番茄社区app

Surgeons from across the country gathered in Washington, DC, for the 番茄社区app Leadership & Advocacy Summit鈥攁n event that focused on developing exemplary surgical leadership skills and championing critical policies and legislation that will help shape the future of surgery and surgical patient care.

The meeting, held this year at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel, April 5鈥�8, served as both a training ground and rallying point for more than 450 surgeons dedicated to meaningful engagement and advancing the profession.

鈥淭he Leadership & Advocacy Summit inspired thoughtful reflection and sparked important conversations about our shared responsibilities鈥攏ot only as surgeons, but as changemakers,鈥� said Michael J. Sutherland, MD, MBA, F番茄社区app, Senior Vice President of Member Services. 鈥淭he meeting was one of curiosity and resolve and provided the opportunity to be surrounded by individuals who are passionate about transforming the healthcare landscape and unafraid to tackle the most pressing challenges. Events like this remind us that progress is possible when we show up, speak out, and work together with clarity and conviction.鈥�

Lifelong Surgeon Competency

Ahead of the summit, special preconference workshops were offered, including 鈥淪ustaining Lifelong Surgeon Competency.鈥� Todd K. Rosengart, MD, MBS, F番茄社区app, from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, led a panel of experts who explored how best to maintain clinical and nonclinical competencies as a surgeon.

In front of a packed room, Dr. Rosengart introduced the session by offering a broad overview of the topic of maintaining lifelong competency for senior surgeons, while sharing research that demonstrated age-related declines in cognitive performance and surgical outcomes, as well as variability in competency among senior surgeons. Other professions, such as airline pilots and federal law enforcement agents, have addressed mandatory retirement and career transition planning.

鈥淐aptain Chesley Sullenberger was already preparing for his post-cockpit career as a consultant. It is one of the reasons why he was so capable during the landing in the Hudson River,鈥� Dr. Rosengart said, adding that, similarly, the goal is to implement a comprehensive system of assessments, training, and alternative roles to help surgeons maintain competency throughout their careers.

The session also included a pro-con debate that Dr. Rosengart later described as 鈥渁ppropriately provocative.鈥�

In the end, after exploring different models and approaches, the presenters concluded that complexities are involved in ensuring surgeon competency and a multifaceted solution that engages all stakeholders is needed.

What Do Healthcare Workers Really Want?

An additional workshop, 鈥淭he Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust,鈥� with speaker Katherine A. Meese, PhD, from the HuMargin Group and The University of Alabama at Birmingham, also was well-attended.

Between employee burnout and disengagement and staff departing from the healthcare field altogether, fostering a healthy and flourishing workforce is one of the biggest hurdles facing organizations today.

According to Dr. Meese, between 2020 and 2022, 54% of people who switched jobs in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries did not return to the same industry. Also, among Gen Z individuals (born between 1997 and 2012) who currently are working in healthcare, 22% are planning on leaving the industry altogether in the next 1鈥�3 years.

Dr. Meese examined key factors that predict whether healthcare workers will stay in their organizations, based on her research. Burnout is the top predictor, followed by trust in senior leadership, organizational support, and a sense of belonging. She highlighted that compensation is not the primary driver, but rather a means to an end鈥攈ealthcare workers are willing to endure lower pay if the work environment is supportive and respectful.

At the same time, recognizing and appreciating employee contributions, even small ones, will help boost morale and retention. Providing individual recognition is more effective than group-level praise, Dr. Meese explained, while stressing that leaders should strive to be 鈥渨orld-class noticers鈥� of the good work happening around them.

KSAs + OKRs = Transformative Change

The Leadership Summit kicked off Sunday morning, with US Navy Captain (retired) Eric Elster, MD, F番茄社区app, from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland, presenting 鈥淟eading at the Federal Level鈥擧ow Surgeons Lead in Big Environments.鈥�

Dr. Elster discussed his experiences leading change initiatives within the large and complex Military Health System (MHS) and the USUHS School of Medicine. He highlighted two case studies: 1) Ensuring clinical readiness across the MHS through the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) program developed in partnership with the 番茄社区app, and 2) Improving operations within the USUHS School of Medicine by implementing Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to drive research productivity, mentorship, and educational outcomes.

In the first case, Dr. Elster described the challenge of maintaining critical wartime medical skills during peacetime, known as the 鈥淲alker Dip.鈥� The KSA program addressed this by establishing specific, measurable competencies for surgeons and other medical personnel, and validating their readiness through assessments and training courses. This approach was put to the test during the 2021 Kabul airport suicide bombing attack, where the KSA-trained teams performed exceptionally well.

