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ASCRS 2023-2024 Annual Report

We are pleased to present the second annual report of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS). This report highlights the many ways in which ASCRS is building value for members and ultimately better serving patients. As you review this report, you will see the tremendous amount of work that is being done to make ASCRS the premier and most inclusive colorectal society, committed to improving patient care through education, professional development, and innovation. 

Meet the 2024-2025 Executive Council Proposed Slate of Officers and Members-at-Large

The ASCRS Nominating Committee submits the following slate of Executive Council Officers and Members-at-Large in advance of the Society’s Annual Business Meeting on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.  

 

President: Sonia Ramamoorthy, MD 

Dr. Sonia Ramamoorthy is Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery and Professor of Surgery at UC San Diego Health System. She completed her colorectal surgery fellowship at Washington University and her MBA at the Rady School of Management at UCSD.   She serves on the ASCRS Executive Committee as President-Elect and previously as Vice President, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large. She is the past Chair of the Credentials Committee and New Technology Committee. She helped to establish the ASCRS Leadership and Professional Development Program (Surgical Leadership Institute), the NEW Tech Symposium, and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Committee.  

President-Elect: Najjia N. Mahmoud, MD

Dr. Najjia Mahmoud is Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her colorectal surgery fellowship at the University of Minnesota. She currently serves on the ASCRS Executive Committee as Vice President and previously served on the Research Foundation Board of Trustees. Dr. Mahmoud is Past President of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. 

Past President: Matthew G. Mutch, MD 

Dr. Matthew Mutch is the current Chief of the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, MO.  He completed his colorectal surgery fellowship at Lahey Clinic. He currently serves on the ASCRS Executive Committee as President and Research Foundation Board of Trustees. Dr. Mutch is a board member of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery and is an Associate Editor for Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.    

Vice President: Kirsten Wilkins, MD

Dr. Kirsten Wilkins went to medical school at Johns Hopkins University and completed her general surgery residency at Duke University. She has lived in New Jersey since completing her colon and rectal residency at Robert Wood Johnson in 2003. Since that time, she has been honored to train the colorectal residents of that same program. She currently serves as the Assistant Program Director and is head of Resident Research. She serves as the current President of the Eugene P. Salvati Alumni Society.  Besides running a very busy clinical practice and training the fellows, she has been very active in the New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania Societies of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. She is Past-President for both the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Societies. She has served on numerous committees of the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS). She was the Program Chair for the ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting in Los Angeles in 2016. She served as the Chair of the ASCRS Self-Assessment Committee. She was the Vice-Chair of The ASCRS Leadership Task Force and also serves as a Dean for ASCRS U. She has served as Member-at-Large on the ASCRS Executive Council. She is the Chair of the ASCRS Finance Committee and the current Treasurer for both ASCRS and the ASCRS Research Foundation. 

Secretary: Charles M. Friel, MD 

Dr. Charles Friel is Professor of Surgery, General Surgery Program Director, and Chief of the Section of Colorectal Surgery at the University of Virginia. A graduate of Harvard Medical School he did his general surgery training at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center before completing his colorectal surgery fellowship at the University of Minnesota. He currently serves on the ASCRS Executive Committee as Secretary and is a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and the Membership Committee. Dr. Friel is also a member of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Dr. Friel previously served on the ASCRS Executive Council as a Member-at-Large from 2019-2022, in addition to being the former Chair of the Self-Assessment Committee and the Committee on Committees. He also serves as an Associate Editor for Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.  

 

Treasurer: Scott Steele, MD, MBA 

Dr. Scott Steele serves as the President of the Main Campus Submarket and Chair of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. He completed his colorectal surgery fellowship at the University of Minnesota and received his MBA from the Weatherhead School of Business at Case Western Reserve University. He currently serves on the ASCRS Governance Committee and is Chair of the Committee on Committees, Advisor to the COI Committee, and Council representative to numerous ASCRS committees. Dr. Steele is Past President of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, was lead editor for several volumes of the ASCRS Textbook of Colon and Rectal Surgery and serves as a Co-Editor for Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.  


