5 EAST 2026 Programs for Emergency General Surgery We're Excited About
Here are 5 EAST 2026 conference programs we're excited about for EGS programs, including sessions, workshops, and short courses.
These programs focus on verification, performance improvement, program development, and quality measurement—all critical for EGS registry adoption.
And join us January 20-23 in Atlanta for EAST 2026 to see a demo of the new NQS EGS registry.
Top EAST 2026 Programs for EGS
The Modernization of Emergency General Surgery Through Technical Expertise & Operational Development
📅 Wed, Jan 21 | 2:45–5:00 PM (Short Course) Location: Triumph Ballroom IJKL, 2nd Floor
A case-based, expert-led deep dive into modern EGS care—showing how to apply evidence-based surgical techniques, build multidisciplinary guidelines, use EGS PI, and engage leadership to improve outcomes and operations.
From their agenda:
Improving surgical quality for Emergency General Surgery (EGS) patients is a widely recognized goal across surgical institutions. Managing this patient population with technical expertise in the setting of acute and chronic critical illnesses is a daily challenge that all Acute Care Surgeons face.
Through a series of case-based didactic sessions followed by roundtable discussions, attendees will have an opportunity to learn about evidence-based approaches in common EGS scenarios, apply these principles through complex case discussions, and hear expert approaches to these challenging clinical cases.
Woven within the sessions are fundamental aspects to building a quality EGS program including development of multidisciplinary practice management guidelines, leveraging EGS PI to improve patient outcomes, and engaging with the C-suite.
Moderators: Chad Hall, MD & Erin Howell, MD
Business of Trauma/Acute Care/Surgical Critical Care
📅 Wed, Jan 21 | 2:45–5:00 PM (Short Course) Location: Triumph Ballroom ABEF, 2nd Floor
A fast, practical primer on the business of trauma care—covering critical care billing, procedure coding, RVUs, CMS updates, and how trauma programs generate and maximize financial value.
From their agenda:
The business aspects of Trauma/Acute Care Surgery have become complex entities and the administrative necessities of working as an attending surgeon are usually skills that are picked up through trial and error. This session will provide an overview of billing/coding of services, discuss how Trauma Surgeons/Programs generate value and strategies to maximize that value.
This is not meant to be comprehensive but can provide a "Quick Hits" spring board for future self-directed study in these topics to optimize services. The Short Course will highlight Critical Care Billing/Procedure Coding Trauma Cases, RVU Derivation/Definitions of Codes E/M (ICU/Consulting/Progress Notes), CMS Updates, and Business Aspects of Medicine.
Moderator: Kyle M. Schmitt
ACS Emergency General Surgery Verification: The What, How, and Why
📅 Thu, Jan 22 | 7:30–8:30 AM Location: Triumph Ballroom IJKL, 2nd Floor
A practical, first-hand walkthrough of ACS EGS verification—what it requires, how to launch a compliant QI and data program, and how to secure executive buy-in—from teams that have already been through the process.
From their agenda:
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Emergency General Surgery (EGS) verification program is a set of standards that have been developed to improve the quality of care provided to patients with unplanned emergency surgery. The program's goals are resourcing and infrastructure optimization, timely and quality care, cost reduction and provider satisfaction, and data and improvement initiatives. Similar to the Trauma program verification, the ACS strives to generate a collaborative effort to understand the treatment complexities and issues that face patients with EGS conditions.
However, the program remains in its infancy, with only 11 centers achieving verification by the time of this session proposal. This session will provide a summary of the program from providers who have gone through the verification process. Speakers will emphasize the resources required to initiate program verification as well as provide useful examples and practical advice for engaging healthcare system leadership to obtain buy-in to the program.
