President’s Messages December 2024
On November 15, the SAGES Board, industry partners, and aspiring leaders descended upon New Orleans for mid-term board meeting and strategic planning retreat. The retreat focused on the Lead Up initiative and ways in which SAGES can support our membership in learning how to have a voice that is heard by industry, regulators, payors, and institutional leaders. With the assistance of Dr. Sherif Ebrahim, of the Freeman School of Business, Tulane University and Chair of the Strategic Management Group, retreat participants dove deep into the challenges we surgeons face, in advocating for our patients and practice, the required solutions, and actionable initiatives that SAGES can undertake. SAGES Lead Up task force chair Ross Goldberg, along with co-chairs Leena Khaitan and Paresh Shah, and their enthusiastic task force, will be digesting a wealth of information, instruction, inferences, and interpretations to bring impactful SAGES products to support our members. We will hear more about their progress in Long Beach.
At the mid-term Board meeting, we heard from thirty-one of our committees and task forces. Highlights of the meeting included the first reports from Andrew Wright for our new Ergonomics taskforce, Gordon Wisbach for our new Space Surgery taskforce, and Matthew Ritter for our new Video Based Assessment (VBA) taskforce. We heard from Linda Zhang that SAGES Global Affairs, in collaboration with the College of Surgeons of East, Central and South Africa (COSECSA), is now offering GLAP and FLS in Africa.
While SAGES continues to support our residents and fellows this year with our flexible endoscopy, robotics, and career development workshops, we offered our 35th Canadian resident workshop at CSTAR, and with Stryker’s support our very first fellows’ workshop on fluorescence guided surgery at UCSD.
On December 9th, we received word that SAGES was awarded ACCME re-accreditation with commendation. Congratulation to Drs. Caroline Reinke and Nabil Tariq, and Erin Schwarz for their hard work in bringing about this outstanding result.
With more than 1700 abstracts submitted, we are reminded that as a leading innovation society many of the cutting-edge presentations at our annual meeting do not carry sufficient evidence to qualify for publication in Surgical Endoscopy. Together with the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) we are thrilled to have contracted with Springer to soon be able to capture those early scientific advancements in a new open access journal called Innovative Surgical Trends. More details will follow in the new year.
On a somber note, this year we mourn the passing of Dr. George Berci and Professor Jacques Périssat, two visionary pioneers in endoscopic surgery and tireless patient advocates. Their spirit lives on in the activities of SAGES, EAES, and the global societies of endoscopic surgery.
Accordingly, for innovators and early adopters looking to hear what is too new for CME, the 6th Next Big Thing Innovation Weekend will occur January 23-25 in Houston, TX. This will include the annual NOSCAR and Surgical Disruptive Technology Symposium, and the semi-final of the Shark Tank competition.
Finally, a reminder that I hope to see you all at the 2025 SAGES annual meeting in Long Beach, CA March 12-15. Program Chairs Anne Lidor and Michael Ujiki have assembled an outstanding program to meet all of your gastrointestinal surgery innovation and education needs. Together we will make this the biggest and best SAGES yet!
If that wasn’t enough, as an added bonus this year, the legendary SAGES Sing-off will evolve into SAGES Got Talent. We are calling for audition videos that demonstrate your SAGES spirit. If you have ever wondered how you could get on that stage, this is your opportunity. Show us your love for what makes SAGES great.
As the year end approaches, let me take this opportunity to wish a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzza, cheerful holiday, and happy New Year to you all. I am looking forward to continuing the hard work and excitement with you in the new year.
With gratitude,
Christopher Schlachta