Financial Fears and the COVID-19 Response

Eeric Truumees, MD, FAAOS; Julie Balch Samora, MD, PhD, MPH, FAAOS

Although the first major wave of COVID-19 may have peaked in most of the United States, we are still coming to grips with the impact of the pandemic on orthopaedic surgery and, particularly, its finances.

A Resident’s Perspective on Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Liana J. Tedesco, MD

COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. As the virus spread across the United States, every person had to take a step back and reevaluate within the context of a new normal. With elective surgery canceled to preserve personal protective equipment and maximize intensive care unit (ICU) capacity, many orthopaedic surgery residents were redeployed to assist in emergency rooms and ICUs. With new roles in the hospital, and social distancing preventing large group learning, we have had to reexamine our plans for continued resident education. We had to take inventory of our resources and take advantage of the technology at our disposal.

How Did We Only Have 1 Percent of the Masks Needed to Fight COVID-19?

Carl L. Herndon, MD

Spring came early in New York City this year, but you wouldn’t have known that by reading the news. Instead, you read of mounting cases of the dreaded SARS-CoV-2 and its associated illness, COVID-19.

Orthopaedic Organizations Denounce Racism and Discrimination

Eric Ward Carson, MD, FAAOS; Anthony E. Johnson, MD, FAAOS; Dawn LaPorte, MD, FAAOS; Monica Maria Payares, MD, FAAOS

The Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society (RJOS), J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society (JRGOS), American Association of Latino Orthopaedic Surgeons (AALOS), and the Academy are devoted to creating equity in orthopaedic surgery and combating healthcare disparities. It is with heavy hearts that we take this time to denounce not only the acts of overt racism of the past few weeks, but also the systemic racism and continued discrimination in our country.

We Hear You. We Feel You. We Are Learning From You.

Anthony E. Johnson, MD, FAAOS

Leadership is the ability to influence others to achieve a common goal. Leadership roles may be formal, appointed positions or informal peer leadership (a.k.a., “key opinion leaders”). At the core, every patient encounter is a leadership opportunity, as the medical team seeks to influence the patient to achieve a common goal (movement from a diseased or injured state to a healthy state, free from the effects of the disease or injury), while respecting the patient’s autonomy and considering as many modifiable social determinants of health as possible. Thus, all members of AAOS—from resident to emeritus—are leaders within their respective spheres of influence.