The American College of Surgeons Responds to COVID-19
Valerie W. Rusch, Steven D. Wexner, Anthony Atala, John L. D. Atkinson, James C. Denneny, Timothy J. Eberlein, James K. Elsey, Diana L. Farmer, Henri R. Ford, Gerald M. Fried, James W. Gigantelli, Beverly Hancock, Enrique Hernández, Lenworth M. Jacobs, Scott L. Levin, Wayne Meredith, Fabrizio Michelassi, Lena M. Napolitano, Linda G. Phillips, Valerie W. Rusch, Kenneth W. Sharp, Anton N. Sidawy, Steven C. Stain, Beth H. Sutton, Gary Timmerman, Steven D. Wexner, Douglas E. Wood
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly, and perhaps irrevocably, changed the way we live, conduct our business affairs, and practice medicine and surgery. In mid-March 2020, as COVID-19 infections escalated exponentially across many areas of the US, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Surgeon General, and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) recommended that hospitals and surgeons postpone non-urgent operations in order to provide care to COVID-19 patients.1-3 It quickly became obvious that the COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented medical challenges. ACS leadership, including the Board of Regents and Officers (Appendix), worked with the ACS Executive Director (Dr David Hoyt) and staff to rapidly organize a response to the COVID-19 crisis. The aim of this effort was to support ACS members and Fellows, as well as the broader medical community, in continuing to provide optimal patient care. Because other similar public health crises could arise in the future, we report the measures taken by the ACS to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.