Seven AAOS fellows have been named to the board of directors of the recently established Center for Orthopaedic Advancement (Center). They are Stefano A. Bini, MD (San Francisco); G. Paul DeRosa, MD (Durham, N.C.); Charles H. Epps Jr., MD (Washington, D.C.); Lynn T. Staheli, MD (Seattle); Edward A. Toriello, MD (Jamaica Estates, N.Y.); Richard B. Welch, MD (Napa, Calif.); and John J. Williams, MD (Austin, Texas).

The Center—a nonprofit organization formed to receive and distribute funds for orthopaedic education programs—was established in 2008 in response to changes implemented by industry in the wake of a major investigation on conflicts of interest.

“In discussions with a number of orthopaedic companies that support educational programs with grants, it became clear that several were seeking a new means to fund worthy educational programs,” explains AAOS President Tony Rankin, MD. “They sought an organization with a governance structure that is completely free of any potential conflicts of interest.”

As a result, one of the requirements for Center board members is that they not have any relationships with industry for at least three years.

Stefano A. Bini, MD
Dr. Bini is currently chief of orthopaedics at Kaiser Permanente East Bay in San Francisco. An active fellow since 2005, Dr. Bini received his medical degree from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (New York) and completed his residency at the University of California, San Francisco. He completed a fellowship in orthopaedic oncology and reconstructive surgery at the Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute in Bologna, Italy.

For the past 4 years, Dr. Bini has organized the 2-day James O. Johnston Orthopaedic Symposium for Kaiser Permanente. “We have done this through an internal grant application process,” he says, “and we use no industry funds for these events at all. Kaiser Permanente has arguably the strongest conflict-of-interest policy in the United States.”

G. Paul DeRosa, MD
Dr. DeRosa most recently served as executive director of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) and as a consultant to the ABOS. He received his medical degree from Indiana University, where he also spent his residency. He completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopaedics at the Great Ormand St. Hospital in London.

After spending 25 years at Indiana University, he was named professor of orthopaedic surgery at Duke University in 1995, where he remained until his retirement in 2005. He is a former president of the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA), the Mid-America Orthopaedic Association, and the National Residency Matching Program. He is committed to continuing education and participating in national organizations to support orthopaedic education and advancement.

Charles H. Epps Jr., MD
An emeritus fellow of the AAOS, Dr. Epps received his medical degree from Howard University, where he continued his career, serving as chair of the department of orthopaedic surgery, dean of the college of medicine, and vice president for health affairs. During his years as division chief and professor, he trained more African American men and women in orthopaedic surgery and taught the specialty to more African American medical students than anyone in the world.

His concern about ethical issues in orthopaedic surgery is evidenced by his long-term service on the AAOS Committee on Ethics and his participation on the American Medical Association’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. He has also served as president of the AOA and as a board member of the ABOS.

Lynn T. Staheli, MD
A professor emeritus at the University of Washington, Dr. Staheli is the founder of the Global HELP (Health Education using Low-cost Publications) organization. He has a life-long interest in service, establishing and funding the International Scholarship for Pediatric Orthopaedics, which enables overseas physicians to study in the United States, and serving on the Rainier Foundation, a nonprofit organization promoting people making a difference in their communities.

He has been recognized by both the American Academy of Pediatrics and POSNA for his achievements. A graduate of the University of Utah, he spent his residency and pediatric fellowship at the University of Washington. He was director of orthopaedics at the Children’s Hospital in Seattle for 15 years, and founded and edited the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics for 25 years.

Edward A. Toriello, MD
Dr. Toriello received his medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and completed residencies in general and orthopaedic surgery at Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is currently the director of orthopaedic surgery at Wycoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn. He recently completed his ABOS recertification.

Dr. Toriello has spent much of his career working within orthopaedic organizations at all levels. He has served on the board of the New York State Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons, on numerous AAOS committees and task forces, and as the Treasurer of the AAOS. “My time on these boards has given me an appreciation of the time commitment required to be effective, and has helped me develop the tools necessary to form consensus when making decisions,” he says.

Richard B. Welch, MD
Dr. Welch, a founding member and past president of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, completed fellowships at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and with Sir John Charnley at the Centre For Hip Surgery in Wrightington, England. For more than 30 years, he performed joint replacement surgery at the St. Mary’s Center for Hip Surgery in San Francisco. He is the codeveloper of three hip prostheses.

Dr. Welch has been active in a number of orthopaedic organizations, including the Hip Society and the Western Orthopaedic Association. He has served on the AAOS Board of Directors and most recently chaired the Resolutions Committee.

John J. Williams, MD
A graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Williams received his medical degree from Brown University and spent his residency at the University of Pittsburgh. He has completed fellowships at Brown University (orthopaedic research), Royal Children’s Hospital (pediatric orthopaedics) in Melbourne, Australia, and the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital (scoliosis). Since 1992, he has served at the Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas.

Active in both POSNA and the Scoliosis Research Society, Dr. Williams specializes in the treatment of spinal disorders and other complicated congenital abnormalities.