To our valued members:
It was an honor and the highlight of my surgical career to serve as the 42nd president of SGS in 2016. I suspect like all of you, I was initially attracted to SGS because of the scientific rigor of the annual meeting and the vetting process for new members. I have remained an active member of this organization for these reasons, as well as the organization’s dedication to camaraderie, mentorship, surgical education and research.
Recently, I have volunteered to be the chairperson of the Fund Development Committee. My goals for this position are to increase overall fundraising and improve transparency of how and where donated monies are applied; all of this to help further fund the mission of SGS.
To say that there is a current need for the mission of SGS is an understatement. Insufficient time for residents to learn surgery and the de-emphasis of vaginal surgery are 2 of many factors that reduce the quality of care received by our patients. The good news is that your donations fund numerous endeavors which accentuate our mission and ultimately improve the quality of care received by our patients.
Please allow me to review with you what you are donated funds have been used for over the past few years.
As part of camaraderie, it is vital to recognize our peers who demonstrate excellence. Your donated monies have been used to support the Don Gallup Fund and the Thomas Nolan Fund which provide award monies for the distinguished surgeon and distinguished service award respectively. In 2024, these awards were given to Dr. John Gebhart and Dr. Dobie Giles --neither of these exceptional surgeons needs to be introduced to the group as their accomplishments are well-known; but suffice it to say these awards were a well-deserved honor!
As part of surgical education and mentorship, the Mike Aronson and Nancy Frankel and Lennie Siegal Funds are used to provide monetary award support for young gynecologic surgeons to attend the SGS Postgraduate Course and Annual Scientific Meeting respectively.
Dr. Aronson was a passionate surgical educator who was taken from us far too soon and in his memory Dr. Anita Register from the Carilion Clinic was able to attend on scholarship the 2023 Postgraduate Course and two others recently attended the virtual course in December 2024. The postgraduate course offers detailed instruction on performance of difficult laparoscopic, vaginal and robotic cases and is an excellent resource for young and practicing surgeons.
It is no small statement to say that Nancy and Lenny were integral to the revitalization of SGS over the last decade and their passion for this organization shows in many ways. They deeply understood the value of surgical education and to that end their fund was used to allow 5 surgical fellows to attend the 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting on scholarship:
1. Olanrewaju Dawodu, MD (Columbia University / MIGS)
2. Atoosa Ghofranian, MD (Reproductive Medicine Associates of NY / REI)
3. Lana Lua-Mailland, MD (Clevland Clinic / Urogynecology)
4. K. Mariah Sankey Thomas, MD (University of Texas / MIGS)
5. Sarah Swartz, MD (Christiana Care / MIGS)
Additional educational initiatives include the John Delancey Fund which is used to provide monetary support for the Pelvic Anatomy Group and the Education Fund which is used to support the initiatives of the Education Committee
Dr. John Delancy needs no introduction as the premier gynecologic anatomist and the project his team has developed is a digital anatomy library which will be offered as a free service to SGS members—this will be a fantastic resource for all us!
Among many initiatives, the Education Committee using monies from the Education Fund has developed a simulation curriculum and a simulation lounge which will be featured at the 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting. Another fantastic resource, especially for those us who are involved with resident and fellow education!
Finally, the monies donated to the Research and CoRPs Funds are used to support the Fellows Pelvic Research Network (FPRN), Systematic Review Group (SRG) and the Collaborative Research in Pelvic Surgery Consortium (CoRPS). These 3 research groups over the past 2 years have published 19 (!!) articles with several more in the pipeline in peer reviewed journals on a multitude of topics including health care disparities, vaginal surgery, leiomyomas, sexual function and surgical education – greatly contributing to advancements in gynecologic surgery.
As you can see, your donated monies are put to great use!!
You have opportunities to give a tax-deductible donation when you pay your yearly dues, when you sign up for the Annual Scientific Meeting and at the Meeting itself with your attendance at the always fun Tuesday evening festivities. When you donate, you will be able to specify a fund category (general, education, research, etc.) or a specific fund (i.e. The Michael Aronson Fund) -- to support the part of the SGS core mission that resonates the most with you. Please consider donating generously, although any amount is much appreciated and 100% of the funds will be used to further our mission of surgical excellence!
We also have a few things in the works – monthly / credit card-based donations, “frequent donor points,” estate planning, raffles / auctions among others.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the members of the Fund Development Committee (so many Past Presidents have volunteered to help, I am honored to be able to work with them!) and the SGS Associate Executive Director, Drew Shifflet for their invaluable assistance!
If you have any questions, concerns, comments or suggestions – please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected]
With much gratitude,
Andrew J. Walter, MD
42nd President -- Society of Gynecologic Surgeon 2015-16
Director of Urogynecology and Chronic Pelvic Pain
Kaiser-North Valley
