Valerie W. Rusch, MD, FACS, an esteemed thoracic surgeon who practices in New York, NY, was elected to serve as the 2018−2019 President-Elect of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) at the October 24 Annual Business Meeting of Members. Dr. Rusch is vice-chair, clinical research, department of surgery; Miner Family Chair in Intrathoracic Cancers; attending surgeon, thoracic service, department of surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; and professor of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College. An ACS Fellow since 1986 and this year’s recipient of the ACS Distinguished Service Award (DSA), Dr. Rusch has led several prominent ACS bodies, including serving as Chair of the Board of Governors (2006−2008), Board of Regents (2015−2016), and several other ACS committees.
Dr. Valerie Rusch
The First and Second Vice-Presidents-Elect also were elected at the meeting. The First Vice-President-Elect is John A. Weigelt, MD, DVM, FACS, who recently retired as the Milt & Lidy Lunda/Charles Aprahamian Professor of Trauma Surgery; professor and chief, division of trauma and critical care; and associate dean for quality, Medical College of Wisconsin; and a general surgeon and medical director of quality at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, Milwaukee. Dr. Weigelt is a trauma, critical care, and acute care surgeon. Dr. Weigelt is now joining the faculty of Sanford Health System and the University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, where he will be involved in the education programs for surgical residents and students. A Fellow since 1982 and the recipient of the 2015 DSA, Dr. Weigelt has been a leader of ACS Trauma Programs and is Medical Director, Surgical Education and Self-Assessment Program®.
Dr. John Weigelt
The Second Vice-President-Elect is F. Dean Griffen, MD, FACS. Dr. Griffen is Albert Sklar Professor of Surgery at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) Shreveport. Having served LSUHSC-Shreveport in several different capacities over the last 11 years (including acting chair of the department of surgery), he now practices general surgery at Ochsner LSU Health as clinical professor. For 35 years, Dr. Griffen was in private practice at the Highland Clinic, Shreveport, where he and his partners developed and introduced the double-stapling technique for low rectal reconstruction. A Fellow of the College since 1975 and the 2009 recipient of the DSA, Dr. Griffen has served the organization in a number of capacities.
Dr. F. Dean Griffen
To read more about the President and Vice-Presidents-Elect, read the December Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons at www.bulletin.facs.org.