Video file

Education

Network and stay on the cutting edge of cardiothoracic surgeryView All >
A program in Spanish (with English subtitles) on the features and challenges associated with cardiac surgery in women.
Date
1 p.m. ET
An experiential foundation and hands-on practice in basic cardiothoracic operating skills for first-year residents.
Event dates
Aug 21–24, 2025
Location
Chicago, IL

Join us for the first installment of the STS/SCA webinar series, Across the Drapes: Multidisciplinary Management in Thoracic Aortic Surgery. In this webinar, the multidisciplinary panel will discuss the management of two cases from the perspective of both cardiac anesthesiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons. The discussion will entail preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative components of the cases and the interdisciplinary team that cares for these complex patients.  

Co-presented with the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists

 

Date
7 p.m. ET

News & Media

The latest from the field of thoracic surgeryView All >

This afternoon, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. STS has compiled a summary of the rule’s key provisions affecting cardiothoracic surgery.  

Physician Payment

Starting in calendar year (CY) 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will introduce two distinct conversion factors under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). Clinicians participating in Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) will receive a conversion factor of $33.59, which reflects a 3.83 percent increase. Meanwhile, all other fee-for-service clinicians under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) will have a conversion factor of $33.42, representing a 3.32 percent increase. This new structure of two conversion factors replaces the previous lump-sum bonuses for physicians participating in APMs. Additionally, this is the first time in several years that CMS has proposed a positive adjustment to the conversion factor.

It is important to note that reimbursement still lags behind inflation.

Quality Payment Program (QPP)

CMS is moving forward with the requirement for mandatory subgroup reporting for all multispecialty groups participating in a MIPS Value Pathway (MVP) during the 2026 performance year, which affects payment for CY 2028. Currently, cardiothoracic surgery measures are included in the Surgical Care MVP. This group of measures is designed for surgical specialists to report separately from traditional MIPS. STS has submitted detailed recommendations to CMS to improve the Surgical Care MVP.

Deregulation Request for Information (RFI)

CMS is seeking feedback on ways to streamline regulations and reduce administrative burdens on providers and other stakeholders participating in the Medicare program. STS has previously responded to similar RFIs, offering recommendations to use existing clinical data registries instead of extraneous quality programs like MIPS, to reconsider global surgical package poster-operative data reporting, and to rescind the Appropriate Use Criteria program.

 

Jul 14, 2025
2 min read

The conversion factor for the CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is projected to remain stable, offering a welcome break from years of fluctuating reimbursement policies.

Jul 14, 2025

In this episode of Thinking Thoracic, Dr. Elliott Servais, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, joins host Dr. Erin Gillaspie to share how he developed a robotic 1st rib resection program. Initially trained in the traditional transaxillary open approach, Dr. Servais was candid about his early reluctance to take on these technically challenging cases. That changed when he saw the potential of a minimally invasive, robotic technique that aligned with his existing surgical skill set. Recognizing an unmet need at his institution, he seized the opportunity to build a dedicated program.

1 hr
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STS News, the Society’s quarterly magazine for members only, brings you the latest CT surgery news, research, stories, and more to help keep you in the know and connected to your peers.

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Member Voices

Joseph F. Sabik

Joseph F. Sabik III, MD

STS President
It’s about making sure that patients get the right treatment, so they can have the best long-term outcomes.
Africa Wallace, MD

Africa F. Wallace, MD

DEI Workforce Member
Our roles as attendings, division chiefs, chairs, coaches, and mentors come with a larger responsibility.

Robert S.D. Higgins, MD

STS Past President
STS was the first place where I was welcomed to be part of like-minded surgeons focused on patients, who improved outcomes, and had a mission.