Home

President's Letter

Dear Colleagues & Friends,

For most of us, Daylight Savings Time has recently ended, our clocks have fallen back, and we shift to lighter mornings, cooler evenings, with nightfall arriving sooner. It is a reminder for me that the holiday season is just around the corner, and that it is time to update you all on the activities of the Society over the past three months. I wanted to thank you all for the honor of leading SGS this year, which is flying by quickly.

To accommodate busy fall schedules, reduce travel and carbon footprint, the Board of Directors voted to meet virtually this year. We accomplished a great deal in our late September Sunday afternoon meeting. We reviewed our strategic planning, updated committee activities and planning for this year’s PG Course and Annual Scientific Meeting. I am so appreciative of the time and effort that our Board Members put into advancing SGS’ mission. Much of my message today focuses on the Board Meeting updates, including the strategic planning focus areas of Research, Education, Financial, Membership and Visibility and our committee updates.

Research Pillar | Research Committee

Dr. Cara Grimes, Committee Chair, reviewed the growth and structure of the Research Committee and updated the board on the activities of each of the SGS research subcommittees. These subcommittees are one of the highlights of our society and I am so appreciative of all their work. In 2026, Dr. Peter Jeppson will be taking over for Dr. Ankita Gupta for as Associate Chair of Systematic Review Group (SRG). Dr. Veronica Lerner has taken over for Dr. Shunaha Kim-Fine as Associate Chair of the Collaborative Research in Pelvic Surgery (CoRPS) Consortium. The Fellows Pelvic Research Network (FPRN) has two sub-groups, for Urogynecology and for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, led by Dr. Nancy Ringel, with Dr. Aparna Ramanathan starting as Associate Chair for the FMIG section in 2026, respectively.

Summarizing the incredible productivity of the Research Committee could take up the whole newsletter, but briefly: the SRG published a systematic review on predictors of persistent pain in this month’s Obstetrics & Gynecology; and a systematic review and meta-analysis on associations between hysterectomy and pelvic floor disorders in the September issue of AJOG. Another SRG publication has been accepted in Obstetrics & Gynecology regarding health care disparities in URPS. The CoRPS group published a qualitative analysis of physician perspectives after the Dobbs v Jackson decision in the July edition of Women’s Health Issues, and another article reviewing determinants of staged versus concomitant surgery for POP and stress urinary incontinence in the Journal of Clinical Gynecology and Obstetrics. The FPRN published their work on risks of recurrent prolapse by extent of mesh excision in November 2024 Urogynecology.

Additionally, as a reminder, the Research Committee has an excellent online Research Toolkit for researchers, and Dr. Gabriela Halder is heading a task force to develop a Research Course for fellows and early career attendees. There are many opportunities for members and non-members to volunteer in SGS Research activities and I encourage you to explore these wonderful opportunities.

Education Pillar | Education Committee & Postgraduate Committee

Dr. Jaime Long, Education Committee Chair, updated the Board on the SHE+ Foundation (formerly the Patty Brisben Foundation), suggesting that SGS leaders and members can check out the new Resource Hub which offers toolkits, policy briefs, and educational and research materials designed to advance equity, improve care, and empower informed decision-making. Dr. Long encourages everyone to attend the Innovation Simulation program on Tuesday morning at the Annual Meeting. The Committee has also suggested that the Awards Ceremony at the Annual Meeting include the Best Simulation Presentation. The Board also acknowledged that the Simulation Advisory Service continues to be an added value member benefit and should be more heavily promoted. The committee is also reviewing the Fellow Scholars program which opens for applications in December.

Dr. Lauren Siff is Chair of the Post-Graduate Committee. The Winter 2025 course will be held virtually on Sunday, December 7, 2025. The course will maintain 2024 structure featuring three 90-minute panel presentations/discussions over a six-hour period. The panels will include experts on pushing the envelope for laparoscopic hysterectomy, vaginal hysterectomy and managing complications. The course is open to non-members and we encourage you to invite your non-member colleagues. We will also be offering the option of a coaching session again with SGS members who are Certified Academy of Surgical Coaching Coaches.

Financial Pillar | Finance Committee

Maintain Stability and Diversify Revenue: We were joined by Matt Paprocki, from Mediquis Investments, to review our investments and investment strategy, along with a report from our Secretary-Treasurer, Dr. Kim Kenton. SGS continues to be in excellent financial health with a balanced portfolio that enables us to be financially stable in the event of an economic downturn, but also investing in growth and projects to enhance the membership and priorities for SGS. Additionally, the Industry Advisory Group, led by former SGS President Dr. Cheryl Iglesia, has been working to advance our partnership with our industry colleagues.