Moderators: Andrew Medvecz, MD, MPH & Devin Gillaspie, MD
Speakers/Topics:
- Introduction (2 mins) – Andrew Medvecz, MD, MPH
- What is EGS Verification? (10 mins) - Craig Follette, DO
- Data and Benchmarking (10 mins) – Michael Wandling, MD, MS
- How to Start a QI Program in EGS (10 mins) – Jennifer Hartwell, MD
- How Do You Convince Your Executive Suite that Verification is a Good Idea? (10 mins) – Michael Smith, MD
- Open Discussion (18 mins) – Led by Devin Gillaspie, MD
Seeking a Higher Level of Care: Optimizing the Emergent Surgical Care of Rural Patients
📅 Thu, Jan 22 | 7:30–8:30 AM Location: Magnificent Ballroom 2, 3rd Floor
A focused, practical session on improving emergent surgical care for rural patients by addressing transfer barriers, defining appropriate EGS transfers, and strengthening communication between rural and referral centers.
From their agenda:
EGS transfers from rural hospitals are at an increased risk of adverse conditions due to transfer delays and access to definitive surgical management. Alleviating barriers to transfer, improving the care of these patients, and optimizing outreach between urban and rural hospitals should be prioritized.
The aim of this session is to educate surgeons on the limitations of rural hospitals, appropriateness of EGS transfers, and communication best practices to optimize care for rural patients.
Moderator: Patrick Shahan, MD, MS
Speakers/Topics:
- Introduction/Current State (10 mins) – Hannah Carroll, MD
- Challenges Faced in Transfer (10 mins) – Andrew Herbert Hopper, MD
- Best Practices for Optimal Communication (10 mins) – Lauren Steward, MD
- Case-Based Discussion with the audience (20 mins) – Tyler Johnson, DO
- Open Discussion (10 mins)
Frailty First: Risk Stratification & Protocolized Care for the Geriatric Trauma Patients
📅 Thu, Jan 22 | 3:00–4:00 PM Location: Triumph Ballroom IJKL, 2nd Floor
A practical, protocol-focused session on using frailty scores and geriatric-specific care pathways to guide risk stratification, clinical decisions, and multidisciplinary care that improves outcomes for older trauma patients.
From their agenda:
This session will focus on the practical application of frailty assessments, trauma-specific risk scores, and geriatric-focused care pathways to improve outcomes for older trauma patients. Rather than focusing on isolated injuries, the session highlights how structured approaches to risk stratification and multidisciplinary care can drive decision-making and reduce complications across the entire trauma episode—from ED evaluation through discharge.
Presenters will introduce validated scoring systems such as the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), Trauma-Specific Frailty Index (TSFI), and Geriatric Trauma Outcome Score (GTOS) and discuss how these tools can be used to guide level-of-care decisions, neurosurgical and operative thresholds, and discharge planning.
The session will also review evidence-based components of geriatric trauma order sets, including delirium prevention, anticoagulation management, mobility assessment, early goals-of-care discussions, and medication reconciliation.
Moderators: Tanya Egodage, MD & Ida Molavi, MD
Speakers/Topics:
- Welcome/Overview (5 mins) – Tanya Egodage, MD & Ida Molavi, MD
- Frailty as a Prognostic Indicator: Why Age Isn't Enough (10 mins) – Bellal Joseph, MD
- Putting Scores Into Action: Risk Stratification at the Bedside (10 mins) – Melissa Hornor, MD
- Geriatric Trauma Protocols: What Goes Into a High-Impact Order Set? (10 mins) – Sasha Adams, MD
- Results That Matter: Outcomes from Structured Geriatric Trauma Pathways (10 mins) – Vanessa Ho, MD, MPH, PhD
- Keys to Successful Implementation & Sustainability (10 mins) – Moderated Expert Panel Discussion
- Q/A Led by Tanya Egodage, MD & Ida Molavi, MD (5 mins)
EGS Registry Launching at EAST 2026
NQS is launching the Emergency General Surgery (EGS) Registry at EAST 2026. The first-in-class EGS Registry with embedded Performance Improvement and Reporting unites EGS clinical data, performance improvement, and analytics into a single, cohesive solution.
More info about the NQS EGS Registry here.
Visit NQS at EAST 2026
Stop by booth 114 to see a live demo of the NQS EGS Registry and learn more about how EGS programs can deliver registry-driven performance improvement.
Can't make it? Book a demo online