The American College of Surgeons Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic (Part III): Leadership in a Time of Crisis

Abstract

The response of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to the COVID-19 pandemic was vigorous and effective because it had mature programs in surgical quality and health policy and advocacy, the legacy of decades of work by its officers and leaders and its current executive director, David Hoyt. Hoyt had the foresight to institute a digital communications platform upon which the College collected data for its clinical programs and conducted many of its meetings. Through internet portals, online communities, and social media it broadcasted news and information to the membership. When the global COVID-19 pandemic struck, the College was able to quickly mobilize its leaders and scientific experts to disseminate credible information, recommend protocols to maintain patient and provider safety in operating room environments, provide a rational scheme of prioritization of urgent surgical operations, and a sensible means of resumption of normal surgical practice. As the financial impact of the outbreak on surgical practice became apparent, the ACS represented the interests of surgeons in the White House, Capitol, federal agencies, and governors’ mansions and statehouses. In an interview by Steven Wexner, a member of the ACS Board of Regents, Hoyt described the response of the ACS to an unprecedented threat to the surgical care of patients in the country and the world. His story demonstrates the legacy of credibility and professionalism built by decades of principled leadership of generations of officers and Regents of the College, and his own example of effective leadership in crisis.