American College of Surgeons Breaks Ground on New Office Building on Ca...( Location to provide more visible ...),Health

Location to provide more visible presence for world's largest surgical organization

WASHINGTON, May 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American College of Surgeons (ACS) today broke ground for a new home for its Washington, D.C., office that will serve as its centerpiece presence on Capitol Hill. The 10-story, class A office building, located at 20 F Street, N.W., will be completed in the first quarter of 2010. ACS headquarters will remain in its current location in Chicago.

Citing the proximity of the building to Capitol Hill, Gerald B. Healy, MD, FACS, ACS president, said, "This building represents the American College of Surgeons' commitment to working with policymakers to improve patient care, measure outcomes of that care and work collaboratively with all other organizations and groups representing the overall health care team to create a better health care system."

In addition to housing the College's Division of Advocacy and Health Policy, which is currently located in Georgetown, the new Washington office will also be home to the ACS's new Health Policy and Research Institute, currently located in North Carolina. In addition, several surgical specialty societies have expressed interest in leasing space in the new building.

Stating that "It is becoming increasingly important for all of surgery to speak with one voice," Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS, ACS executive director, said. "The new Washington office will be a physical representation of the College as the 'house of surgery' and will present a united front to lawmakers on Capitol Hill on behalf of surgeons and their patients.'"

He said that the new building will allow the College to add more experts in congressional and regulatory affairs to its staff without physical restriction, and that the building will include meeting areas large enough to host conferences sponsored by building tenants and other interested groups.

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