McGovern dominates at South Texas ACS Annual Meeting
McGovern Medical School and UTHealth Houston were well represented at the 2026 South Texas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons Annual Meeting on Feb. 19-21 in Houston. Faculty, residents, and students were prominently featured across leadership roles, invited lectures, scientific sessions, and resident competitions.
Lillian Kao, MD, MBA, professor of surgery and Jack H. Mayfield, MD, Chair in Surgery at McGovern Medical School and the outgoing ACS chapter president, delivered the president’s message, “Finding your place in the house of surgery,” and presided over the meeting. She made a call to attendees to “protect the house” to reinforce its shared purpose or foundation, to keep doors open and break down walls to prevent siloes, and to continuously remodel as the health care environment evolves. In recognition of her leadership and impact, the chapter established the Annual Kao Lecture on Leadership, Quality, and Safety.
Meeting leadership also included Julie Holihan, MD, assistant professor of surgery, who served as meeting co-chair and program committee co-chair.
UTHealth Houston faculty moderated multiple scientific sessions. Mark Hobeika, MD, professor of surgery, delivered the featured ethics lecture, “Multivariable uncertainty: Ethics at the point of transplant decision-making.” Although transplant-focused, the lecture stressed the importance of developing systems to navigate challenging decisions.
Jordan Grubbs, MD, assistant professor of surgery, spoke in “The great debate: Bariatric surgery vs. antiobesity medications,” while other faculty members moderated sessions.
Fellows, residents, and students lead the way
Trainee scholarship was a defining feature for the 2026 annual meeting. Learners were well represented and contributed extensively in podium, mini-talk, and abstract sessions spanning acute care, colorectal surgery, disparities, quality improvement, pediatric surgery, and trauma.
“Their visibility underscores the strength of our research mentorship pipeline and early engagement in surgical scholarship,” Kao said.
Residents also represented UTHealth Houston in a pair of competitions held at the annual meeting. Renee Walker Green, MD, and Devi Bavishi, MD, advanced through the first round of Resident Surgical Jeopardy and competed in the finals, while Shiraz Abbas, MD, and Jaime Poncel-Torres, MD, competed in the Surgical Skills Round-Up.
In total, UTHealth Houston faculty represented more than 20 podium and mini-talk presentations and submitted more than 15 electronic posters for the meeting.
“Across every level — faculty leadership, resident scholarship, and student research — UTHealth Houston was deeply embedded in the fabric of the 2026 meeting,” Kao said. “The breadth of participation reflects our surgical department’s commitment to academic excellence, mentorship, and engagement within the house of surgery.”