Nate Winters, whose father—Thomas F. Winters Jr, MD—just happens to be an orthopaedic surgeon, was a 15-year-old varsity baseball pitcher enjoying an outing with his brother when a boating accident resulted in the loss of his left leg from propeller injuries, with additional severe trauma to the right leg and foot. He received eight pints of blood and emergency surgery.
Published 6/1/2013
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Lauren P. Riley
At the National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC), May 1–4, 2013, AAOS announced the recipients of the 2013 Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) Awards. The MORE awards are presented to members of the media who demonstrate excellence in reporting and further the public’s understanding of musculoskeletal health-related issues.
This year’s MORE Awards went to journalists from a range of national, regional, local, and electronic publications, including the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, ESPN, CNN.com, and Bloomberg. They recognized coverage of various topics, including a user’s manual to hands, knees, feet, and back; the decline in the number of independent physician practices; and efforts to save and rehabilitate injured soldiers.
“We consider the media our partner in reporting accurate bone and joint health information to the public,” said Academy President Joshua J. Jacobs, MD.
The winning reporters were honored at a cocktail reception and awards banquet held on May 2.
Inspiring patient profiles
Three patients who were profiled in the winning ESPN, CNN.com, and Tucson Lifestyle magazine stories were featured during the awards presentation.
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Due to his orthopaedic care, Nate is now attending college, continuing to play sports, and living a productive, energetic life. Nate’s tough spirit, support from his family, and determination to get back on the baseball field was profiled in an ESPN story produced by Ben Houser.
ESPN won a second MORE Award for its feature story about Dugan Smith. At the age of 10, Dugan was a typical fourth-grader who played baseball, swam, and rode his bike, until he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his right leg. After weighing all the options with his family, Dugan decided to have a rotationplasty because that would give him the best chance of returning to the pitching mound.
Nate Winters, whose father—Thomas F. Winters Jr, MD—just happens to be an orthopaedic surgeon, was a 15-year-old varsity baseball pitcher enjoying an outing with his brother when a boating accident resulted in the loss of his left leg from propeller injuries, with additional severe trauma to the right leg and foot. He received eight pints of blood and emergency surgery.
It was a long road to recovery and mobility, but today, Dugan is back on the mound and living an active life. He hopes his story inspires others to never give up even if they hit a speed bump in life.
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Senior Airman Brian Kolfage Jr, was profiled in winning features by CNN.com and Tucson Lifestyle magazine. Deployed to Balad, Iraq, and horrifically wounded in an explosion that resulted in the loss of both legs and his right hand, Airman Kolfage spent 2 months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and another 10 months at Fischer House where he underwent intensive physical therapy. Just 5 months after his injury, he went skiing! His medical team credits his positive spirit and attitude, along with his determination, for enabling him to get through this severe trauma.
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He currently is pursuing an architecture degree at the University of Arizona, and he and his wife Ashley are expecting a baby this August.
Tucson Lifestyle writer Wendy Sweet, along with Tom Goldstone of CNN, received MORE Awards for their coverage of Brian’s story. After Ms. Sweet accepted her award, she dedicated a song to Brian and all the military men and women who have fought and continue to fight for freedom. Her tribute, Thank You, Soldiers, can be viewed on the Academy’s YouTube page, www.youtube.com/ameracadorthosurg
The full list of 2013 MORE Award recipients and their winning work can be found at http://newsroom.aaos.org, and in-depth stories about Nate, Dugan, and Airman Kolfage can be found at www.ANationInMotion.org
If you see accurate health reporting that deserves consideration for the 2014 MORE awards, contact media@aaos.org with a link to the coverage. Stories can be on television, the radio, the Internet, in magazines, or in newspapers. The 2014 MORE Awards will consider stories published or produced Oct. 1, 2012, through Oct. 1, 2013. For more information, visit aaos.org/moreawards.