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SPSA Fellows Award Recipients

Four Fellows of the Society, all former presidents of the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America, were recently awarded different awards for their exemplary achievements in their chosen field of medicine.

Dr. Reynaldo Lee-Llacer, a general and trauma surgeon from Maryland was recognized as University of Santo Tomas 2016 Outstanding Thomasian Alumni for Health-Medical, TOTAL Awards last November 2016. The University grants the award to an alumnus who has become leader in their field and has made a “notable difference in people’s lives”. Dr. Llacer is a UST Doctor of Medicine graduate in 1958. He underwent his training at National Childrens Hospital, and University of Maryland . He has been presidents of several State organizations and a recipient of several distinctive awards by several Maryland governors, the Maryland Senate, the Philippine Medical Association of Metropolitan Washington and many different associations . He was also one of the founders of the UST Alumni Association in America. Dr. Llacer is presently the Chairman of the By-laws and Constitution Committee of the SPSA.

At the recent Congress of the Philippine College of surgeons December 4-7 2016, Dr. Rolando Mendiola and Dr. Thomas Y. Chua, were recognized by the Philippine Association of Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgeons (PALES) for having taught and performed the first laparoscopic surgery in the Philippines. Many laparoscopic surgeons went to Midwest Laser Institute to learn how to do laparoscopic procedures under the tutelage of both surgeons. Dr. Alex Erasmo, former PCS President and presently the President of PALES presented both the awards to both Drs. Mendiola and Chua, both of who still in active practice; Dr Mendiola in the Philippines where he actively teaches other surgeons in laparoscopy, and Dr. Chua, who practices laparoscopic bariatric surgery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Dr. Eduardo Barcelona, a general, thoracic and vascular surgeon in Palmdale California, was recently awarded by the High Desert Surgical Group, Practitioner of the Year. Dr. Barcelona who is the head of the surgical group, was given the distinction of being the most approachable and respected member of the surgical staff. He is a 1972 graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, actively involved in the UP Alumni association in the United States and presently co-chairs the Surgical Mission Committee of the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America.

Some members of the surgical mission group in front of Betania Retreat housed where most stayed

SPSA Conducts Cebu Surgical MissionAs one of its avowed mission, the Society of {Philippine Surgeons in America just concluded its annual surgical mission to the Philippines, This time it was in Cebu, the second largest city in the Philippines, January 22-28 2017. Logistical arrangements for the surgical mission was through the efforts of Dr. Edgardo Gamboa and his wife Dr. Lucy Gamboa, both of whom practice in California and who are from Cebu.

The mission was sponsored by the Cebu Institute of Medicine and the Velez General Hospital, the Perpetual Succour Hospital , and the Santo Nino Charity Clinic in Pasil, Cebu. Despite some logistical snafus that materialized during the mission week, 364 procedures were performed by the surgical mission group that included dental, ophthalmological, general and obstetrics surgeries as well as anesthesia , nursing and volunteer groups most of whom came from US and Canada as well as local missionaries from the Philippines.

Several businesses and civic organizations as well as local NGOs contributed to the mission. Dr. Ed Barcelona and Dr. Ed Quiros, co-chairs of the Surgical Mission Committee thanked all who participated giving everyone certificates of appreciation during one of the dinner events. Next surgical mission venue will be either Palawan or Legaspi, Albay. Definite location will be decided at the SPSA,s Spring Board Meeting next month.

SPSA Founder to Receive Presidential Award

Dr. Hernan Reyes, founder and first president and CME chairman of the Society of the Philippine Surgeons in America will be conferred the PamanangPilipinasaward by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte this December at Malacanang Palace. Dr. Reyes, an internationally recognized pediatric surgeon led the establishment of the SPSA and the impetus for it’s surgical mission committee which has served the medically poor areas in the Philippines every year since 1986. He was formerly the chairman of the Department of Surgery at Cook County Hospital, Professor of Surgery at Rush Medical College where he was also an Assistant Dean. He taught and was a professor of University of Illinois medical school and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, among the many achievements since he graduated from the University of Sto. Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in 1957.

Dr. Reyes plans to meet with the new Secretary of Health and President Duterte next month together with US contingent to discuss several aspects of foreign surgical missions to the Philippines and some of the solutions proposed in an attempt to solve the problems that has beset humanitarian endeavors to the homeland by Filipino expatriates.