Members-at-Large 

2022-2025 

Glenn Thomas Ault, MD, MSEd serves as the Physician Director of Graduate Medical Education and the Designated Institutional Official at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. He is a Professor of Surgery (Educational Scholar). He completed his colorectal surgery fellowship at the University of Southern California. He currently serves on the ASCRS Continuing Education Committee and Governance Committee and is Council representative to several ASCRS committees. Dr. Ault is Past-President of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Past-President of the Program Directors Association, and the Chair of the CRS Review Committee at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). 

Jennifer S. Davids, MD is the Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Boston Medical Center. She completed her colorectal surgery fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, where she was in practice for a decade. The former Chair of the Young Surgeons Committee, Dr. Davids currently serves on the Clinical Practice Guideline Committee and is the Executive Council representative to the Rectal Cancer Committee, Pelvic Floor Committee, and New Technology Committee.  In 2019, Dr. Davids was the recipient of the ASCRS Traveling Fellowship to the ACPGBI (Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland) in Great Britain.  Dr. Davids is on the Editorial Board of Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, Techniques in Coloproctology, and Clinics in Colon & Rectal Surgery and serves as a Senior Examiner for the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. 

Alessandro Fichera, MD is the Vice Chair for Safety and Quality, Division Chief of Colorectal Surgery and the Surgery Safety and Quality Officer at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He completed his colorectal surgery fellowship at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. He currently serves on the ASCRS Credentials Committee and is the Chair of the Regional Society Committee, incoming Chair of the Committee on Committees, Executive Council representative to the ASCRS Video Based Education, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Quality and Safety committees. Dr. Fichera is the Section Editor of the Didactic Video Collections for Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. 
 

2023-2026 

Karim Alavi, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery/Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and Program Director of the Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship at University of Massachusetts Medical School. He also serves as the Director of Research for the Department of Surgery. He completed his colorectal surgery fellowship at the University of Minnesota. He is Member/Incoming Advisor to the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee. Dr. Alavi serves on the Editorial Board of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum and is the Section Editor for Current Status Reviews. 

Sean J. Langenfeld, MD is a Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He completed his colorectal surgery fellowship at the University of Texas in Houston and his general surgery fellowship at Kansas University-Wichita. He currently serves as a member of the ASCRS Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee, Executive Council representative to the Communications, Healthcare Economics, and Professional Outreach Committees and is the Section Editor of Selected Abstracts for Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.

Kelly M. Tyler, MD is the Division Chief, Colorectal Surgery and a Professor of Surgery, at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School - Baystate. She completed her colorectal surgery fellowship at Robert Wood Johnson/University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Brunswick, New Jersey. She currently serves as Chair of the ASCRS Healthcare Economics Committee and is a member of the Rectal Cancer Committee, Quality and Safety Committee, and Governance Committee. She also serves as the American Medical Association RVS Update Committee (RUC) Advisor for ASCRS.

2024 – 2027 

Joshua Bleier, MD is a Professor of Surgery and Chair of the Department of Surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital and Program Director of the Colorectal Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his colorectal surgery fellowship at the University of Minnesota. He is a past Chair of the CREST Committee, and currently serves on the Steering Committee on Pelvic Floor Disorders. He was a Program Vice-Chair for the ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting in Los Angeles in 2016. Dr. Bleier is a board member of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Treasurer of the Association of Program Directors for Colon and Rectal Surgery, and a member of the Colorectal Review Committee at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). He is a member of the Editorial Board of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum and serves as the Section Editor for Social Media and Readership Engagement.

Daniel Feingold, MD is a Professor of Surgery and the Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University and at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  He completed his surgical oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in 2000 and his colorectal surgery training at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 2004.  Dr. Feingold is the immediate Past-President of the New Jersey Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and currently serves as an Associate Editor for Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, an Annual Meeting Abstract reviewer, and a Senior Advisor for the Clinical Practice Guidelines committee. 

