News Items

The ASCRS is accepting applications for the International Travel Scholarship for the 2017 ASCRS Annual Meeting.

The deadline for submitting completed applications and all supporting documents is October 3, 2016. Successful applicants will be notified in December and will be expected to attend the 2017 ASCRS Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA, June 10 – 14, 2017.

This is a great opportunity for international surgeons to expand their knowledge and gain a world-class education from renowned speakers. Attendees will be able to foster relationships with more than 1,700 healthcare professionals who are expected to attend the largest meeting in North America devoted exclusively to colon and rectal surgery.

For questions regarding the application process, please contact ASCRS Governance Manager Elaina McCalmont.

The American Society for Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), the Diseases of the Colon and Rectum Editorial Board, and the ASCRS Social Media Committee are pleased to announce the launch of their first podcast. Michael Stamos, MD, senior author of "Variations in Laparoscopic Colectomy Utilization in the United States," published in the October 2015 issue of DC&R, and Kurt Davis, MD, DC&R reviewer, joined to discuss the findings in more detail.

A new podcast will follow each issue of DC&R and will highlight one or two articles through interviews with lead authors and further commentary from DC&R reviewers. The podcast series is hosted by Scott Steele, MD, and Kyle Cologne, MD.

Download the podcast today!

We invite you to join us May 30 – June 3, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts for the 2015 ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting. More than 1,600 surgeons are expected to attend. The meeting will include oral and eposter presentations, expert panels, meet the professor breakfasts and many other sessions encouraging audience participation.

The scientific program is designed to provide surgeons with in-depth and up-to-date knowledge relative to surgery for diseases of the colon, rectum and anus with emphasis on patient care, teaching and research. The purpose of all sessions is to improve the quality of patient care. We encourage you to register early as many of the popular sessions have limited attendance.

We look forward to seeing you in Boston!

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) was awarded Accreditation with Commendation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). This is the highest level of accreditation awarded.

The ACCME based its decision following review of ASCRS’ comprehensive self-study report, evidence of strong performance-in-practice and the accreditation interview.
To earn ACCME Accreditation with Commendation, providers must demonstrate compliance in all criteria and accreditation policies.

ASCRS was specifically recognized for demonstrating high qualities as a learning organization and "change agent" for the physicians and patients we serve. The ACCME also praised ASCRS for supporting physician learning and change as part of a system for quality improvement.

Members of the Executive Council, the Continuing Education Committee and ASCRS staff worked diligently to help the Society to earn this esteemed accreditation status, and all past Annual Meeting and Webinar faculty complied with the various ACCME-related requirements throughout the years.

Last spring, the ASCRS Executive Council approved the endorsement of a letter written by the leadership of the Society of American Endoscopic and Gastrointestinal Surgeons (SAGES). The letter was in response to endoscopy privileges guidelines written by the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and published in the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. SAGES’ rebuttal letter discussed the problems with using procedural numbers as a basis for measuring technical skill in endoscopies. Before the ASGE guideline were published, SAGES had published similar guidelines on the same topic. For your information, please view the rebuttal letter and the ASGE Guidelines for privileging, credentialing, and proctoring for perform GI endoscopy.