SAGES

Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons

Get Well Sooner PSA and Media Campaign

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Dear SAGES Member,

In order to raise awareness among patients about the benefits of MIS and to promote the adoption of MIS techniques among health care providers, SAGES has launched “Get Well Sooner,” a health initiative aimed at improving the overall value of patient care through enhanced adoption and access to minimally invasive surgical and endoscopic techniques.
Please share this media kit with the PR department at your hospital or university so they can help to spread the word among local media. The media kit includes:

In addition to a press campaign, social media and e-mail campaign, TV spots about the “Get Well Sooner” program and the benefits of minimally invasive surgery will air for 2 weeks commencing the week of November 24th.

  • A national airing is scheduled to take place during primetime on CNBC and we will notify you of the date and time within 24-48 hours in advance of the airing.
  • Regional commercial airings will also take place in the top 100 DMAs (Designated Market Areas), the geographic areas in the United States in which local television viewing is measured by The Nielsen Company.
  • Finally, a 6-minute segment will air as part of the award-winning Breakthroughs series hosted by Martin Sheen on public television affiliates nationwide.

The goals of our education initiative are to:

  • Increase adoption rate in safe and effective MIS procedures.
  • Increase awareness among referring physicians of minimally invasive therapeutic options.
  • Enlighten and educate the public about benefits of MIS, what happens during a minimally invasive procedure, common MIS procedures and additional resources such as SAGES patient brochures

For more information, visit www.getwellsooner.org, join “Get Well Sooner” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gwsooner or on Twitter at @gwsooner.

SAGES Launches “Get Well Sooner” Health Education Initiative

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  • In order to raise awareness among patients about the benefits of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and to promote the adoption of MIS techniques among health care providers,SAGES launches the “Get Well Sooner” public education campaign today at the American College of Surgeons 2015 Clinical Congress.
  • “When compared to traditional surgery, minimally invasive surgery can potentially result in much less pain, swifter recovery and lower costs while providing an alternative for repairing and preventing a wide range of conditions,” said Dr. Jeffrey Hazey, chair of SAGES Get Well Sooner Committee.
  • Despite the advantages, a recent John Hopkins University study found that laparoscopic surgical procedures are not offered as an option to hundreds of thousands of patients in the United States who are candidates for MIS and many hospitals underutilize MIS procedures. Patient knowledge about MIS options or a surgeon’s preference for open surgery, possibly due to lack of training, may determine if a patient is offered the opportunity to undergo a laparoscopic procedure.
  • “Part of our mission with this program is to reach out to healthcare providers in order to address any obstacles they may encounter when offering MIS to patients,” said Dr. Michael Brunt, SAGES President. “As more patients ask about MIS, more healthcare providers will have to become skilled at offering these newer cutting-edge techniques,” Dr. Brunt said.
  • Patients should feel comfortable asking their surgeon if an MIS procedure is an option or seek a second opinion from a surgeon experienced in MIS. SAGES has developed Patient Information Guidelines available at www.getwellsooner.org for both patients and healthcare providers that include information about common procedures, how to prepare for and what happens during MIS, and questions patients can ask their healthcare provider.
  • For more information, visit www.getwellsooner.org, join “Get Well Sooner” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gwsooner or on Twitter at @gwsooner.

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SAGES Launches GetWellSooner.org / SMART Care Program

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Minimally Invasive Surgery for Colorectal Cancer Yields Optimal Outcomes

Colon and rectal cancer together comprise the nation’s second-leading cause of cancer deaths. Each year, about 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with and more than 50,000 people die from colorectal cancers. Fortunately, the death rate from this disease has decreased over the last 20 years due to screening and more sophisticated surgical approaches, one of which is minimally invasive surgery (MIS).

SAGES has long been a champion of the use of MIS for colorectal surgery. To take full advantage of the benefits of MIS, SAGES has introduced its SMART Program, bringing together best practices in anesthesia, nursing, nutritional management, and physical therapy to speed up recovery after surgery – See more at Digestive Wellness News…

Visit GetWellSooner, the new SAGES Patient Information portal