Donations continue to be an important part of financial viability. There are several directed funds to show your support for SGS. Be on the lookout for dedicated “End of Year Giving” emails from Dr. Andrew Walter, Fund Development Chair.

Membership Pillar | Membership Committee

Diversity and Increase Membership: Membership in SGS has continued to grow. A chart summarizing the benefits of membership is available online. The Board approved ten new members who will be welcomed at the 52nd Annual Scientific Meeting. The Board also agreed to continue the joint membership program with the American College of Surgeons with the intention to simply the administrative process. SGS is a leader in this joint applications process with the College. The Board reviewed membership dues and registration fees for the upcoming year. Compared to seven other peer organizations, SGS ranks the second least expensive for membership and registration fees. Since membership dues were last raised in 2022, several new member products and services (the PAG Digital Library, the new website project and a new expected platform for the Video Library) all represent great value to members. The Board also noted that Annual Scientific Meeting attendance has reached new record levels in the past two years, with increasing expenses for food & beverage, audio visual and other meeting expenses. The Board recognized that the current registration fee also represents excellent value and voted to keep registration fees unchanged.

Visibility Pillar | Communications Committee & Publications Committee

Increase Recognition of SGS as Leader in GYN Surgery Research: The newly formed Communications Committee, chaired by Dr. Jocelyn Fitzgerald, has been busy and includes Social Media, Website and Podcast subcommittees. We have exciting news regarding the Website: The Board voted to redesign and upgrade our website and has been working Status Plus on major platform changes that will be visible to the Membership this spring. This new platform promises to improve interface for the user and highlight SGS’s accomplishments as a Society. Additionally, the Social Media subcommittee has created timely announcements of research findings and educational opportunities for the public and our membership. For the Podcast Subcommittee, I invite you to check out the new SGS Scalpel Sessions podcast and recent interview: Dissecting Surgical Strategies for Endometriosis with Dr. Sarah Allen, hosted by Dr. Christine Foley.

The Publications Committee is chaired by Dr. Michelle Morrill. The publications committee has turned over the podcast review to the Communications Committee. This committee has been busy reviewing manuscripts including, “Patient Autonomy and Control Preferences in Prolapse Treatment-Related Decision-Making” (FPRN); “Predictors of persistent pain after hysterectomy for chronic pelvic pain” and “Improving Informed consent Process for Benign Gynecologic Procedures: A Systematic Review” (SRG); and “Presenting Author Demographics at the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons Meetings 2023-2024” (CoRPS).

SGS has also been activity participating in the Women First Research Coalition (WFRC) and the Board continues to support the membership in this important coalition. Our voice is included among the 16 OBGYN subspecialty organizations weighing in on important advocacy issues, research and policy issues.

SGS looks forward to year 2 of supporting ACOG’s new Betsey, Lucy and Anarcha Editorial Mentorship Program with the Green Journal. This is a lab fellowship in which a selected SGS member will be paired with a mentor on the Green Journal editorial board. Selected participants will be invited to an in-person, one-day editorial and peer-review workshop with the Editors of and will receive longitudinal mentorship from Green Journal editors, current and former editorial board members, and peer review coaches. SGS has supported Dr. Christopher Hong during this 2025-2026 cycle.

Scientific Program Committee

Dr. Peter Jeppson and the Program Committee have an exciting 52nd Annual Scientific Meeting planned at the Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs Resort, March 22-25, 2026. Now that the government shutdown has been settled, hopefully we can all feel more comfortable that we will be able to travel to Phoenix. If you cannot join us in-person, please consider joining virtually. The abstract and video subcommittees have completed their reviews, and it is inspiring to see the breadth and quality of the work that our members submit for the annual meeting. Promoting excellence in research and education of gynecologic surgeons is what we are all about. Notifications of committee decisions for abstracts will be sent out this week. We also have a collection of dynamic speakers, TED-type talks and panels on topics including AI, coaching in surgery, menopause, workforce requirements and access to gynecologic care. You can sign up for the golf tournament or pickleball tournament for Tuesday afternoon or plan a hike nearby. For a fun evening, Dr. Lauren Siff is again energizing the Tuesday SGS FUNdaising Event, with this year’s theme centering on Disco Cowboy (inclusive of Cowgirl, Cowperson)… get your costumes ready!

Thank you for all for your support. I am humbled and honored to be leading a great organization with so many dedicated volunteers. I hope you all have a healthy, peaceful upcoming holiday season.

Sincerely,
Kris