Over the past two days, The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Leadership Retreat in Washington DC was a great success. Our brilliant SAGES President, Patricia Sylla, introduced several new initiatives. The Patient Perspective initiative was the most impactful and refreshing in my opinion. It is invaluable for surgeons to learn more about the patients’ outlook on their treatment and outcomes, directly from patients themselves. Great plans were formulated, and we hope they will come to fruition soon. I would also like to acknowledge Sallie Matthews who has been the heart and soul of the society since I first joined SAGES (as a resident). She has been instrumental in the remarkable success SAGES has earned, supporting various presidents over many years and consistently delivering high-quality conferences. Thank you, Sallie, for your tremendous leadership. Watching SAGES evolve into what it is today is inspirational. It’s the work of the individuals I mentioned above as well as the dedicated surgeons who make it all possible. It’s an honor to be a member of the SAGES leadership team. #sages2023 #surgery #innovations #technology #patientsperspective #patientsengagment #robotics #minimallyinvasivesurgery #adventhealth #surgeons @SAGES_Updates @acsJACS @SSATNews @AcademicSurgery @SESC_AmSurg @EAES_eu @EAHPBA @IHPBA @AHPBA @socroboticsurg @SRSLATAM @WomenSurgeons @AdventHealth @AdventHealthWFL @AdventHealthCFL @HCAhealthcare @BayCare @TGHCares @MoffittNews @orlandohealth #Tampa