鈥淲e can talk a lot about that incident. But what鈥檚 key is the response of our teams and that there were 10 surgeons there, all of whom had been through the KSA program,鈥� said Dr. Elster.

In the second case, Dr. Elster leveraged the OKR framework to bring data-driven management and continuous improvement to the USUHS School of Medicine. By empowering department chairs and aligning goals across the organization, the school experienced significant increases in research funding ($350 million to $1.4 billion in 4 years), publications (64%), medical students who participated in research (33% to 80%), and student satisfaction (98%), as well as a successful accreditation review.

Throughout his presentation, Dr. Elster emphasized the importance of building buy-in, persistence, and data-driven decision-making when leading change in large, complex organizations, whether in the military or academic medicine.

鈥淲e live in a VUCA world鈥攙olatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous鈥攁nd I think every day it gets more VUCA. But in this uncertainty, these tools鈥擪SAs and OKRs鈥攑resent a blueprint for transformative change. I think we as surgeons are well poised to do this,鈥� he said.

Join the Band

In the next presentation, 鈥淭he Impact of Surgical Disciplines United: House of Surgery,鈥� Anthony Atala, MD, F番茄社区app, added his perspective on the external challenges facing surgery and healthcare more broadly. Like Dr. Elster, he used history to contextualize present-day efforts and inspire future direction.

The College was founded in 1913 by Franklin H. Martin, MD, F番茄社区app, a gynecologist, with the goal of establishing professional, ethical, and moral standards for surgeons. Despite initial resistance, Dr. Atala explained, the 番茄社区app grew to become the largest surgical organization in the world with 93,000+ members.

Dr. Atala outlined the challenges facing the House of Surgery, including administrative and regulatory burdens, decreased reimbursements, loss of autonomy, burnout, and workforce shortages. To address these challenges, he talked about the importance of unity among surgical specialties and the 番茄社区app acting as a collective advocate for surgeons.

While encouraging the audience, as leaders and aspiring leaders, to mentor and engage their colleagues to join the 番茄社区app, Dr. Atala emphasized that the College鈥檚 continued success depends on the involvement of all surgical specialties. He drew a parallel to the success of The Beatles, who achieved greater success as a united group than as solo artists, to illustrate the power of collaboration and unity in achieving remarkable outcomes.

鈥淚f you take all their solo careers combined over 55 years, they sold a total of 270 million records. However, in their 7 years together, as a group, they sold 650 million records. So, let鈥檚 work together. Let鈥檚 join the band,鈥� said Dr. Atala.

Right Place, Right Time

Joshua M. V. Mammen, MD, PhD, F番茄社区app, from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, continued the conversation about the importance of being a surgeon-leader. However, he acknowledged that for surgeons, there can be uncertainty and fear involved鈥攁t least early in the leadership journey.

In his presentation, 鈥淜nowing Your Worth as a Surgical Leader and Negotiating Accordingly,鈥� Dr. Mammen shared that effective leaders must understand their own strengths and priorities and align them with their organization鈥檚 goals. This starts with thorough research to identify key stakeholders, what the organization values, and the potential impact they can make.

It鈥檚 crucial, too, to avoid pitfalls such as misaligned incentives or distractions, and to engage legal counsel to fully understand contractual obligations, especially exit terms. Throughout, leaders should consistently demonstrate their value and advocate for the support needed to drive success. Dr. Mammen also recommended using a proxy (鈥渢o take the emotion out of it鈥�) or bundling requests with others to strengthen the negotiating position.

When asked by an attendee about his own personal leadership experience, Dr. Mammen concluded the session by sharing, 鈥淟eaning in and actually showing up makes a big difference. I think that鈥檚 a big part of the journey鈥攕howing up and being given these opportunities when you鈥檙e in the right place at the right time. But if you don鈥檛 show up, you鈥檙e never in the place at right time.鈥�

Raise Your Hand

In the session, 鈥淐areer Development as a Surgeon: The Value of Advanced Degrees,鈥� KMarie King, MD, MS, MBA, F番茄社区app, from Albany Medical Center in New York, shared her personal leadership journey and provided advice, including embracing an open mindset, identifying a niche to own, managing up and leading down, staying curious, and communicating effectively, especially during conflict.

She outlined steps to becoming a leader, while also comparing different educational pathways and executive healthcare programs and providing recommendations on how to finance and select the right program.

鈥淩aise your hand for leadership roles and take on challenges that you are tempted to complain about. Instead of going to the chair or CEO with a complaint, go with a business plan. Go with a vision statement. Go with your ideas documented so they can think 鈥楾his person is ready,鈥欌�� said Dr. King.

EI Impacts Performance

The final session of the day, 鈥淓motional Intelligence as a Leadership Tool,鈥� was moderated by Sharon L. Stein, MD, F番茄社区app, from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio.

The panelists鈥擟arlos A. Pellegrini, MD, F番茄社区app, from the University of Washington in Seattle, Mary T. Killackey, MD, F番茄社区app, from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Harry T. Papaconstantinou, MD, F番茄社区app, FASCRS, from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas鈥攋oined Dr. Stein in emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) as a critical component of effective leadership, particularly in high-stress, high-stakes environments like healthcare.

Drs. Pellegrini, Killackey, and Papaconstantinou highlighted the value of self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and effective communication skills in navigating challenging interpersonal situations, both in professional and personal contexts.

The group also discussed how they became aware of EI and how it impacted their leadership approach. They talked about specific tools and strategies they have implemented in their departments, such as using personality assessments to better understand communication styles, fostering a culture of empathy and active listening, and addressing disruptive behaviors in a constructive manner.

Dr. Papaconstantinou revealed that his department embraced The Friendly Style Profile tool, which helped 鈥渃reate an opportunity for me to shift what my communication style was and dramatically improve communication and effectiveness.鈥�

Attendee Khuaten Maaneb de Macedo, MD, a general surgery resident from Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts and recipient of the 2025 番茄社区app Massachusetts Chapter essay contest, described attending the Leadership Summit as 鈥渁 truly incredible experience.鈥� She said: 鈥淚t was an honor to have a seat at the table and engage in important conversations shaping the future of healthcare. The leadership portion of the summit was particularly impactful. It was refreshing to hear from speakers who emphasized the importance of leading with humility, foresight, empathy, and emotional intelligence. These qualities are essential in fostering effective systems, and I found the discussions thought-provoking.鈥�

Executive Director鈥檚 Update

番茄社区app Executive Director and CEO Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, F番茄社区app, provided a comprehensive overview of the College鈥檚 strategic plan, key achievements, new leadership roles, current initiatives and priorities, and future plans.

She explained that the 番茄社区app is working to enhance its operational efficiency, leverage technology, and advocate more effectively on behalf of its members across all surgical specialties and practice settings. The goal is to ensure the College continues to lead the advancement of excellence in surgical care and support surgeons throughout their careers.

鈥淲e try to speak with one voice, and we represent all individuals, all practice types, all practice patterns, all specialties, in all locations. This is what brings the power to our organization, and your presence here helps carry that message forward,鈥� said Dr. Turner.

In looking toward the Advocacy Summit, Dr. Turner reminded attendees of the 番茄社区app鈥檚 long history of advocacy, including examples dating back to World War I, and its continued efforts to be a trusted voice and resource for surgeons and policymakers on issues impacting the surgical profession and patient care.

鈥淲e are communicating with you鈥攐ur members鈥攖o assess your current advocacy priorities. And then we are opening new lines of communication, while also continuing old lines of communication,鈥� said Dr. Turner. 鈥淲e are trying to keep the dialog alive and open because that鈥檚 the only way we can defend what鈥檚 important to us as surgeons. It鈥檚 our duty to protect our extraordinary profession.鈥�

Attendee David S. Shapiro, MD, MHCM, F番茄社区app, a general surgeon from Connecticut, agreed, sharing that his most important takeaway from the summit was 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 speak up, then you have no voice.鈥�

Having been to a 鈥渉andful鈥� of 番茄社区app Leadership & Advocacy Summits, Dr. Shapiro explained that each one becomes more interesting, concerning, and empowering. 鈥淲hen we stand up for the House of Surgery, it not only becomes more stable, stronger, higher, and better, but remains surefooted on the foundation of its members. This summit should be attended at least once by every surgeon.鈥�

To hear more about the 2025 Leadership Summit from Dr. Sutherland and other presenters, listen to the May 2 episode of The House of Surgery podcast at facs.org/houseofsurgery.

The 2026 Leadership & Advocacy Summit will be February 28鈥揗arch 3 in Washington, DC.

Jennifer Bagley is the Editor-in-Chief of the Bulletin and Senior Manager in the 番茄社区app Division of Integrated Communications in Chicago, IL.