Jeffrey Fowler, MD
Jeffrey Fowler, MD, John G. Boutselis Chair in Gynecologic Oncology and Professor and Vice-Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, started his 1-year term as the 48th President of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) at the conclusion of the Society’s 47th Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer in San Diego, California.
Dr. Fowler has made gynecologic oncology wellness a priority for his term as SGO President. SGO’s Gynecologic Oncology Wellness Task Force was formed in response to a membership survey on stress/burnout conducted by Dr. Fowler and presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting, and the task force is developing a number of resources to be made available to the Society’s members.
“Caring for women with gynecologic cancers and complex gynecologic problems requires a significant and continuous commitment from providers, and unfortunately, this can lead to burnout,” said Dr. Fowler. “Through workshops at the Annual Meeting and other resources available throughout the year, the Wellness Task Force seeks to shed light on the high rate of burnout in gynecologic oncology as a subspecialty, promote discussion, as well as provide resources and potential solutions.”
Dr. Fowler’s primary research interests have been in advancing the state of the art of surgery in gynecologic oncology, including minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy and robotics), radical pelvic surgery, and pelvic reconstructive surgery.
Dr. Fowler has been a member of the editorial boards for Gynecologic Oncology and the Journal of Robotic Surgery. An active SGO volunteer since 1998, he has served on the Education and Clinical Practice Committee and the Managed Care Task Force and Practice Summit Workgroup. He was Annual Meeting Program Committee Chair from 2004–2006. A member of the SGO Executive Council since 2007, Dr. Fowler also served on the Board of Governors of the American College of Surgeons and the Division of Gynecologic Oncology of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Fowler assumes the Presidency as the Society enters a new chapter with a new foundation and new Chief Executive Officer, Pierre M. Désy, MPH, CAE. On December 31, 2015, the SGO’s Foundation for Gynecology Oncology merged with the Foundation for Women’s Cancer (FWC). A new foundation of the SGO, the FWC will focus its fundraising efforts on building the endowment of SGO, supporting research awards and grants, enhancing education, and raising public awareness of gynecologic oncology.
“I am eager to begin my tenure as SGO President and work with our dedicated committee volunteers to assist our members in any way we can to promote the highest quality of comprehensive clinical care through education and research in the prevention and treatment of gynecologic cancers,” said Dr. Fowler. ■
