Opening Ceremony Sets the Stage for Clinical Congress 2026

Clinical Congress 2026 moves into full swing this morning with the Opening Ceremony, bringing The House of Surgery® together to recognize surgical leaders, reflect on the progress of the ACS, and look ahead to the opportunities and challenges shaping the profession.

The ceremony begins at 8:00 am in Hall B, Lower Level, of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. All Clinical Congress attendees are encouraged to attend.

Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, FACS, the newly installed 107th President of the ACS, will preside over the ceremony. Dr. Eberlein will recognize the eight Honorary Fellows inducted during Convocation last night, as well as past and present ACS Officers. Domestic and special guests representing medical and surgical organizations also will be recognized.

ACS Executive Director and CEO Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, will present the annual “State of the American College of Surgeons” address, highlighting the ACS’s priorities and progress across education, quality, advocacy, membership, and innovation amid a rapidly changing surgical landscape.

Following the Opening Ceremony, internationally renowned urologist Ralph V. Clayman, MD, FACS, dean emeritus of the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, will deliver the Martin Memorial Lecture, “Curiosity and Innovation: The Promise of Wonder,” from 9:00 to 9:30 am.

Dr. Clayman helped pioneer minimally invasive urologic surgery, including performing the first laparoscopic nephrectomy with his team in 1990. During his lecture, he will draw on that experience to explore the role of curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and human ingenuity in surgical innovation at a time when artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing medicine.

The Opening Ceremony and Martin Memorial Lecture begin a full day of programming that includes Named Lectures, Special Sessions, Panel Sessions, scientific presentations, and other educational opportunities across the convention center.