Morehouse School of Medicine News September 2, 2010 Dr. James “Butch” Rosser Named President of Laparoendoscopic Society MSM professor of clinical surgery to lead largest society of its kind in U.S. ATLANTA – Doctor, educator and philanthropist James “Butch” Rosser, a professor of clinical surgery at Morehouse School of Medicine, now has another title to add to his already distinguished career: president of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS), the largest society of its kind in North America. Rosser is the first African-American to be named president of the society, and will be inducted at SLS’s annual meeting on September 4th. Dr. Rosser helped to pioneer the field of laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery, streamlining the laparoscopic suturing technique and performing laparoscopic gallbladder removal for some of the youngest individuals – age 15, 17 and 19 months, respectively – in medical history. “I am honored to serve as president of SLS for the coming year,” said Dr. Rosser. “I hope my tenure will help advance SLS’s mission of improving the quality of laparoscopic surgery and patient care through education and information.” The appointment is a fitting one for a physician and educator-at-heart who has pursued excellence in laparoscopic surgery not only as a professional interest, but as a personal passion. Dr. Rosser has traveled the globe teaching his “Top Gun” Laparoscopic Skills and Suturing Course to more than 5,000 physicians, and founded the not-for-profit Modern Day Miracle Inc. to train surgeons from underprivileged countries in minimally invasive surgery. Rosser considers laparoscopy, which is performed through small abdominal incisions with the aid of a camera attached to specialized instruments, to be a “modern-day miracle.” Compared to invasive surgery, laparoscopy has been shown to reduce hemorrhaging, post-operative pain, risk of infection, length of hospital stay and patient recovery time. “Dr. Rosser’s life and work exemplify our commitment to education and compassionate care,” said John Maupin, D.D.S., M.B.A., President of Morehouse School of Medicine. “We applaud his appointment and the recognition of his leadership in this important field.” SLS numbers more than 4,000 members in multiple specialties, the principle ones being general surgery, gynecology and urology. The society works to educate and inform health professionals interested in laparoscopic, endoscopic and minimally invasive surgery through conferences, postgraduate courses, workshops and the publication of the Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons and Laparoscopy Today. About Morehouse School of Medicine Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) recruits and trains minority and other students as physicians, biomedical scientists and public health professionals committed to improving the health and well-being of communities. MSM is a member of the largest consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the world — the Atlanta University Center (AUC). For more information about Morehouse School of Medicine, visit us online at www.msm.edu. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org www.hbculibraries.org 404.592.4820 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/meeting-form.html for the October 24-26, 2010 HBCU Library Alliance 4th Membership Meeting and the "Conference on Advocacy" pre-conference in Montgomery, AL. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.