American College of Surgeons Delegation
To the Kingdom of Morocco, November 30- December 6, 2022
Delegation Leaders:
Dr. Ronald Vitt Maier, 2013-2014 President of the American College of Surgeons
Dr. Carlos Pellegrini, 2018-2019 President of the American College of Surgeons
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSE STATEMENT
A delegation of US surgeons, representing the American College of Surgeons have been selected to exchange ideas and address common issues with their professional counterparts in the Kingdom of Morocco, under the auspices of the Citizen Ambassador program of Cultural Vistas, a US non-profit NGO, with extensive experience in developing counterpart professional exchanges. This delegation has been developed in consultation with the leader from the American College of Surgeons.
The primary objective for this delegation is to gain an understanding and appreciation for Morocco’s Healthcare system and surgical practices.
The following subjects are of particular interest to the delegation. These topics may be further refined to incorporate the specialized interest and expertise of the individual delegates.
- Controlling the spread of Covid- 19 and anticipated post pandemic challenges in Morocco
- Approaches to increasing the number of healthcare providers in Morocco
- Development of Surgery in Morocco and current state of Surgical Services
- Morocco’s approach to trauma
- Quality and Value in the delivery of healthcare
- Public Health, priorities (prevention of disease, maternal-fetal and infant care, etc.) in Morocco
- Financing of Healthcare in Morocco
- Cancer Care, Centers of Excellence, and population health
- Impact of healthcare tourism on Morocco’s public healthcare system
It is intended that these exchanges will facilitate increased learning for both the host professional and for the U.S. delegation and will offer contributions of international understanding at the career and personal levels for all.
Delegation Leadership
Dr. Maier and Dr. Pellegrini represent the elite in surgical and healthcare leadership. Both have served as Presidents of the American College of Surgeons and the American Surgical Association and remain active in leadership roles with both organizations.
Ronald V. Maier, MD, FACS, is surgeon-in-chief of Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Maier is vice-chair of Surgery at the UW and the Jane and Donald D. Trunkey Professor of Trauma Surgery. He is listed in The Best Doctors in America.
Dr. Maier believes in providing the best cutting-edge care for both elective operations and critically ill surgical patients. His goal is to provide exceptional care without exception.
Dr. Maier earned his M.D. from Duke University. He is an expert in trauma care, emergency surgery and critical care. He conducts research on clinical approaches to improve survival after severe injuries and life-threatening surgical illness. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is board certified in Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. He has chaired the American Board of Surgeons and the NIH Study Section for Surgery, Anesthesiology and Trauma.
Carlos A. Pellegrini, M.D, FACS, is the former Chief Medical Officer for UW Medicine and a Professor and Chair Emeritus in the department of Surgery.
Upon his retirement from UW Medicine, Dr. Pellegrini started a new career as an executive leadership coach. In that capacity, he provides personalized coaching to leaders of healthcare institutions continuing his lifelong passion to improve interpersonal relationships among all human beings. He is also a consultant on matters of professionalism, equity, diversity, inclusion, and patient safety for academic medical centers.
Dr. Pellegrini was born in Argentina and received his M.D. from the University of Rosario Medical School, where he trained in general surgery. He completed his training in surgery at the University of Chicago. He practiced at UCSF initially and then at the University of Washington.
Dr. Pellegrini is the current vice-chair of the Board of The Joint Commission and sits on the Board of Directors of the Joint Commission International.
About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice. From 2012 to 2013, the College observed a year-long commemoration of its Centennial, “100 Years of Inspiring Quality.”
Members of the ACS are referred to as “Fellows.” The letters FACS (Fellow, American College of Surgeons) after a surgeon’s name mean that the surgeon’s education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct have passed a rigorous evaluation, and have been found to be consistent with the high standards established and demanded by the College.
Mission Statement
The American College of Surgeons is dedicated to improving the care of the surgical patient and to safeguarding standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment.