Featured Speakers
Featured Speakers
Equity Council Presentation
The Future of OB GYN Care: A Case for Collective Action
Monday, March 23, 2026
5:30 PM - 6:15 PM
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Sandra Brooks, MD, MBA, FACS, FACOG
CEO ACOG Dr. Sandra Brooks is a distinguished physician leader and healthcare executive whose career reflects an unwavering commitment to advancing health equity, quality, and innovation in obstetrics and gynecology. A Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha graduate of Howard University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and College of Medicine, Dr. Brooks completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Her clinical career began at the University of Massachusetts, followed by her appointment as Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Maryland, where she rose to the rank of full professor. During this time, she earned an MBA in Medical Services Management from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Brooks transitioned to physician executive and Chief Medical Officer roles in diverse healthcare settings across Kentucky, New Jersey, Florida, and Pennsylvania. In these roles, she spearheaded transformative initiatives focused on patient safety, quality improvement, and health equity, leading multidisciplinary teams in community, nonprofit, and academic environments. In August 2024, Dr. Brooks assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a premier membership organization representing more than 60,000 professionals dedicated to improving obstetric and gynecologic care. As CEO, she is driving strategic initiatives that include modernizing residency applications, training and continuing education, advocating for the protection of the patient-physician relationship, and advancing programs that promote practice sustainability, leadership development, clinical guidance, and physician wellness. Dr. Brooks’ career exemplifies visionary leadership, clinical excellence, and a steadfast dedication to improving the lives of patients, families, and communities.
Mark D. Walters Lecture
Menopause 101 - All Things Perimenopause and Menopause
Monday, March 23, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
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Sharon Malone, MD
Dr. Sharon Malone is a New York Times bestselling author, women’s health advocate, podcast host and Chief Medical Advisor at Alloy Health. A board-certified OB/GYN and Certified Menopause Practitioner, she spent nearly 30 years in private practice before dedicating her career to expanding access to evidence-based menopause care and closing the gender gap in midlife health. Her groundbreaking book, Grown Woman Talk, and appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Michelle Obama Podcast, CBS Sunday Morning, Today Show and more has made her one of the most visible voices advancing women’s health today. In 2025, she served as the keynote speaker for the ACOG national convention, spoke at EssenceFest and was honored on the 2024 Forbes 50 Over 50 list. A proud sister of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she is a charter member of the Xi Tau Chapter (Cambridge, MA), which recently celebrated its 45th anniversary. Her newest endeavor, The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon, is a weekly podcast where women take back the conversation on health with straight talk, real experience, and the care we all deserve. Alongside high-profile advocates, experts, and patients, Dr. Malone tackles the questions women have been conditioned to ignore, from dismissed symptoms and gaps in healthcare to family hardships, menopause, and emerging health issues. Each episode concludes with “Doctor’s Orders,” bite-sized takeaways designed to empower women with tools to advocate for themselves and each other. No sugarcoating. No waiting rooms. Just the truth, finally.
Telinde Lecture
True Confessions of a Surgeon-Scientist
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
10:40 AM - 11:30 AM
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John O. L. DeLancey, MD
John O. L. DeLancey, MD is the Norman F. Miller Professor of Gynecology and Professor of Urology at the University of Michigan. He has spent the last 4 decades in the operating room and conducting research trying to identify the structural and functional failures that cause pelvic floor disorders, how those affect surgical outcomes and how birth causes these injuries. He has published more than 350 scientific articles, received over $32 million in NIH funding, and lectured in 30 countries on 6 continents. In recognition of this pioneering work, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and named an Honorary Fellow ad eundem in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. A former President of the American Urogynecologic Society, Society of Gynecologic Surgeons and American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society he is listed in Best Doctors in America and has received Marquis Who’s Who in the World Life-time Achievement Award.
Panel Discussion
Contemplating Workforce Shortages, Access to Care, and Surgical Deserts in Gynecologic Specialty Care
Moderator: Kimbery Kenton, MD
Monday, March 23, 2026
2:10 PM - 3:05 PM
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Rajiv Gala, MD
Dr. Gala has been on staff at Ochsner since 2008 as an obstetrician-gynecologist, researcher and professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has held many leadership positions, including residency program director. He is nationally renowned as a leader in medical education dedicated to resident education, the improvement of clinical competence and patient safety. He is a past President of SGS (2019) and currently serves on the board of directors for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) and the institutional review committee for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). In addition to his role leading graduate medical education as the designated institutional officer (DIO) for Ochsner, Dr. Gala has been named the associate dean for education and academic affairs for the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine. By aligning our graduate medical education leadership with the UME program, Dr. Gala will ensure a continuum of medical education and improve the transition from medical school to residency for our future physicians.
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Denise Howard, MD, MPH
Dr. Howard is the Chief of Obstetrics & Gynecology NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology and Vice Chair in the Dept of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine. She has served in leadership roles in academic, private and international settings. She received her MD, MPH from Johns Hopkins, completed residency at UPMC-Magee Women's hospital and fellowship at the University of Michigan. Dr. Howard is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a Certified Physician Executive, and a Fellow of the American Association for Physician Leadership. She is also a member of the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology and served on the Board of Directors for the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons. Since joining the NYP enterprise in 2022, Dr. Howard has sought opportunities to leverage technology and innovation to deliver equitable care, reduce provider burnout, and to improve operational efficiency. She has collaborated with colleagues at Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell Tech and Cornell University to advance women’s health through clinical research, product development and improved approaches to clinical operations. She won first place in the Weill Cornell Medicine 2024 Business Plan Challenge competition hosted by the BioVenture eLab.
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Thomas Tsai, MD, MPH
Thomas C. Tsai, MD, MPH is Medical Director for Health Policy Research for the American College of Surgeons. He is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Associate Professor in Health Policy and Management at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is a practicing gastrointestinal surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. As Co-Director of the Healthcare Quality and Outcomes Lab at HSPH, he leads a multidisciplinary research portfolio on healthcare quality and equity; health policy evaluation; and health systems resilience. Dr. Tsai’s research bridges healthcare delivery and public health to inform the design and implementation of innovative care delivery models. Dr. Tsai has had an ongoing commitment to public service. He served as Senior Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Obama Administration. He served as Senior Policy Advisor for the COVID-19 Response to the Biden Administration and Testing and Treatment Coordinator on the White House COVID-19 Response Team. He advises the CDC Office of Readiness and Response and is a consulting member of the FDA Digital Health Advisory Committee. Dr. Tsai has led strategic healthcare initiatives in the private sector, serving as Chief Medical Advisor for Ginkgo Biosecurity. Dr. Tsai continues to further the resilience of the US healthcare delivery system strategic advisory council member of the Common Health Coalition. His research has been featured in national media outlets and has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Lancet, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Communications, Health Affairs, Annals of Surgery, and JAMA Surgery. He serves on the editorial board for Annals of Surgery and Health Services Research. Dr. Tsai is a graduate of Harvard College, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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Fidel Valea, MD
Fidel Valea, MD, most recently served as Professor and System Chief of Gynecologic Oncology for the Northwell Health Cancer Institute / Zucker School of Medicine. He was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in NYC where he earned a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, before completing medical school at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He completed both his Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Doctor Valea then joined the faculty at Stony Brook in 1992, where he became the Residency Program Director, PI for the GOG, as well as the Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology during his 12-year tenure. He joined the faculty at Duke in 2004, and during his 12 years there he was promoted to a full-tenured Professor and served as the Vice-Chair of Education, Residency Program Director in Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as the Fellowship Director in Gynecologic Oncology until 2016 when he left Duke to become the Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. He served as the chair for 5 years before joining the faculty at Northwell. Doctor Valea is a member of several organizations including the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, ACOG, and ABOG previously serving on the Board of Directors for all three organizations as well as the Director of Gynecologic Oncology for ABOG. He also served as chairman of ACOG’s task force on levels of Gynecologic Care. He has won numerous national and regional teaching awards and has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, online articles, and book chapters. Doctor Valea is one of four editors for the recent edition of Comprehensive Gynecology. His research interests include surgical education, minimally invasive surgery, and evidence-based perioperative care. His professional passion is medical education at all levels.
SGS Spotlight
I'm Sorry Dave, I'm Afraid I Can't Do That: Using Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Care
Monday, March 23, 2026
9:20 AM - 9:45 AM
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CT Lin, MD
CT Lin MD is CMIO at UCHealth, a 14-hospital, 900-clinic system in the Rocky Mountain region. UCHealth has achieved HIMSS Stage 7 and CHIME's Most Wired Level 10. He is Professor of Medicine at University of Colorado, and board-certified in Internal Medicine and Clinical Informatics. He sees internal medicine patients and also facilitates workshops on Excellence in Communication to reduce Burnout and improve Outcomes. His national publications and talks include: Addressing Physician Burnout with EHR Sprints, and Online patient communication with Open Test Results and Open Notes. His national awards include "Healthcare IT innovator" and "Electronic Physician of the Year." He leads a team of 25 physician informaticians. Our mission: "We improve physician and team resilience and effectiveness by building extraordinary relationships and innovative tools.
SGS Spotlight
The Space Between Skill and Excellence: Coaching, Data, and the Future of Surgical Performance
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
9:50 AM - 10:15 AM
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Cara King, DO, MS
Cara King, DO, MS, is a graduate of Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2008, and completed her Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Fellowship and Masters in Medical Education at the University of Pittsburgh, Magee Womens Hospital. She is currently Section Head of MIGS at the Cleveland Clinic, Director of Innovation of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Institute, and President of the Academy for Surgical Coaching. She will explore the invisible space where performance is revealed, and how surgical coaching, paired with emerging surgical intelligence and data, can transform not just individual surgeons, but surgery itself.
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