The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Bariatric Surgery Center Network

The American College of Surgeons is the largest organization of surgeons in the United States, and widely held to be the “parent” organization for surgeons in this country. It represents surgeons from all disciplines. The largest component of the membership of the ACS is general surgeons. While general surgeons in the United States have a wide variety of specialty and regional organizations of which they may become members, the ACS remains the single large common organization for the general surgeon in the United States.

Since the ACS holds such a position, its mission includes providing educational and professional services for all its members. The ACS has a Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. One of the main focal points of that division is programs that help improve the delivery of surgical care in the safest manner possible. In the past, the ACS has, to this end, taken on the role of supervisory organization for quality standards in certain types of facilities that provide surgical services. The first of these organizational roles was for the ACS to develop guidelines for treatment of the critically injured patient. Trauma centers in this country are now classified by a system of levels of care, with designations defined by facilities, staff, and capabilities for caring for the injured patient. Subsequently the ACS took on the role as the organization that provided standards for cancer centers in the United States. Criteria for centers included personnel, facilities, and processes that would improve the delivery of care to the surgical patient with cancer.