The Presidential Awards institutionalized since 1991 is a biennial search for overseas organizations and individuals who have dedicated their work for the service of Filipinos. It is done by four different committees of Philippine Diplomatic Posts, inter-agency committee which screened this year’s 103 nominations from 22 countries to come up with this year’s 23 outstanding individuals and organizations. The Presidential Awards have four categories: LingkodsaKapwa Pilipino (LINKAPIL) where SPSA’s late Manny Cacdac was a recipient, Kaanibng Bayan Award, Banaag Award, and Pamanang Pilipino Award.

Nevada Doc Assumes SPSA Presidency

Corazon P. Quiros, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Texas but now resides in Nevada, assumed the Presidency of the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America, 2016-2017. Dr. Quiros was inducted together with the elected and re-elected members of the Board of Governors at the recent SPSA annual convention and continuing medical education activities at the recent cruise aboard the Anthem of the Seas last July 23, 2017. The new set of officers were inducted by Dr. Ed Barcelona, a general and vascular surgeon from Palmdale, California and a past president of the Society. Dr. Carl Calica whose tenure as president Dr. Quiros followed, was not able to attend the turnover ceremonies because of unforeseen events relative to his group practice in upstate New York.

Dr. Corazon Quiros, together with Dr. Ben Zamora, SPSA’s CME and Convention chair are busy preparing for next year’s 45th Sapphire Anniversary celebration and convention festivities in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Text of C.P. Quiros Short Acceptance Speech

This year has been a year of surprises, of things that were thought as unexpected and unpredictable. First, there was the election of the new President of the Philippines who was not thought to be that of a serious candidate considering the political elites that he eventually defeated and vanquished from the political landscape. In a very few weeks, he has started to make an impact on the lives of the Filipinos and the contorted and convoluted government bureaucracy.

Second, as you probably have watched on TV, a political outsider by the name of Donald Trump became last night the official Republican nominee for President of the United States. When he announced last June 2015 he was running for the presidential nomination, no one gave him a chance to win. But he did, demolishing his 16 establishment oponents.

Third, here I am before you assuming the presidency of one of the most prestigious Filipino-American organizations in the United States. Now I do not to want to imply for any moment that I am as important and of equal footing as President Duterte and Donald Trump because I am jus a very small and unknown small fry.

However, you have placed your confidence in me to lead this Society, especially on the SPSA ce;ebratory year, its 45th year and the possibility that its ACCME accreditation will soon end after it expires in 2017 after more than 3 decades of continued accreditation, under the leadership of the Society’s founder and first CME chairman, Dr. Hernan Reyes. As most of you know, for the past 30 some years, Dr. Ben Zamora who has continuously served as CME chair, and of course with the able assistance of his wife Mary, has indicated his intention of retiring the gavel unless we could change his mind or p[rod him to reconsider.

I will assure you however that with your help and especially of the President-Elect, that this year and the years to come, despite the problems—and you all know what these are—that our Society faces, SPSA will continue and survive. We will have an exceptional as always an annual convention and continuing surgical education meeting next year in Las Vegas. We will continue with our yearly surgical missions, one of the reasons our Society was founded and continue to exist. Most importantly, the camaraderie that we have all these years will surely be a part of the cornerstone of our lives.

I look forward to this tenure you have honored me with and will promise to you all that despite my shortcomings, I will work hard to meet your expectations and that of the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America.

Marami pong salamat.

Cebu, the second largest metropolitan city in the Philippines , will be the site of the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America surgical mission next January 22-28, 2017. The proposed mission is coordinated by Dr. Ed Gamboa , a general and robotic surgeon from California , and his wife Dr. Lucie Gamboa, an internist in conjunction with Drs. Ed Barcelona and Ed Quiros, SPSA Surgical Mission co-chair.

The surgical foray into the city is being sponsored and undertaken by the Cebu Institute of Medicine and its teaching hospitals as well as the different hospital venues accommodating general, obstetrics-gynecology, plastic, orthopedic, ophthalmology and dental teams that have signed up for the event. Additional local support for the mission for the medically underserved patients in the city are the Diocese of Cebu, the Redemptorist nuns, and local people and NGOs contacted by Dr. Gamboa. Tentative schedule including the departure for Cebu and other logistics of the mission will be given to the missionaries to give them time to prepare for the undertaking.

