Change Accelerating in 2016

Eeric Truumees, MD

After a year (2015) during which long-awaited changes suddenly came to fruition, it seems that these changes, for good and for bad, will accelerate in the coming year. In 2015, Congress finally stopped the insane, annual "doc fix" due to the SGR (sustainable growth rate) formula by passing MACRA—the Medicare Access and CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) Reauthorization Act. Now even legislative acronyms include acronyms.

Distracted Walking: A Serious Issue for All

Alan S. Hilibrand, MD

Thanks to a significant amount of research and promotion, the AAOS has increased Americans' awareness that distracted driving is causing crashes, injuries, and even deaths. It's an important public safety issue that the AAOS has championed for more than 5 years. In 2015, the Academy expanded its injury prevention efforts to include distracted walking—pedestrians focused on their cell phones, bopping to the music in their ear buds, or otherwise not paying attention to their surroundings.