ACS Bulletin - August 2017

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said Scott A. Leckman, MD, FACS,
adjunct assistant professor of
surgery, University of Utah
School of Medicine, Salt Lake
City. “We do this because we
want to make a life-altering
difference for others.”
In 2001, Dr. Leckman helped
to lead the launch of the Health
Access Project, a program that
improves access to comprehensive
health care for low-income and
uninsured patients in Salt Lake
County. Dr. Leckman described
the challenges associated with
recruiting the initial batch
of surgeon participants.

“The first physician I talked to said, ‘No way, I already do too much free care,’ but he was talking about people who don’t pay their bills. I was talking about giving a gift to someone in need,” Dr. Leckman said. “I asked physicians to sign up for one patient per month. That wasn’t scary to anyone, and sign up they did. Patients are given a Health Access Project card, which looks like a standard health insurance card, and they wait in the same waiting rooms as other patients.

When I operate on an Access patient, I am typically the only one in the room who is aware of this,” explained Dr. Leckman, who recruited the program’s first

300 physicians. Today, more than
600 physicians and nine hospitals
in the county are providing free
care to qualified individuals,
totaling more than $22 million
in donated health care.

In recognition of this effort, in 2014 Dr. Leckman received the ACS Surgical Volunteerism Domestic Award.

He now serves on the Global Engagement Committee of Operation Giving Back (OGB), and chairs the Domestic Volunteerism Subcommittee.

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know—the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve,” said Dr.

Leckman, ending his presentation with a quote from philosopher and physician Dr. Albert Schweitzer. “So, what can you do? Check the ACS OGB website for volunteer opportunities, but there are many more we don’t know about. Tell us what is going on in your community.

If you don’t see anything in your area, be a leader and fill that need. If you ever hear your inner voice say, ‘Somebody should do something,’ remember, you are somebody.”

The state of the ACS chapters

After analyzing data from the

2016 Survey of ACS Domestic
Chapters, which had a response
rate of 82 percent, College
leaders were able to determine
strengths and opportunities
for improvement in the
following six categories:

•Member recruitment

•Chapter council/committee representation

•Financial health

• Communications

•Chapter meetings

• Advocacy

S. Rob Todd, MD, FACS,

professor of surgery and chief, acute care surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, and chief, general surgery and trauma, Ben Taub Hospital, Houston, TX, presented details about the survey results, which will be disseminated to all chapters.

Highlights are as follows:

•Of the respondents to the survey, 12 percent indicated a 10 percent increase in membership, while 18 percent noted a 10 percent decrease.

• The top revenue streams for the chapters include annual dues, meeting registration fees, exhibitor income, and income from investments and sponsorship income.