SAGES

Reimagining surgical care for a healthier world

Strategic Plan

SAGES Strategic Plan 2020-2026

VISION

Reimagining surgical care for a healthier world.

MISSION

Innovate, educate and collaborate to improve patient care.

VALUES

SAGES is committed to the following Values:

  • Inclusivity
  • Innovation
  • Service
  • Excellence
  • Global Community
  • (and an unofficial value of FUN)

GOALS

 

Education: SAGES will lead the development and adoption of impactful programs.

Innovation: SAGES will drive and disseminate advances in surgery.

Member: SAGES will provide value through engagement.

Finance: SAGES will ensure financial sustainability in support of the Mission.

Organizational Resources/Governance: SAGES will be governed with efficiency and transparency while reflecting the needs of the members.

Environmental Impact: SAGES will lead efforts to evaluate, quantify and mitigate the environmental impact of surgery/MIS practices

 

PRIORITIES

Priority 1 – 6 months

Priority 2 – 12 months

Priority 3 – 18-24 month

 

GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

 

EDUCATION GOAL – SAGES will lead the development and adoption of impactful programs.

 

Objective 1: SAGES will develop a standardized process for measuring the impact of its educational programs by 2021. Objective complete. Scholarship around FUSE pilot ongoing. No further action recommended at this time due to more pressing priorities

 

Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will define the domains of impact as driven by stakeholder groups and benchmarked for maturity stage. Priority 1 – COMPLETED Points of Accountability: Ed Council
  2. SAGES will develop a scoring system (SAGES Impact Scoring System). Priority 2  Points of Accountability: Ed Council sub-committee
  3. SAGES will pilot one program (FUSE). Priority 3 – COMPLETED Points of Accountability: FUSE, Ed Council

 

Objective 2: SAGES will complete curriculum development and implementation of the competency level of SAGES Master’s program for all established pathways by 2025.

 

Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will complete the LMS module development for the competency level for all remaining initial disease-based pathways by SAGES 2024 (Bariatric, Colorectal, Hernia, Biliary), including written assessments. Primary target audience: Fellows / early community surgeons / international surgeons.
  2. SAGES will finalize the development of the initial fundoplication VBA by Spring 202
  3. SAGES will finalize the development of a cholecystectomy VBA by Spring 202
  4. SAGES will finalize the development of a bariatric VBA in conjunction with ASMBS on a timeline TBD.
  5. SAGES will adapt or refine the existing VBA for colectomy (CAT) by Spring 2025

 

Objective 3: SAGES will develop the path forward for Proficiency and Mastery levels for original disease-based pathways of the Masters Program, and identify and prioritize the need for additional pathways by SAGES 2025.

 

Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will conduct needs assessment for Advanced GI/MIS Fellows, community practice surgeons, and international surgeons for Proficiency and Mastery levels of original pathways and pathways by Spring 2024.
  2. SAGES will fully develop Coaching infrastructure (training of coaches and IT infrastructure) to support progression to Proficiency and Mastery levels by SAGES 2025

Ed Council Note: Objectives for Fundamental programs are not reflected in the above but are both critical and relevant to the SAGES Education strategy.  Recommend outreach to FES/FLS/FUSE for additional contributions.

 

INNOVATION GOAL:  SAGES will drive and disseminate advances in surgery.

 

Objective 1: SAGES will identify and prioritize emerging areas of innovation.

 

     Strategic Initiatives:

  1.  As a standing agenda item at the spring committee meeting each year, the Tech Council, taking input from the NBT Innovation Weekend, TAVAC and clinical committee representatives will develop a short list of emerging innovations (too new for CME) that should be addressed at the SAGES annual meeting. This list will be presented to the SAGES President, the program committee and annual program chairs for consideration for the following year’s meeting. Priority 1
  2. SAGES will hold an annual innovation competition. Priority 3  Points of Accountability: Tech Council – Shark Tank. First completed, ongoing annually.

 

Objective 2: SAGES will develop a pipeline to foster innovation from inception to practice. This will include budget and resource estimates.

 

     Strategic Initiatives:

 

  1. SAGES will hold the NBT summit in February 2020 which will evaluate the feasibility and plan for three components of the pipeline. Priority 1  Points of Accountability: Tech Council – COMPLETE First Tech Summit held  in February 2020, now annual and ongoing.
  2. SAGES will model how an existing technology will flow through the pipeline. Priority 2  Points of Accountability:  Tech Council – COMPLETE
  3. SAGES will formalize the pipeline structure (including costs and resources required). Priority 3  Points of Accountability: Tech Council – In process
  4. NEW: SAGES will develop an Early Innovators training program to further develop the front end of the Innovation Pipeline. Asa complement to Shark Tank, this may include another innovation competition focused more on clinical inventions than investability. Priority 2 (launch at NBT 2024 or SAGES 2024)

 

Objective 3: SAGES will be more involved in the evaluation, validation, dissemination and reimbursement of new surgical devices and technologies.

            Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will develop a “New Technology Assessment Platform” to inform the FDA in their evaluation on new surgical devices along domains expertise such as training requirement, learning curve, environmental impact, equitable access
  2. SAGES will provide a “New Technology Advisory Board” provide industry feedback on validation (ie level of evidence), training needed toward successful dissemination and adoption of new technologies
  3. SAGES will be more actively engage with respective stakeholders in discussion related to reimbursement of new technologies

 

MEMBERSHIP Goal: SAGES will provide value through engagement.

Objective 1: SAGES will strive to increase candidate membership through providing value and engagement.

     Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will continue to obtain historic metrics on growth and attrition and determine the reasons for SAGES Candidate members not attending the Annual Meeting and not converting to Active membership.
  2. SAGES will continue to require that participation in SAGES sponsored courses be contingent on candidate membership.
  3. SAGES will continue to waive the on line $25 education fee for candidate members.
  4. SAGES will explore ways to bring Candidate members to the Annual Meeting and ways to add value by engagement and mentorship for Candidate members, by mentorship programs and onboarding programs. SAGES will build Candidate membership through coordinating “Meet a Member” informal guided tours at the Annual Meeting.
  5. SAGES will facilitate Candidate membership by streamlining the process by which Program Directors submit Letters of Good Standing.

Objective 2: SAGES will increase total members by 5% by 2026.

     Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will explore increased marketing to non-members to include costs, resource utilization, and approaches. SAGES will utilize the virtual platform for easier access.  Continue to explore new communication tools such as TikTok, Instagram, podcasts.  SAGES will create 2 minute videos in order to provide short adds.
  2. SAGES will create and distribute a survey to non-members.
  3. SAGES will continue to explore engaging other societies for collaborative agreements for dual membership.
  4. SAGES will hold focus group interviews with specific groups, such as community practice physicians.
  5. SAGES will explore tiered dues for early practice surgeons.
  6. SAGES will support inclusivity by collecting and tracking demographic data on applicants and members.

Objective 3: SAGES will increase international membership by 5% by 2026.

Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will explore increased marketing to international non-members utilizing short videos and social media.
  2. SAGES will be more deliberate in engaging and giving speaking opportunities at the Annual Meeting to international members.

FINANCE Goal:  SAGES will ensure financial sustainability in support of the Mission.

Objective 1:  SAGES will create an R&D (reimagining) Fund. – Completed

     Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will allocate non committed excess funds for the R&D Fund. Priority 3  Points of Accountability: Finance – Completed
  2. SAGES will establish a process to guide allocation of funds. Priority 2  Points of Accountability: Finance – Completed
  3. SAGES will establish an oversight and reporting structure for fund management. Priority 3  Points of Accountability: Finance – Completed

Objective 2:  SAGES will achieve financial sustainability independent of unrestricted educational grant funding from industry. **Suggested we revise this goal – we don’t WANT to be fully independent of industry funding. Alternate objective: Transition to industry funded and organized non-CME courses at annual meeting, potentially still incorporating ADOPT.

     Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will increase industry funding on Non-CME activity at the Annual Meeting. Priority 1  Points of Accountability: Program & Development – Thwarted somewhat by pandemic. Need to emphasize non-CME track for 2024 meeting. Continue to look for new ideas, ongoing.
  1. SAGES will interface with industry through outreach activities (ie – industry courses at annual meeting with participation fee to SAGES). Priority 1  Points of Accountability: Development – Increased industry outreach through COVID activities; strengthened relationships. Levels sponsorship for society discussed with industry round table, not endorsed. Industry roundtables and leadership meetings ongoing. *Bring this up at 2023 industry roundtables.
  2. SAGES will explore opportunities to increase revenue from educational materials. Priority 2  Points of Accountability: Ed Council Business group – in process Consider industry access to educational materials for a fee

Objective 3: Create SAGES c-corp (SAGES Ingenuity) to explore for-profit ventures – Completed

Objective 4: Develop revenue streams outside of annual meeting/journal/membership

Organizational Resources/Governance Goal: SAGES will be governed with efficiency and transparency while reflecting the needs of the members.

Objective 1: SAGES will reduce redundancy in its organization structure.

     Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will review and assess current committee activities and potential areas of collaboration, reducing areas of redundancy. Priority 1  Points of Accountability: Exec – Ongoing
  2. SAGES will turn the Bylaws committee into a Governance committee, including bylaws, but addressing the size of the Board, potentially number of committees
  3. SAGES will alter the committee reporting structure, rotating committees which report to the Board

Objective 2: SAGES will optimize the opportunities for engagement and inclusivity.

     Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will foster and enable participation by committee members. Priority 1  Points of Accountability: Exec – Ongoing – New: Better define engagement, have 1-3-5 year deliverables; more emphasis on committee chairs engaging/mentoring/evaluating committee members
  2. SAGES will be transparent in defining the leadership characteristics and expectations for advancement within the Society. Priority 1  Points of Accountability: Exec/Sallie – Sal wrote article Fall 2022, expanded Nominations to 800 committee members. New: Consider bios for all Board members so rank & file members see their contributions. Consider Board member spotlight, in addition to Member spotlight.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT GOAL: SAGES will lead efforts to evaluate, quantify and mitigate the environmental impact of surgery/MIS practices

Objective 1: SAGES will establish multidisciplinary collaborations and strategic partnerships to develop guidelines on how to assess the environmental impact of surgical/MIS practices

     Strategic initiatives:

  1. SAGES will form a joint EAES-SAGES task force to review and define the contributions of surgical/MIS practices to healthcare’s carbon footprint, the global climate crisis, environment injustice and health inequities (impact of MIS on climate change Task Force)
  2. SAGES will review endorse validated metrics to measure environmental impact of various surgical/MIS activities

Objective 2: SAGES will develop educational content to inform the surgical community of the direct and indirect impact of current surgical/MIS practices to the climate crisis globall

Strategic initiatives:

  1. SAGES will develop an educational curriculum and tool kits (fundamentals of sustainable surgical practice), best practices to mitigate impact of surgical practice on carbon footprint

Objective 3: SAGES will develop and validate strategies to mitigate individual, institutional and global environment footprint of surgical/MIS practices

Strategic Initiatives:

  1. SAGES will establish strategic partnerships with key stakeholders and advocacy groups to advance the mission of achieving sustainability within surgical practices
  2. SAGES will develop “Green OR” models and develop initiatives to accelerate culture change in support of green OR practices within institutions
  3. SAGES will seek and support funding for research to support implementation and to measure the effectiveness of initiatives to achieve sustainability