regardless of the coming changes in the structure of medical care delivery systems, we have been blessed to serve mankind in the most intimate ways, one on one. They deserve our best efforts to help shape the evolving federal control over of this important aspect of their lives.

Sincerely,

G. Thomas Shires III, MD, FACS