The Society of the Philippine Surgeons in America, a 501-c3 organization, has been undertaking a yearly, occasionally twice a year, surgical mission to the Philippines for over 30 years.

Call…. Ed Barcelona, MD FACS (661) 722.9242 | Ed Quiros, MD FACS (702) 776.8236.

SPSA CALBAYOG MISSION 2016 A SUCCESS

January 24-30, 2016 marked another SPSA surgical mission to Calbayog City, Samar. Despite it being the third time the group conducted the mission to this progressive city of Western Samar, Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, Mayor Ronald Aquino andthe whole of Calbayog and the volunteers who opened their town to the SPSA missionaries again with their welcoming hospitality like the two previous forays in 2006 and 2009.

The mission was coordinated by Dr. Helen Gomez and her husband Atty. Ed Gomez who are residents of the Calbayog and are no strangers to SPSA, having participated in previous SPSA missions. Mission started with screening patients at the City gymnasium followed by scheduled surgeries at three hospital venues: Camillus, Saniatarium and Our Lady of Porziuncula hospitals. A total of 248 cases both major and minor surgeries were performed during the 4 – day operative days.

SPSA missionaries were billeted at the Ciriaco hotel and were bussed to their respective hospital assignments. The yearly undertaking of the Society was sponsored by numerous charitable organizations including the office of the Representative, now the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government Mel Senen Sarmiento, the City Mayor, Ronald Aquino, Henry Sy’s Foundation who donates the IV fluids used every year, Americares, Society of Philippines Surgeons in America its doctors, nurses, and ancillary personnel.

SPSA GEARS UP FOR ITS CALBAYOG MISSION

The Society of Philippine Surgeon in America will conduct its yearly surgical mission to Calbayog , Samar on January 24-30 2016. More than fifty volunteers of surgeons, anesthesiologists and anesthetists, ancillary support personnel from different parts of the United States, Canada, and Europe , comprise the team that will be in Calbayog for the third time . The mission is under the auspices Mel Sarmiento, who represented the city as a Mayor and Congressman and recently was appointed as Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government by the President. The present Mayor of Calbayog, Ronald Aquino as well as some of the NGOs of the City are also involved in having the SPSA missionaries return to Calbayog for this mission.

Dr. Helen Gomez and her husband Atty. Ed Gomez have been coordinating the mission logistics with the SPSA Mission Co-Chairs Dr. Ed Barcelona and Dr. Ed Quiros who took over the SPSA committee with the demise of Dr. Manny Cacdac a year ago, and from Dr. Pacifico Dorado who has remained an avid and active supporter of the mission. Benefactors of the surgical mission include many of the volunteers who have sent surgical supplies to the office of the then Congressman Sarmiento, many medical companies, and Americares.

It will be the Society’s 4th surgical mission to the province of Samar.

SPSA Holds Annual Seminar In Surgery

The Society of Philippine Surgeons in America held its 41st Continuing Medical Education Seminar in Surgery, July 17-24 2015 aboard the Oceania Cruise Line Ship Riviera. The theme of the conference which was put together by SPSA’s CME Chairman Dr. Benjamin Zamora was “Standards of Surgical Practice 2015”. The seminar which was interactive with the didactic lectures and panel discussions had well-known members of the SPSA Faculty as speakers.

During the cruise, the SPSA’s Annual Board of Governors meeting was held where past and pending business of the Society was discussed and acted upon. During this annual event, Sarie Laserna, MD, president of the Society handed over the chain in absentia to the incoming president of the Society, Carl Calica, MD, a general and robotic surgeon from New York who unfortunately could not attend the ceremony. During her farewell address, Dr. Laserna enumerated SPSA’s accomplishments under her leadership including fostering better relationships with the appropriate government agencies in the Philippines as well as leaders of organized medicine relative to foreign medical and surgical missions. She vowed to continue and be active in what she calls the unfinished business that she has started under her term and vowed to help the new SPSA president in the initiatives Dr. Calica would undertake.

SPSA is fully accredited by ACCME and this educational activity was designated for maximum of 16 hours of Category 1 CME credit. Dr. Zamora also delivered the Manuel Cacdac Professorial Lecture on the subject matter of Ebola Virus.