2023 Annual Meeting

9:00AM Resident Paper Competition

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The Future of Surgery

Under the leadership of Dr. Roselle Crombie, the committee has recruited some excellent speakers who will be exploring the future of surgery through unique lenses:

11:00 AM Distinguished Guest Lecture

Thomas Agresta MD, MBI: AI in Medicine and Sugery: A Brief Summary – What’s Here, What’s Hype, What’s Next

Chairman, Professor and Director of Medical Informatics Family Medicine
Director of Clinical Informatics Center for Quantitative Medicine

Dr. Agresta is a seasoned family physician, educator, administrator, researcher and innovator with a history of bringing together multidisciplinary teams to focus on developing novel methods for creating, using and evaluating technology in both clinical and teaching settings.

He has a bachelors in biomedical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, a medical degree from New Jersey Medical School and a masters in biomedical informatics from Oregon Health Sciences University. Dr. Agresta completed his Family Medicine residency at St. Francis Hospital.

He oversees the Electronic Medical Record for the Family Medicine residency clinic and has held state level leadership roles in adoption and implementation for Health Information Exchange and Electronic Health Records including being a founding Director and Vice Chair/Treasurer of the Health Information Technology of CT.

He has co-led the development of the newly formed Biomedical Informatics Division (BMID) within the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science for the University of Connecticut. He is also the section leader for Informatics in the Connecticut Institute for Primary Care Innovation, a joint venture between the University of Connecticut and St. Francis Hospital. He has research interests in using technology to enhance the care of patients as well as the experience and efficiency of providers.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe at least 5 examples of AI currently being used in Medicine today.
2. Discuss the promise and hype for short term AI use in Medicine.
3. Discuss at least 3 types of risks introduced through AI tools and several approaches to mitigate them.
4. List several resources to expand their knowledge and skills to assist their organizations as they adopt AI tools.

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1:30 PM James Foster MD, FACS Memorial Lecture

Julie Freischlag, MD, FACS: The Future Landscape of  Vascular Surgery

Chief Executive Officer of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Chief Academic Officer and Executive Vice President of Advocate Health, and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at Wake Forest University and Dean of Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Julie A. Freischlag, MD, FACS, FRCSEd(Hon), DFSVS, MAMSE, is chief executive officer of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, chief academic officer of Advocate Health and executive vice president for health affairs of Wake Forest University. As a member of the executive leadership team, she is responsible for the academic core of Advocate Health, the third largest nonprofit integrated health system in the United States. In this role, she oversees research and discovery for the entire Advocate Health system, including all educational and research programs at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Atrium Health Cabarrus College of Health Sciences and Atrium Health Carolinas College of Health Sciences. As CEO of Wake Forest Baptist, Freischlag has overall responsibility for the health system’s clinical, academic and innovation enterprises and its annual operating budget of more than $4 billion.

Her national leadership includes serving as the 2021-2022 president of the American College of Surgeons, a former governor and secretary of the Board of Governors and a regent and past chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. She is the past president of the Society for Vascular Surgery and the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation, and past president of the Association of VA Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Chairs. Freischlag was the editor of JAMA Surgery for 10 years (2005-2014) and is currently a member of the JAMA Oversight Committee and the editorial boards of the Annals of Vascular Surgery, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, British Journal of Surgery and the Journal of the American Medical Association. Currently, Freischlag serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for American Medical Colleges, National Institute of Health Clinical Center Research Hospital Board and Aga Khan University Board of Trustees. She is also chair of the Health Services Committee, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Board of Visitors and the University of Illinois Health Advisory Council. Most recently, the Association of American Medical Colleges named Freischlag as chair-elect of its board of directors, with her term to begin in November 2024.

Learning Objectives:

• To explore the importance of preventive care in vascular surgery
• To learn strategies to build inclusive cultures that benefit both surgical teams and patients

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2:30 PM Distinguished Guest Lecture

Matthew P. Schiralli, MD, FACS: Providing Quality Care to the Geriatric Patient

Vice President of Medical Staff at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, Rochester Regional Health

Dr. Schiralli is a lifelong resident of western New York, earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester and his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. Dr. Schiralli returned to Rochester to complete his surgical residency the University of Rochester.Dr. Schiralli has presented projects and published articles related to surgical education, wound care and mechanical circulatory support. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery.

Unity Hospital, a part of Rochester Regional Health was the first hospital to earn the American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Verification, Level 1. in 2021. “We have created a new standard of care at Unity, a better way of approaching the individual needs of the community,” said Matthew Schiralli, MD, FACS, director of the geriatric program and Rochester Regional Health’s chief of surgery, eastern region. “By assessing preoperative risks, we are able to provide anticipatory care that is tailored to older adults to help them meet their individual goals of surgery.”

Learning objectives:

• By the end of this lecture, learners will be able to assess the unique physiological and psychosocial challenges faced by geriatric surgical patients.
• After this lecture, participants will be able to develop a comprehensive perioperative care plan tailored to the specific needs of geriatric surgical patients.
• By the conclusion of this lecture, attendees will be proficient in communicating effectively with geriatric surgical patients and their families to facilitate shared decision-making and ensure informed consent.

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11:45 AM  Chapter Business Meeting

• Special Update from the American College of Surgeons from Julie Freischlag, MD, FACS

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12:30 PM  Fellowship Luncheon with Exhibitors

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3:15 PM    Combined Women in Surgery, Resident, Medical Student, and Young Surgeon Lecture

Roselle Crombie, MD, FACS:  Navigating the Bully in the Surgical Playground

YaleNewHavenHealth Northeast Medical Group, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, Bridgeport Campus

Learning objectives:

• At the end of this lecture, participants should be able to identify the common signs and manifestations of workplace bullying in surgical settings and distinguish between constructive criticism and bullying behaviors.
• By the conclusion of this lecture, attendees should be able to describe effective strategies for addressing workplace bullying incidents when they occur, outline proactive measures and policies that can be put in place to prevent bullying in surgical environments, and Discuss the importance of creating a culture of respect and professionalism within the surgical team.
• After attending this lecture, participants should be able to demonstrate empathy and communication skills when supporting colleagues who have experienced bullying, understand the role of leadership in promoting a healthy workplace culture and intervening in bullying situations, and develop a personal action plan for contributing to a positive and respectful surgical playground.

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4:15 PM    15th Annual Surgical Skills Competition