Newly installed ACS
President LaMar S. McGinnis, Jr., MD, FACS,
spoke to the College's 1,259 Initiates about
the importance of building on the College's
Historical achievements to face a "century
of change like no other."
In his Presidential
Address, LaMar S. McGinnis, Jr., MD, FACS,
newly installed ACS President, spoke to the
College's 1,259 Initiates about the
importance of maintaining professionalism in
the 21st century and building on the
College's historical achievements to face a
"century of change like no other." Dr.
McGinnis explained that while the College is
a young organization, especially when
compared with the royal colleges and
societies around the world, the organization
has "afforded a strong foundation that has
served us well. Our surgical forefathers set
the model and the standards of our
professionalism. Our heritage is our
strength!" Dr. McGinnis' address was
delivered during the Convocation ceremony
Sunday night at McCormick Place.
In speaking about the
evolving role of the surgeon, he stated
that, "...surgeons will continue to be
valued and sought out in this 21st century,
and to be important players as we move to
more integrated systems of health care
delivery...the integral role of the surgeon
will persist."
Dr. McGinnis' address
covered three distinct areas: The past,
present, and future. He encouraged Initiates
to make our heritage readily available and
to "treasure and remember lessons learned."
He touched on the founding of the Journal of
the American College of Surgeons (originally
titled Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics),
and the annual Clinical Congress, whish he
described as the "single, largest annual
educational venue for surgeons in the
world."
After examining the
accomplishments of the past, Dr. McGinnis
focused on the current health care climate.
He noted that health care costs worldwide
have increased two percent per year for the
last 20 years, and that health care costs in
the U.S. are approaching 18 percent of the
Gross Domestic Product (GPD), and that
estimates indicate that that figure may grow
to 20 percent by 2020, and 50 percent by
2050. "The American public loves their
doctor, but is frustrated by our sick care,
non-system and associated, continually
burgeoning costs. These cyclic, recurrent
concerns have been voiced over 150 years in
most of the developed world, but at this
point in time, in this country, the forces
for change are dominant," said Dr. McGinnis.
"Most in out profession agree that change is
needed. Our College supports change and has
been joined by 19 surgical specialty
organizations in seeking the right kind of
change -- change that will benefit our
patients and the publics' health overall."
“Health measures, where
the U.S. is often found lacking, such
as—neonatal death rates, complications of
pregnancy, obesity and its accompanying
complications, chronic disease management,
etc.—are not primarily surgical problems,
and they are not even totally medical
problems, but rather, social, socioeconomic,
educational issues, and issues or personal
responsibility as well,” said Dr. McGinnis.
“Let me note that the cost issue in health
care is not significantly impacted by the
oft maligned discipline of surgery.
Nonetheless, we are part of this complex
medical system and must be part of any
sustainable set of solutions.”
In terms of the future
of health care, Dr. McGinnis predicted that
medical education, training and delivery
will radically change and that “successful
paradigms of the past and of the present
will rapidly fade.” He called for Initiates
to be “engaged and active in the full
spectrum” of their profession, especially
within the College, and urged them to seek
out opportunities at all levels, locally,
nationally, and internationally.
At one point during his
address, Dr. McGinnis posed several
powerful, rhetorical questions to the
Initiates. "What is a profession?" he asked
the crowd of attentive listeners. "What is
professionalism? What are the distinguishing
characteristics of this noble order that you
join tonight?" He cited "acquisition of
special knowledge and skills, advanced and
continuing education, ethics and evidence of
competence" as benchmarks of
professionalism, and he called for initiates
to "live vigorously in the present" and to
treat you patients well and your family even
better."
"Professionalism
extends beyond the OR, the clinic and the
hospital to your family, your peers and
other professional associates," explained
Dr. McGinnis. You are specially
acknowledged, privileged, remunerated, but
this must be constantly earned. This is the
embodiment of the surgical profession, now,
and persisting on through this new
millennium."
In closing, while
noting the challenges that are facing
surgeons today, Dr. McGinnis told the new
Fellows and his audience, that it was his
"desire and hope that you will agree that
professionalism has be, is, and will be the
bulwark that enables us to thrive and to
stand tall in any storm. It sets us apart."
Dr McGinnis' Presidential Address will be
published in the December issue of the ACS
Bulletin.
