In 2019, AAOS consistently worked to break barriers, including achieving unique accomplishments with its people, strategy, and performance.
Our 2019 Annual Report features the many results we have achieved during the past year. It also reinforces the Academy's commitment to growth, diversity, quality, and leadership now and into the future.
Our Leadership
In 2019, AAOS welcomed the first female president in its 87-year history and launched a new five-year strategic plan and core values, which included a goal focused on increasing diversity in the Board and volunteer structure.
Below find our 2019 Presidential Line’s remarks on the accomplishments of this past year and the current and future direction of our organization.
Dr. Weber, 2019 President, is the chief of orthopaedic oncology in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and director of the Sarcoma Program in Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center.
Dr. Bosco, 2020 President, is Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Langone Health.
Dr. Guy, 2020 1st Vice President, is in private practice at Emory Southern Orthopaedics in LaGrange, Georgia and is on staff at WellStar/West Georgia Health System.
Our People
In 2019 AAOS membership remained strong with more than 18,000 Active Fellows and 39,195 total members. Offerings for our members continued to grow in 2019, with the overall value of membership surpassing $4,000 -- delivering more than four times the value compared to annual dues. 2019 also featured the launch of a new program to increase the awareness, use, and value of the FAAOS designation (Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons).
Learn more about 2019 accomplishments in AAOS leadership, membership, and member offerings
Performance
Performance highlights from Annual Meeting 2019:
- High satisfaction scores from 91% of attendees
- More than 15,000 professionals attendees
- Flagship education included 26 symposia, 237 instructional course lectures, and 1,022 scientific posters
Performance highlights from across the organization:
- The Orthopaedic Political Action Committee (OrthoPAC) remained the largest disbursing healthcare PAC in the country and celebrated its 20th birthday by raising $1.9 million in 2019
- Strong member engagement in AAOS education resources, such as Orthopaedic Video Theater, Online Learning, OITE, and ResStudy
Find out more about the Academy's accomplishments in Annual Meeting, Education, and OrthoPac
Experience
New content delivery enhancements:
- Orthopaedic Video Theater (OVT) created new types of content and drove record usage
- Six new video channels were launched, and AAOS partnered with academic institutions such as Yale and the University of Pennsylvania to create sponsored channels
- Launched live streaming of orthopaedic courses, including broadcasts of Saturday Morning AM Live sessions, giving members the opportunity to remotely join AAOS’ surgical skills courses
- Launched on-demand recordings of course and webinar content on the Academy’s online learning management system
More member experience highlights:
- Approved a $4.9 million strategic investment to develop a comprehensive Resident Curriculum to transform and standardize the current resident education model
- Redeveloped the AAOS online platform and site infrastructure in 2019, enabling a website launch in early 2020 that featured a refreshed look and feel and streamlined navigation
Learn more about 2019's member experience enhancements, including universal Resident Curriculum and OVT
Quality
In 2019, AAOS expanded its family of registries to include Rotator Cuff Repair and Elbow Arthroplasty modules in the Shoulder and Elbow Registry (SER), and formed a partnership with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons to launch the American Spine Registry (ASR) in January 2020.
Our cornerstone registry, the American Joint Replacement Registry, now ranks as the largest orthopaedic registry by annual procedure count.
Biologics
AAOS has made a $1.2 million strategic investment to guide members and their patients with evidence-based standards for biologics in musculoskeletal health.
Choosing Wisely
The AAOS approved five Choosing Wisely statements with the goal of reducing usage of non-evidence-based treatments in musculoskeletal healthcare.
Quality and Value
The AAOS established definitions for Quality and Value in orthopaedics, and developed 11 new Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) and Appropriate Use Criteria (AUCs).
Advocacy for Orthopaedics
The AAOS launched a new online Advocacy Action Center that allows members to support advocacy efforts as a direct voice to lawmakers. In 2019, our members generated more than 1,200 engagements and over 3,500 letters to Congress. Using the Advocacy Action Center, the AAOS spearheaded grassroots efforts to support patients and orthopaedic surgeons when surprise billing emerged as a key issue this year.
Find out more about the Academy's accomplishments in Registries, Quality and Value, and Advocacy
Culture & Strategy
The AAOS Strategic Plan includes a goal to evolve the culture of AAOS’ Board of Directors and volunteer structure, including increasing diversity. In 2019 the AAOS Board of Directors approved tactics to achieve this goal from its Diversity Advisory Board (DAB). The DAB's diversity strategy focuses on four key tactics: recruitment, selection, retention, and culture.
Refreshed Core Values
The Academy defined a refreshed set of core values in 2019:
- Leading to Serve
- Shaping Our Future
- Excellence Together
These new core values are now embedded in the Strategic Plan and will provide direction for future AAOS decision-making.