AAOS Hosts Patient Safety Summit

Mary Ann Porucznik

As a leader in the patient safety movement, the AAOS has consistently been proactive in addressing issues surrounding orthopaedic surgical safety. The Surgical Safety Summit being held this month is just one of the Academy’s efforts to help its members improve orthopaedic surgical safety and reduce complications.

Patient Safety Is Our Job #1

John R. Tongue, MD

Like other physicians, we orthopaedic surgeons quickly learned the dictum attributed to Hippocrates: First, do no harm. But putting this precept into practice takes more than simply repeating it, like a mantra, whenever we approach a patient. And, as our knowledge increases and technology advances, knowing what will “do no harm” becomes more problematic. During the past 40 years, orthopaedic surgery has often been recognized as the most dynamic field in medicine.

Nominations Deadline Nears

Richard N. Peterson, JD

Aug.

AAOS Member Census Underway

Hazel Natividad

Every other year, the AAOS conducts a census of fellows and emeritus members—and time is running out for you to respond to the 2012 Orthopaedic Surgeon Census. The 10-minute online survey collects data that are used to track the growth and development of orthopaedic surgeons in the United States.

Readers Suggest Next Steps in Healthcare Reform

Push forward faster It is not enough to oppose a law designed to help provide more Americans with health care. I have lived, worked, and traveled throughout Western Europe. I think the United States has a second-rate system compared to most European countries. We have areas of outstanding care in multiple specialties including orthopaedics. On an almost daily basis, however, I see poorly conceived procedures on patients with vague diagnoses and perhaps a marginal MRI.

Pat on the Back...

2012–2013 members of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society board of directors: Lew C. Schon, MD, president; Steven L. Haddad, MD, president-elect; Bruce J. Sangeorzan, MD, vice-president; Mark E. Easley, MD, secretary; Jeffrey E. Johnson, MD, treasurer; Judith F. Baumhauer, MD, immediate past president; Keith L. Wapner, MD, past president; Bruce E. Cohen, MD; Sheldon S. Lin, MD; Eric M. Bluman, MD; and Jonathan T. Deland, MD, members-at-large.

Telling Stories on ANationinMotion.org

Michael F. Schafer, MD; Lauren P. Riley

Rachel Kovach, a 12-year-old girl from Highlands, N.J., swam her first ocean mile last month, finishing 177th out of 250 swimmers. “This is a very big deal to me,” said Rachel, “because I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to continue swimming after my cancer diagnosis.”

OSI Program Helps Medical Students Shine

Jennie McKee

It is very important to the Academy that each of you is successful,” Joshua J. Jacobs, MD, AAOS first vice president, told medical students at the 2012 Orthopaedic Summer Internship (OSI) orientation. “We want our orthopaedic surgery workforce to be diverse and reflect society,” he continued. “It is important for orthopaedists to deliver culturally competent care, and we want all patients in the United States to have access to our services.”

The Ethics of a Medical Mission Trip

Jenna Godfrey, MD, MSPH

I encountered many reactions when I returned from a medical mission in Guayaquil, Ecuador, led by Elizabeth Szalay, MD, a pediatric orthopaedist at the University of New Mexico Hospitals. My fellow residents were inquisitive, asking about case volume, types of procedures performed, and my level of participation in the cases. Family and friends were more interested in my depiction of poverty, neglect, and miracle fixes.

Diversity Drives Design

Lewis G. Zirkle Jr, MD

Many of the things people use daily owe their efficiency to the cumulative efforts of a variety of people. As Scott Page—author of The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies—reminds us, diversity trumps ability. In orthopaedics, the efforts of engineers, scientists, surgeons, and others have contributed to advances in patient care.

In Memoriam

Paul J. Benca, MD June 2011 Mercer Island, Wash. Edward D. Campbell Jr, MD April 21, 2012 Phoenix, Ariz. E. Burke Evans, MD April 12, 2012 Galveston, Texas Scot J. Frost, MD Houston, Texas Robert S. Heidt Sr, MD May 17, 2011 Cincinnati, Ohio Abel Kenin, MD May 25, 2012 Palm Beach, Fla. George Lim, MD July 31, 2011 New Hartford, N.Y. Frank C. McCue III, MD July 8, 2012 Charlottesville, Va. Martin L. Morris, MD July 11, 2012 San Diego, Calif. Daniel L.