CHICAGO (October 16, 2023): Ronald M. Stewart, MD, FACS, a trauma surgeon from San Antonio, Texas, will receive this year’s Distinguished Service Award of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the College’s highest annual honor, in recognition of his decades of service to the ACS and relentless pursuit of achieving better outcomes for trauma patients.
The Distinguished Service Award was established by the Board of Regents in 1957. The award recognizes the exceptional and continuous service of an ACS Fellow, as well as a career distinguished by devotion to patient care and the principles and ideals that guide all surgeons in their professional practice.
Dr. Stewart will be honored on the evening of Sunday, October 22, during the Convocation ceremony that precedes the opening of the ACS Clinical Congress 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Clinical Congress is one of the largest educational meetings of surgeons in the world.
“I am honored and humbled to receive the ACS Distinguished Service Award. I am so grateful to be a member of the American College of Surgeons. Partnering with inspirational colleagues, toiling to reach the ACS Committee on Trauma’s goal of optimal patient care, transformed my life,” Dr. Stewart said. “To me, this recognition is a tribute to colleagues across the American College of Surgeons. Thank you.”
Service to the American College of Surgeons
The ACS Board of Regents’ Honors Committee selected Dr. Stewart as this year’s Distinguished Service Award recipient for his tireless work as an instructor, mentor, and colleague, encouraging many with his “7 Ps to B”: “Be participatory, be professional, be a problem solver, be a performance improvement leader, be passionate, be patient, and be perseverant.” The committee noted that Dr. Stewart embodies all of these qualities, for which he is the recipient of the ACS’ highest honor.
“Dr. Stewart has served the profession of surgery, and specifically the College, with a level of dedication equaled by very few,” said Beth H. Sutton, MD, FACS, past-Chair of the ACS Board of Regents and a surgeon in private practice in Wichita Falls, Texas, in her nomination letter. “With a primary focus on improving the care of trauma patients, development of trauma systems, advocacy for trauma patients, and injury prevention, Dr. Stewart’s service to the College has touched many different areas of surgical care and injury prevention.”
Among Dr. Stewart’s contributions to the College are 27 years of service on the ACS Committee on Trauma (COT), serving as Vice-Chair of his state COT, followed by State Chair, Region Chief in the Regional COT, COT Central Committee member, and finally, COT Chair. He has been the Medical Director for ACS Trauma Programs and a member of the ACS Board of Governors. His contributions have included spearheading the national launch of STOP THE BLEED® and testifying before the U.S. Congress on the need to treat firearm injury as a critical public health issue.
Notably, Dr. Stewart has been a driving force behind the College’s efforts to reduce injury, death, and disability from firearm-related injury. As a trauma surgeon, he has been in the unfortunate position of caring for victims from two of the largest mass shootings in modern U.S. history—Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church (Texas) in 2017 and Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas in 2022. In his work for the ACS to make firearm injury prevention a reality, he helped develop the Firearms Strategy Team (FAST) in 2017, consisting of highly regarded trauma surgeons, many of whom are avid firearm owners. The FAST group developed a strategy covering 13 areas to reduce firearm injury, death, and disability.
Career accomplishments
Dr. Stewart has served more than 30 years with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he is currently chair of the department of surgery.
Dr. Stewart helped develop the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC), which has advanced trauma system development and disaster preparedness in the San Antonio region. STRAC serves as a regional medical operations center in times of disaster and stands as a model for the nation. In recognition of his service, Dr. Stewart was given the STRAC Visionary Leadership Award in 2018.
Among his many other accolades are a 2019 Society of Trauma Nurses Distinguished Lectureship Award, the 2017 National Safety Council Surgeon’s Award, and the 2017 Arthur Ellenberger Award for Excellence in State Advocacy from the ACS.
Dr. Stewart is a prolific researcher in trauma care, critical care, injury prevention, and other topics, with more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and 13 book chapters to his name. He has presented nearly 300 lectures on firearm injury prevention, trauma care, STOP THE BLEED®, and more. Among these is his Scudder Oration on Trauma, which he delivered at Clinical Congress in 2022, during the COT’s 100th anniversary celebration.
Dr. Stewart earned his medical degree and completed his residency at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, followed by fellowships in trauma and surgical critical care at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
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About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
