Published 6/1/2013
During the 2013 National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference, AAOS President Joshua J. Jacobs, MD, recognized the efforts of state orthopaedic societies by presenting the Iowa Orthopaedic Society (IOS) with the State Society of the Year award and Heather J. Bennett, JD, executive director of the New York State Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons (NYSSOS), with the State Executive Director of the Year award.
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(from left) Rick Wilkerson, DO; Stuart L. Weinstein, MD; Mary A. Bechler, FACMPE, IOS executive director; Cassim M. Igram, MD, IOS immediate past president; Joshua J. Jacobs, MD, AAOS president; Carolyn Heitrich, MD; Cameron Schick, MD; and Brent A. Overton, MD, IOS president. |
Kudos to Iowa
The IOS was recognized for its efforts in establishing the first—and currently the only—state-based research foundation in orthopaedics. Established in 2011, the Iowa Orthopaedic Research Foundation (IORF) helps fund community-based clinical research with the goal of “improving orthopaedic surgery through scientific discovery.” The foundation raised approximately $30,000 during its first year, primarily from practicing orthopaedic surgeons in the state.
The IORF encourages collaboration between practicing orthopaedic surgeons and medical students and residents at the University of Iowa. “Many private and community-based orthopaedic surgeons have a wealth of patient information available at their fingertips that is typically not available on the academic setting,” said Cassim M. Igram, MD, who submitted the application. “It has been our intent to gather more clinical data on patients in the private practice setting and, we hope, generate research projects based on that patient data.”
Honoring Heather Bennett
Ms. Bennett has been executive director of the NYSSOS for 13 years. According to James A. Slough, MD, who nominated her, Ms. Bennett was “instrumental in getting the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery to give Maintenance of Certification credit for the last two (state society) annual meetings,” making New York the first state to achieve this goal. She has also been effective in helping the NYSSOS draft language on legislation for podiatry scope of practice.
In endorsing her nomination, Michael L. Parks, MD, wrote, “She has maintained excellent relationships with our state and federal officials as well as our state medical society…to get the orthopaedic perspective a seat at the power table.”
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