CHICAGO: E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS, an esteemed general surgeon from Columbus, Ohio, will be installed for a one-year term as the 103rd President of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Dr. Ellison assumes office Sunday evening, October 16, during the Convocation ceremony that precedes the opening of the 2022 ACS Clinical Congress in San Diego, California. The Clinical Congress is one of the largest educational meetings of surgeons in the world.

Dr. Ellison has chosen the theme of “Surgeons United” for his year of service as ACS President.

“I chose the theme ‘Surgeons United’ for several reasons, but the primary reason was that we have been through a horrific time during the COVID-19 pandemic for the last two years. We learned that when we work together, we are far better than working apart,” said Dr. Ellison.
Dr. Ellison is the Robert M. Zollinger Professor of Surgery Emeritus at The Ohio State University College of Medicine (OSU COM), Columbus. He previously served as the chair of the department of surgery, the interim dean of the OSU COM and the president and CEO of The Ohio State University Physicians Practice Plan. He recently served as the George W. Paulson MD Medical Heritage Center Scholar-in-Residence for a two-year term.

Bringing together all surgeons
Dr. Ellison said that as ACS President, he would like to help unify all surgical specialties. “The American College of Surgeons is a perfect place to bring our specialties together for a common purpose. The ACS appeals to surgeons of all specialties and strives for gender and racial equality throughout the College,” he said.

In preparing his presidential theme, Dr. Ellison reviewed the history of ACS and learned that since its founding in 1913, surgeons and the ACS have been united around several important values, including quality, integrity, and professionalism

“Our motto at the American College of Surgeons is to heal all with skill and trust. Along with skill, that means that we need to understand our patients so that they trust us. We need to understand how the patients want to be treated,” said Dr. Ellison. “That's one reason we need to diversify our surgical workforce to look like, and be more representative of, our country.”

Dr. Ellison noted that despite differences of opinion within the profession, a surgeon’s perspective is often among the most respected in their communities. He urged surgeons to be a part of the social and political dialogue for the greater good, and that by remaining true to the values of integrity, quality, and professionalism, surgeons can be a unifying force for patients and for society.

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