Joseph P. Minei, MD, MBA
2009-10 President
North Texas Chapter of ACS

Dear Members,

As your new President I am humbled by your support and I would like to thank the membership for their trust. As my first order of business, I must recognize the outstanding dedication that Past-President Kuhn has shown to this organization, not only in the last year as President, but in his many years of service to the Chapter in his many roles on the Council. The overwhelming success of our last annual meeting is just one testament to his leadership over these many years. Similarly, I would like to thank and acknowledge the many dedicated surgeons that willingly give their time and talent to our organization. Without their service in their many roles on Council this Chapter would not be the great organization that it is.

Looking forward, I am excited to take the leadership of the Chapter and work with all of our members. We are entering into a new era - one of change for American Surgery. The new administration in Washington has put health-care reform at the forefront of their policy development. Be assured that the College is in the middle of this debate and is advocating for you. We are blessed to have an active Chapter that will take part in this debate. Within our Chapter, we are represented within the College at both the Regent and Governor levels. I urge all members to make their voice heard as the debate evolves, either directly through their local Congressional Representatives, or through any of the officers of the Chapter. We are here for you – you are the Chapter.

In addition to the healthcare reform debate, the College will continue to support membership needs in billing and coding, advocacy for the delivery of high quality cost efficient care and ongoing education as well as many other College sponsored programs. I look forward to working with each of you in the coming year and thank each member for his or her dedication to the surgical patient.

Sincerely,
Joseph P. Minei, MD, MBA