Jim Barber, MD, FAAOS, (right) newly appointed chair of the AAOS Board of Councilors (BOC) and member of the AAOS Board of Directors, speaks with AAOS Now Editorial Board member Stuart Fischer, MD, FAAOS.
Published 6/22/2026
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Theresa Witham
“We are blessed that we serve patients, but we don’t just serve the patients. We also serve the members around us, our colleagues, and then we also serve the colleagues who are coming behind us later. And that is why I have felt a passion about serving,” said Jim Barber, MD, FAAOS, newly appointed chair of the AAOS Board of Councilors (BOC) and member of the AAOS Board of Directors, during a recent interview.
Speaking with Stuart Fischer, MD, FAAOS, of the AAOS Now Editorial Board, Dr. Barber explained the structure and purpose of the BOC and its role in advocacy and communication. He also shared his perspective on service, leadership, and engagement within orthopaedics.
Dr. Barber began by offering historical context for the BOC, noting that while AAOS was founded in 1933, the BOC was created in 1974. He explained that, at the time, the BOC was formed in response to AAOS members concerned about “the totality of orthopaedic life.” Over time, the BOC has evolved into a body that closely mirrors the broader AAOS membership. According to Dr. Barber, a member survey conducted in 2024 demonstrated the BOC is a “perfect match” for AAOS in terms of practice location and practice type.
Dr. Barber described the BOC as analogous to the U.S. House of Representatives, with the AAOS Board of Specialty Societies (BOS) functioning more like the Senate. Representation on the BOC is proportional to the number of AAOS Fellows in each state and includes councilors elected by state orthopaedic societies, regional orthopaedic societies, the military, and Canada. Most BOC members, he noted, bring extensive leadership experience to the role. Based on the 2024 survey conducted of its members, councilors served an average of 11 years in leadership positions within their state orthopaedic societies before joining the BOC, and approximately 60% had served as president or past president of their state or regional societies.
The BOC functions as an advisory body to AAOS, providing what Dr. Barber described as a “grassroots” perspective on what is happening in orthopaedics across the country. With up to 112 councilors distributed throughout the U.S. and beyond, the BOC serves as a conduit for information flowing both from members to AAOS leadership and from leadership back to the states.
“It provides a fantastic avenue for the so-called average member ... to get a message to the Board and to [AAOS], and then vice versa,” Dr. Barber said.
Looking ahead to his term as chair, Dr. Barber emphasized continuity rather than sweeping change. He credited prior chairs with positioning the BOC effectively. As a result, he said he does not see a pressing need for “earth-shaking” reforms.
Instead, Dr. Barber plans to build on an existing emphasis on communication, particularly bidirectional communication. This approach includes encouraging BOC members to engage with their state orthopaedic societies and to present at state annual meetings. In turn, councilors are expected to bring concerns and insights from those meetings back to BOC leadership and the AAOS Board of Directors.
Dr. Barber acknowledged that while the importance of communication may be obvious, its implementation can always be improved. He underscored effective communication helps break down silos and highlights how much orthopaedic surgeons have in common, regardless of subspecialty focus.
“We have 95% in common as orthopaedic surgeons,” he said.
Advocacy through state engagement
Advocacy emerged as a central theme of the discussion, particularly in relation to state-level issues such as scope of practice, certificate-of-need regulations, and malpractice reform. Dr. Barber explained the BOC operates through six active committees, as well as joint BOC/BOS committees, all of which play important roles. Two of these BOC committees are particularly focused on advocacy-related matters.
The BOC State Orthopaedic Societies (SOS) Committee focuses on the health and effectiveness of state orthopaedic societies, which Dr. Barber described as vital to both AAOS and its members. He cited examples in Tennessee and Nevada, where AAOS grant funding helped revive previously struggling or inactive state societies. In Nevada, he said, revitalization efforts ultimately contributed to the passage of tort reform, a significant win.
The BOC Committee on State Legislative and Regulatory Issues (SLRI) focuses on laws and regulations affecting orthopaedics at the state level. Dr. Barber explained that while AAOS cannot be present in every state, SLRI helps fill that gap by supporting state-level advocacy efforts through grants and shared resources.
Dr. Barber noted recent examples include tort reform in New Mexico and Georgia as well as legislative changes in Delaware related to physician employment of physical therapists. He emphasized many of these challenges are common across states, allowing SLRI to identify recurring themes and develop a repository of materials and strategies that other states can use.
“We really are getting down to the playbook level,” he said, referring to practical lessons on what worked — and what did not — during advocacy efforts.
Service, perspective, and giving back
Dr. Barber encouraged younger members to get involved, noting he has personally gained more from service than he has given. He also pointed to engagement as a way for members to understand the direction of the profession, paraphrasing singer Bob Dylan to say that involvement helps surgeons “know which way the winds are blowing.”
He then stressed the importance of relationships, both personal and professional. Serving in AAOS roles, he said, creates opportunities to form meaningful connections and contribute to the profession in lasting ways. He emphasized fulfillment comes not from material measures of success but from knowing one has served patients and the orthopaedic community well.
AAOS, he noted, offers many avenues for involvement, including its four councils, more than 70 committees, the BOC, the BOS, the Political Action Committee of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (OrthoPAC), and participation in events such as the Combined National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC)/Fall Meeting and the AAOS Annual Meeting.
“I’ve felt an obligation to give back,” Dr. Barber said, encouraging others to do the same.
OrthoPAC is affiliated with and connected to the 501(c)(6) Association. OrthoPAC is not connected to or affiliated with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, which is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Theresa Witham is managing editor of AAOS Now.