The American College of Surgeons is dedicated to improving the care of the surgical patient and to safeguarding standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment.

Oct. 13, 2009
Oct. 14, 2009
Oct. 15, 2009

Contents:
• LaMar S. McGinnis, Jr., to be installed as 90th ACS President at Sunday Convocation
• F. Dean Griffen, MD, FACS, to receive 2009 Distinguished Service
• Honorary Fellowship to be awarded to five prominent surgeons
• Dr. and Mrs. Reiling to receive Distinguished Philanthropist Award at FLS luncheon
• Martin Memorial Lecture to showcase re-engineering success
• Inaugural meeting of the Young Fellows Association to convene Monday
• Panel discussion, new curriculum examine surgical palliative care
• SESAP: An excellent tool for Maintenance of Certification
• National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers celebrates first year

LaMar S. McGinnis, Jr., to be installed as 90th ACS President at Sunday Convocation

Dr. McGinnis

LaMar S. McGinnis, Jr., MD, FACS, a general and oncologic surgeon from Atlanta, GA, will be installed as the 90th President of the American College of Surgeons during Convocation ceremonies Sunday evening that precede the official opening of the College’s 95th annual Clinical Congress. The Convocation will begin at 6:00 pm in McCormick Place West, W375DE.

Dr. McGinnis is a senior medical consultant and advisor for the National American Cancer Society and a clinical professor of surgery at Emory University, Atlanta, GA.

A 1954 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), Dr. McGinnis was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in 1953. As an MCG alum, he received the MCG Physician’s Physician Award in 1982 and its Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1988.

He completed an internship at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada (1954–1955) and undertook a general surgery residency at University of Texas Medical Center, Galveston (1955–1956 and 1957–1959) and Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, NY (1956–1957). He became a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery in 1960. From 1959 to 1963, he served in the US Air Force as chief of professional services and surgical services at the Plattsburg Air Force Base (SAC) in the state of New York.

Dr. McGinnis has been a senior medical consultant and advisor for the department of research and cancer control science of the American Cancer Society, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, since 1997. He has spent his entire surgical career in the Atlanta area, serving as a general and oncologic surgeon at Dekalb Surgical Associates, Decatur (1963–2005), medical director of Eberhart Cancer Center/Dekalb Medical Center, Decatur (1991–2000), and chief–of–staff at Dekalb Medical Center (1972–1974). Additionally, he has received hospital appointments at Grady Memorial Hospital, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Northside Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Decatur Hospital, and Atlanta VA Hospital. He has also held academic appointments as clinical instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and was appointed clinical professor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine in 1994.

A Fellow of the College since 1962, Dr. McGinnis has been an active leader and participant in the College for over four decades. As President–Elect, he served on the Board of Regents Finance, Honors, and Member Services Liaison Committees from 2008 to 2009. He is also a member of the Public Profile and Communications Steering Committee (2008–present).

He served on the College’s Board of Governors as a Governor–at–Large (1985–1991), and as Chair of the Governors’ Committees on Chapter Activities (1987–1988), Surgical Practice in Hospitals (1989–1991), Surgical Infections and Environmental Risks (1989–1991), and the Nominating Committee (1990–1991). He also served as a member (1994–1995) and Vice–Chair of the Nominating Committee of Fellows and Vice–Chair of the Health Policy Steering Committee (2001–2008). Furthermore, Dr. McGinnis has been a member of the Organization Committee of the Board of Regents (2001–2003) and a member of the Current Procedural Terminology/Relative Work Value Committee (1992–1995) and the Committee on Development (1988–1995).

From 2000 to 2001, he was Second Vice–President of the College and served on the Board of Regents’ Communications Committee that year. In 1998, Dr. McGinnis was awarded the ACS Distinguished Service Award, the College’s highest honor. He is a Life Member of the Fellows Leadership Society.

Additionally, Dr. McGinnis was actively involved with the College’s Commission on Cancer (CoC) for many years. He served as Chair of the Cancer Liaison Committee (1983–1985) and the Education Committee (1987–1990), and as Vice–Chair (1985–1986) and Chair (1983–1985) of the CoC Executive Committee. Dr. McGinnis was a senior member of the CoC from 1987 to 1990, was an ex–officio member from 2001 to 2009, and also served as Georgia State Chair for the CoC’s Cancer Liaison Program (1978–1983). He was Secretary (1980–1985) and President (1986–1987) of the College’s Georgia Chapter, and since 1987 has served on the chapter’s Board of Directors.

Dr. McGinnis has also been actively involved with the American Medical Association (AMA). He was treasurer (2000–2003) and secretary (2003–2004) of the AMA Surgical Caucus and was an alternate delegate (1992–1994), delegate (1994–2006), and chair (1994–2006) of the ACS delegation to the AMA. He has been one of the College’s commissioners to The Joint Commission since 2005 and is vice–chair of the Joint Commission Resources Board. In addition, Dr. McGinnis was first vice–president of the Southern Surgical Association (2004–2005), president of the Southern Society of Clinical Surgeons (1997–1998), and president (1986–1987) and secretary (1991–2001) of the Georgia Surgical Society.

He is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Eastern Surgical Society, Society of Surgical Oncology, and Southeastern Surgical Congress. Additionally, he is a member of the Atlanta Surgical Society, Clinical Oncology Association of Atlanta, Georgia Society of Clinical Oncology, the Atlanta Medical

Dr. Bland

Dr. Deveney

History Society, the Gridiron Secret Society, and is an honorary member of the Midwest Surgical Association. From 1988 to 1990, Dr. McGinnis chaired the Governor of Georgia’s Cancer Advisory Committee.

Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. McGinnis has shown a commitment to the dissemination of surgical and oncologic knowledge and to improving the quality of surgical care. Many of his articles and clinical studies have been published in medical periodicals and in surgery and cancer journals, including CANCER and the Journal of Surgical Oncology.

Dr. McGinnis currently resides in Atlanta with his wife Julia. They have two sons, L. Scott and Christopher, and two daughters, Susan and Katherine.
Also to be installed Sunday evening are Kirby I. Bland, MD, FACS, of Birmingham, AL, as First Vice–President, and Karen E. Deveney, MD, FACS, of Portland, OR, as Second Vice–President.

Dr. Bland, who became a Fellow in 1980, is chair of the department of surgery at University of Alabama–Birmingham. In addition to his participation in various College committees, he has been a member of the ACS Board of Governors, a member and Vice–Chair of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors, and a liaison for the Board of Governors’ Committee on Surgical Practice.

Dr. Deveney, a Fellow since 1984, has served as Secretary of the Board of Governors. She is currently professor, department of surgery, Oregon Health Science University, Portland, OR.