Christopher Ellison, MD, was selected to be the 103rd president of the American College of Surgeons. His role will go into effect Oct. 16 during a convocation ceremony held before the ACS Clinical Congress 2022 in San Diego, one of the largest educational meetings for surgeons in the world.
Dr. Ellison is the Robert M. Zollinger Professor of Surgery Emeritus at the Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus. He was previously the chair of the department of surgery, interim dean of the college and CEO of the Ohio State University Physicians Practice plan.
He spent most of his career at the Ohio State University, starting with a general surgery residency and later serving as the director of the general surgery residency program for six years.
For his year as president of ACS, he chose the theme "Surgeons United."
"I chose the theme 'Surgeons United' for several reasons, but the primary reason was that we have been through a horrific time during the COVID-19 pandemic for the last two years. We learned that when we work together, we are far better than working apart," Dr. Ellison said in a press release sent to Becker's.
In 1986, Dr. Ellison became an ACS Fellow and was a member of the ACS Board of Governors, president of the ACS Ohio Chapter, chair of the Advisory Council for General Surgery, chair of the Advisory Council Chairs and chair of the ACS Foundation board of directors.
Mary Fallat, MD, will serve as ACS' first vice president, and Anne Rizzo, MD, will serve as second vice president. Dr. Fallat is a professor of surgery at the University of Louisville (Ky.) and director of surgical quality at Louisville-based Norton Children's Hospital. Dr. Rizzo served in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve for 27 years and is a trauma, critical care and general surgeon at Sayre, Pa.-based Guthrie Clinic.