Erin King-Mullins, MD is a Founding Surgeon at the Colorectal Wellness Center in Fayetteville, GA. She completed her colorectal surgery fellowship at Georgia Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates / Northside Hospital.  She currently serves as Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Vice Chair of the Program Committee, and a member of the Communications Committee, Engagement Committee, Young Researchers Committee, and Community and Private Practice Group. Additionally, Dr. King-Mullins is an Inaugural Gut Check podcast co-host and President-Elect of the newly formed Society of Black Colon and Rectal Surgeons. 

2024 Nominees for ASCRS Fellow and International Fellow

The following members have been found qualified for consideration for ASCRS Fellow member status: 
 
Fellow 

Abraham El-Sedfy, MD 

Allessandra Concetta Gasior, DO 

Alex Elias, MD 

Andrew Hubbard Miller, MD 

Anne K. Mongiu, MD, PhD 

Benjamin A. Kuritzkes, MD 

Bryce Elizabeth Haac, MD 

Christine E. Nembhard, MD 

Daniel Paul Mistrot, MD 

Deirdre M. Hart, MD 

Erik R. Noren, MD 

Gautham Chitragari, MD 

Ilker Ozgur, MD 

John Bauman, MD 

Joseph Nabil Riad, MD 

Kristen D. Donohue, MD 

Matthew Ng, MD 

Marco Zoccali, MD 

Olga Rubenovna Garcia, DO 

Paul Johnson, MD 

Philip Rosen, MD 

Robert Taylor Lewis, MD 

Robert Yu, MD 

Sandra Lee Kavalukas, MD 

Sara Elizabeth Berkey, MD 

Vikram B. Reddy, MD 

Zhifei Sun, MD 

 

The following members have been found qualified for consideration for ASCRS International Fellow member status: 

 
International Fellow 

Constantinos Simillis, MD 

Elia Charbel Abboud, MD 

Eugene Justin Shyong-Kyon Ong, MD 

Hassan Turaihi, MD 

Meet the 2024 Honorary Fellows

Each year the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) recognizes up to six Honorary Fellows. Honorary Fellowship is designed to honor individuals, regardless of specialty, in recognition of their outstanding achievements and contributions to the field of colon and rectal surgery and allied fields. Nominees for Honorary Fellow should have made significant contributions to the peer reviewed literature, advancement and/or fostering of innovation, and education in the specialty of colon and rectal surgery or allied fields; demonstrated significant and/or sustained leadership within their country, national or regional society; developed and promulgated significant advances (clinical, research and/or technological) in the field of colon and rectal surgery and allied fields.
 

Denise Hibbert, RGN, MSc, BSc, DipHE, ONC, STN, FSSCRS 

Saudia Arabia 

  • Senior Advisor to the Director General, Health Affairs of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahmam University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 

  • Registered Nurse and Senior Lecturer at Al Faisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 

  • President Elect of the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists® (WCET®) 

  • Executive Board Member of WCET® 

  • Editorial Board member of Annals of Saudi Medicine, World Journal of Colorectal Surgery, the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists Journal and Advances in Skin and Wound Care. 

  • Established Saudi Chapter of Enterostomal therapists in 2012. 

  • Founder of a nationally and internationally recognized formal education program (diploma program) in enterostomal therapy in Saudi Arabia and initiated ET training into the curriculum of medical schools. 

  • 35 years of experience in colorectal nursing with 25 years in stoma, wound, continence, and anorectal physiology and widely regarded as bringing expertise and training in the care of stoma patients to Saudi Arabia and throughout the Middle East. 

  • Introduced Anorectal Physiology testing and biofeedback therapy in Saudi Arabia, including training for both Colorectal Fellows and Enterostomal Therapists     

 

Prof. Brij B. Agarwal 

India 

  • Co-chair of Department of Laparoscopic, Laser and General Surgery at Ganga Ram Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi (Chair as of December 1, 2023) 

  • Founding Director of the post-doctoral fellowship program in colorectal surgery in Northern India 

  • Editor in Chief, Indian Journal of Colorectal Surgery 

  • National award (2016) of “outstanding surgeon of the year” by the Association of Surgeons of India (ASI is the national body of surgeons with more than 30,000 surgeons), State award (2015) for “best surgeon of the year” by the Association of Surgeons of India (ASI), and National award (2014) of “outstanding researcher of the year” by the Association of Surgeons of India (ASI) 

  • Past president of the Association of Surgeons of India (2018) 

  • Vice President of International Society of Coloproctology (2015-2017) 

  • Associate Editor, Indian Journal of Surgery (2013-2018) 

  • Established a foundation KRISH (Knowledge Research Innovation in Science of Health) which provides academic support and grants to residents in surgery in addition to organizing an annual meeting bringing international surgery leaders for interaction with young surgeons since 2012. 

