“We have all experienced the frustration and pain of seeing the orthopaedic profession come under attack in recent years,” she said. “Although we have made significant strides to combat these attacks through some of our distinctive programs—including the orthopaedic quality initiative, our advocacy efforts, our award-winning ‘Decide-to-Drive’ campaign, and our outstanding and innovative education programs—we believe more can be done.”
Published 3/1/2012
During the Opening Ceremonies of the AAOS 2012 Annual Meeting, AAOS Chief Executive Officer Karen L. Hackett, FACHE, CAE, introduced a new initiative, “A Nation in Motion: One Patient at a Time,” designed to deepen the understanding of the value orthopaedic surgeons provide to the health and quality of life for Americans and to enhance the overall reputation of orthopaedic care.
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The goal of the new initiative is to build and improve the reputation of orthopaedic care among key audiences, such as patients, the public, policymakers, and the media, through compelling patient stories of the impact that orthopaedists and orthopaedic surgery has had on their lives. The public awareness and reputation enhancement program will also include a virtual gathering space for patients to share their stories with the public and policymakers.
“Working closely with our Communications Cabinet, we hit the ground running and will soon begin to roll out elements of the plan,” Ms. Hackett told the audience. We look forward to sharing news and results in the coming months related to our progress.”
A brief video captured the concepts behind the image enhancement campaign by putting the current situation in the larger context of the serious challenges the country faces, including healthcare, budget issues, an aging population, and the seeming inability of government to drive consensus on how to address these problems.
“It also shows that if we help frame the way key audiences—such as policymakers, news media and patients perceive orthopaedic surgery—they will begin to have a more sophisticated and informed understanding of the value orthopaedists deliver to patients and society,” said Ms. Hackett, in introducing the video. (For more on the initiative, see “Orthopaedic Surgeons Keep a Nation in Motion: One Patient at a Time.”)
She also recognized the efforts of Mark W. Wieting, AAOS chief education officer, who will be retiring at the end of March. “For the past 27 years, Mark has been a major force responsible for the growth and success of the Academy in the area of education,” she noted. (See “Mark Wieting Honored by AAOS.”)
“Everything we do at the Academy is done in partnership with our outstanding orthopaedic surgeon volunteers and our dedicated and talented staff. We are fortunate that this partnership is one of mutual respect and an eagerness and desire to do whatever it takes to help Academy members. 2012 promises to be another great year in orthopaedics—a year when the real value that orthopaedic surgeons bring to patients and to society—becomes apparent to all. I am honored to serve as your CEO in these exciting times,” she concluded.
Video presentation of Ms. Hackett’s address at the 2012 Annual Meeting