The college viewpoint.

Our changing health care environment presents new challenges to the surgical profession. This article examines those concerns, including strains on surgeons' professional values, financial pressures resulting from federal laws and regulations, the expansion of managed care, and demands for improved continuing education opportunities. This article illustrates how the American College of Surgeons has been helping surgeons cope with the shifts in balance taking place around them. It further highlights how the American College of Surgeons is moving forward in all areas of concern to surgeons by promoting standards for surgical care, educating third-party payors about the effects of financial constraints, expanding its educational programs, and seeking innovative methods to fulfill its mission.