News Items

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.

Announcing the 2015 - 2016 American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Officers and Members-at-Large

The new Officers and Council Members-at-Large were formally elected at the Society's Annual Business Meeting which was held on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Please join us in congratulating our new Executive Council Members.

The current ASCRS Executive Council is listed below:

Officers:

President................................................................. Charles E. Littlejohn, MD
President Elect........................................................ Patricia L. Roberts, MD
Vice President..........................................................Guy R. Orangio, MD
Past President..........................................................Terry C. Hicks, MD
Secretary..................................................................Tracy L. Hull, MD
Treasurer..................................................................Neil H. Hyman, MD
Research Foundation President..............................Steven D. Wexner, MD, PhD (Hon) (2014-16)

Council Members-at-Large:

Elisa H. Birnbaum, MD - 2013-2016

David A. Margolin, MD - 2013-2016

Thomas E. Read, MD - 2013-2016

John R. T. Monson, MD - 2014-2017

Heidi Nelson, MD - 2014-2017

Bruce A. Orkin, MD - 2014-2017

Julio Garcia-Aquilar, MD, PhD - 2015-2018

Samuel C. Oommen, MD - 2015-2018

Feza H. Remzi, MD - 2015-2018

Highlights from the ASCRS Executive Council’s June and July meetings are now available online.

The ASCRS Executive Council meets throughout the year to discuss and vote on important matters that shape the direction of the Society. To help keep members informed, ASCRS is publishing a monthly update online that highlights the Council’s latest activities.

To access the highlights, log in at the top of this page and then scroll down to the right column, where you will see "Executive Council Minute Highlights."