Disclosure Information

In accordance with the ACCME Accreditation Criteria, the American College of Surgeons must ensure that anyone in a position to control the content of the educational activity (planners and speakers/authors/discussants/moderators) has disclosed all financial relationships with any commercial interest (termed by the ACCME as an “ineligible company”, defined below) held in the last 24 months (see below for definitions). Please note that first authors were required to collect and submit disclosure information on behalf all other authors/contributors, if applicable.

Ineligible company

Any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services used on or consumed by patients. Providers of clinical services directly to patients are NOT included in this definition.

Financial Relationships

Relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit.  Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, speaking and teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities from which remuneration is received, or expected.  ACCME considers relationships of the person involved in the CME activity to include financial relationships of a spouse or partner.

Conflict of Interest

Circumstances create a conflict of interest when an individual has an opportunity to affect CME content about products or services of a commercial interest with which he/she has a financial relationship.

The ACCME also requires that ACS manage any reported conflict and eliminate the potential for bias during the educational activity.  Any conflicts noted below have been managed to our satisfaction. The disclosure information is intended to identify any commercial relationships and allow learners to form their own judgments. However, if you perceive a bias during the educational activity, please report it on the evaluation. 

Speaker and Moderator Disclosures

Donna Gress, RHIT, CTR  - Nothing to disclose

Ms. Gress is the Cancer Staging and Registry Operations Manager for the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and Cancer Programs; Technical Editor of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual 8th Edition, lead author of the manual’s Chapter 1 Principles of Cancer Staging and Version 9 Cervix Uteri. She is an active member of health information management and cancer registry professions and a past president of the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), who received the NCRA Distinguished Member Award and twice received the NCRA Educational Achievement Award. Her work experience includes that of an RHIT and more than 40 years in the cancer registry field, with 27 years of experience in hospital cancer registries.

Program Committee Disclosures

Ryan McCabe - Nothing to disclose
Susanne Kessler - Nothing to disclose
Delores Akins - Nothing to disclose
Cindy Traylor-Richards - Nothing to disclose
Asa Carter - Nothing to disclose
Andrea Scrementi - Nothing to disclose
Chantel Ellis - Nothing to disclose