Press Releases

ATLANTA 2009/10/12 -LaMar S. McGinnis, Jr., M.D., who has served the American Cancer Society for 35 years and currently serves as senior medical advisor, was installed as the incoming president of the American College of Surgeons during convocation ceremonies marking the opening of the annual Clinical Congress in Chicago on October 11. The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association of surgeons striving to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice.

A resident of Atlanta, Dr. McGinnis began working with the American Cancer Society’s Georgia Division in 1974. He served as the Society’s national volunteer president in 1994-1995, becoming a medical advisor in 1997. He is clinical professor of surgery at the Emory University School of Medicine and former medical director of the Eberhart Cancer Center of the DeKalb Medical Center.

Dr. McGinnis has served the American College of Surgeons in a variety of past roles beginning in 1985, including a six-year term as a governor and a ten-year term on the Commission on Cancer. He is a member of the College’s Health Policy and Advocacy Group and is one of the College’s commissioners to the Joint Commission.

“We are extremely proud that Dr. McGinnis has been chosen as the incoming President of the American College of Surgeons,” said Elizabeth T.H. Fontham, M.P.H., Dr.P.H., national volunteer president for the American Cancer Society. “His longtime commitment to the fight against cancer at the American Cancer Society, and in particular his efforts to ensure quality care for all cancer patients, make him an exceptional choice for this role, where he can continue to make contributions to our mission of saving lives and creating a world with more birthdays.”

About the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end cancer for good. As a global grassroots force of three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping you stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early, helping you get well by being there for you during and after a diagnosis, by finding cures through groundbreaking discovery and fighting back through public policy. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.