  • Widely regarded for his passion for teaching, training young surgeons and elevating colorectal care in India. 

  • Developed an annual international colorectal surgery summit at his institution with colorectal surgery leadership from the USA and Europe. 

 

 

Professor Carlo Ratto, MD, FASCRS 

Italy 

  • Chief of Proctology and Pelvic Floor surgery, Catholic University Hospital “A. Gemelli”, Rome Italy 

  • Associate Professor of Surgery  

  • Inventor of the GateKeeper and SphinKeeper procedure for fecal incontinence and developed aspects of the THD procedure for hemorrhoidal disease. 

  • Former General Secretary and former Vice President of the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR) 

  • Editor of textbooks on Fecal Incontinence: Diagnosis and Treatment and three volume of book series “Coloproctology”  

  • European Society of Coloproctology- former ESCP delegate from Italy  

  • Research and clinical interests – rectal prolapse and ODS, fecal incontinence, hemorrhoids, anal fistula, anal cancer (HPV related diseases), and anorectal physiology. 

  • Editorial boards-Techniques in Coloproctology, World Journal of Gastroenterology and Advisory Board of Colorectal Disease. 

 

Antonino Spinelli, MD, PhD, FASCRS  

Italy 

  • Director of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Humanitas, Rozzano Milano and Co-Director of the integrated IBD Center, Humanitas Research hospital, Rozzano, Milano 

  • Professor of Surgery, Humanitas University 

  • Director of Residency Program in General Surgery and Lead of the Surgical Innovation Committee 

  • President Elect European Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery 

  • Research and Clinical interests include colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, surgical innovation, robotic surgery and ERAS. 

  • 365 publications plus 11 book chapters 

  • H index (Scopus) 55 

  • Editorial Boards/Associated Editor Role - Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, Journal of the Anus, Rectum and Colon, Journal of Crohn’s Colitis, Coloproctology, Updates in Surgery, Colorectal Disease. 

2023 Nominees for ASCRS Fellow and International Fellow

Becoming a Fellow or International Fellow of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons is a rigorous process befitting the remarkable achievements of this highest class of membership. ASCRS Fellows enjoy the right to vote, hold office, serve on any committee of the Society, attend and appear on scientific programs and participate in discussions of scientific papers. Fellows are alternatively known as  “voting members” of ASCRS. Each year the current voting members are asked to give formal approval to applicants for Fellow and International Fellow membership in ASCRS, who have met the rigorous requirements.
 
The following members have been found qualified for consideration for ASCRS Fellow member status:

Fellow
Ahmed Al-Khamis, MD
Allison Aka, MD
Anne-Lise D’Angelo, MD
Esther Hyunwoo Cha, MD
Evan Fitz, MD
Ira Lewis Leeds, MD
Jean-Paul Joseph LeFave, MD
Jesus Flores, MD
Jose Andujar, MD
Julia R. Berian, MD
Katherine Ann Kelley, MD
Kellie Cunningham, MD
Kristina Linnea Guyton, MD
Marcia Russell, MD
Molly Meyers, MD
Peter Hofman, MD
Sean Whelan, MD
Stephen P. Sharp, MD
Tamara Merchant-McCambry, MD
Victor Rodriguez-Rapale, MD

International Fellow
There were no International Fellow applicants during this voting period.
 
Change to the Voting Process
In September, the Executive Committee approved semi-annual electronic votes pertaining to Fellow elevation – once in the fall and the second vote one month before the Annual Business Meeting. 
 

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