AAOS responds to DOJ-required disclosures

Mary Ann Porucznik

Academy calls for appropriate disclosure, educational context On Oct. 31, 2007, to comply with settlement agreements reached with the US Attorney of New Jersey (Department of Justice or DOJ), five major orthopaedic hip and knee implant manufacturers disclosed the names and certain financial information about the physicians with whom they have consulting or other relationships.

Reader bemoans ‘double standard’

I read the article by Dr. Canale (“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!) in the October issue of AAOS Now. I agree it can be a problem with various companies offering some things for orthopaedic surgeons to attend their meetings, use their products, and other things. I look at the definitions that Dr. Canale has, and I agree that black is black and white is white.

AAOS upgrades patient education Web site

Elaine Fiedler

“Your Orthopaedic Connection” now offers enhanced navigation, revised content If it’s been awhile since you last visited “Your Orthopaedic Connection” (YOC), the AAOS patient education Web site at www.orthoinfo.org, you’re in for a surprise. For the first time since it debuted 6 years ago, YOC has undergone a significant upgrade.

AAOS hits the airwaves with orthopaedic news

Nicholas DiNubile, MD

“Reel” talk with film, TV writers; Culturally Competent Care media tour takes off In September, Robert C. Klapper, MD, and Michael L. Pearl, MD, addressed the Writers Guild-East membership in New York City about tackling a script or story treatment from a medical point of view. They also provided tips on how to more accurately portray orthopaedic surgeons and orthopaedic injuries on the large and small screens. Academy Communications Cabinet Chair Frank B.

Joseph Alban, MD, heals bones and grows beans

Jennie McKee

Surgeon draws from winemaking, Ilizarov method to cultivate gourmet Kona coffee When he’s not treating patients in Los Alamitos, Calif., Joseph Alban, MD, does something so remarkable that it was featured on the History Channel’s Modern Marvels. For two weeks each month, Dr. Alban, better known by some as “Kona Joe,” heads to Hawaii’s Big Island, where he grows Kona coffee beans on a 32-acre plantation using his ground-breaking, patented method. Getting into the coffee business Dr.

AAOS, China begin new era of cooperation, education

Lynne Dowling; Carolyn Rogers

A recent signing ceremony held at the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Beijing heralded a new era of partnership and cooperation for the AAOS, the Chinese Orthopaedic Association (COA), and the People’s Medical Publishing House (PMPH)—China’s largest medical publisher. Although the Academy has been active in the Chinese-language medical book market for some time, the August 2007 ceremony solidified the relationship of the three entities.

Tour of duty: Six months in a war hospital

Peter Pollack

In Afghanistan, military surgeons must also confront civilian casualties “The facility I was working at was essentially a plywood-type structure,” begins Col. Richard A. Schaefer, MD, describing the hospital at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, where he held the post of Chief of Surgical Services from July 2006 to January 2007. “It had deployable operating rooms attached to the main structure. Although it wasn’t meant to be a permanent facility, it had been there for a few years.

Who’s in charge here?

Dennis M. Walker, MD

The question of reimbursement, and more significantly, the question of who controls the practice of medicine in the United States, is one that concerns all physicians. In his response to Thomas M. Hawks, MD (July 2007 AAOS Now), David A. Halsey, MD, encouraged ongoing communication on the issue—and I’m taking him up on his recommendation.

A pat on the back to…

Alvin Crawford, MD, who was recently inducted into the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame for his exceptional accomplishments in the field of medicine. Frederick G. Dalzell, MD; William G. DeLong Jr., MD; Eric L. Hume, MD; Lawrence S. Miller, MD; Robert F. Ostrum, MD; Alexander A. Sapega, MD, and Michael L. Sidor, MD, named “Top Physicians in Orthopaedic Surgery 2007” according to South Jersey Magazine. Charles B.

In Memoriam

William E. Siebert, MD Nov. 11, 2006 Novi, Mich. John F. Connolly, MD July 30, 2007 Orlando, Fla. Ray L. Simmons II, MD Sept. 26, 2007 Brownsville, Texas Spencer L. Butterfield, MD Oct. 3, 2007 Cincinnati, Ohio E. Harvey O’Phelan, MD Sept. 21, 2007 Minneapolis Francis N. Brill, MD Unknown Juno Beach, Fla. Alec Kessler, MD Oct. 13, 2007 Pensacola, Fla. Samuel C. Santangelo, MD Sept. 29, 2007 Gladwyne, Pa. John F. Williamson, MD Oct.

Tools and Technology Update

FDA clears low-dose X-ray imager Biospace med announced that it has received 510k clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market EOS, a new digital X-ray imager in the United States for 2D imaging use. According to the company, the EOS 2D|3D technology allows images to be obtained with a low dose of radiation and is capable of long length digital imaging, permitting full-body, uninterrupted digital imaging with a single scan.

Holding medical expert witnesses accountable

Alexander R. Vaccaro, MD

Professional societies and physicians can make a difference At any one moment in the United States, there are 60,000 open medical liability lawsuits, many with multiple defendants. Few would argue that patients who are negligently injured deserve redress or that physicians who are falsely accused of negligence deserve a vigorous defense.

Facing up to the V word

James H. Beaty, MD

How you can get involved as an AAOS volunteer No standards of professionalism exist on volunteerism, but surely volunteering is a hallmark of a professional. And, as president of the AAOS, I have been amazed at the depth of the volunteer spirit—both in the numbers and the commitment—among our orthopaedic surgeon volunteers.

Money and monitors: What the settlements mean

The settlements announced by Christopher J. Christie, US Attorney for New Jersey, on Sept. 27, 2007 were in response to criminal complaints filed against several orthopaedic hip and knee implant manufacturers. The complaints allege that the companies used lucrative consulting arrangements with orthopaedic surgeons as inducements for the surgeons to use a particular company’s implants.

Enjoying the ‘spirits’ of San Francisco

Jennie McKee

Memories of the 2008 AAOS Annual Meeting could haunt you! San Francisco has always been the Academy’s most popular Annual Meeting location. Some folks profess to love it so much that they just can’t leave. Many of the city’s hotels, such as the stately Queen Anne Hotel, the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, and the Hotel Union Square are said to have permanent, ghostly residents that occasionally make their good-natured presences known.

What does it take?

Kathleen Delaney

Professional Compliance Program gives all a chance to be heard Since its inception in 2005, 23 grievances have been filed with the AAOS Professional Compliance Program. To date, four cases have been brought before the AAOS Board of Directors for final adjudication. The status of other cases is shown in the box that accompanies this article.