AAOS 2010 Annual Meeting

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has elected orthopedic surgeon John J. Callaghan, M.D., as president of the organization’s board of directors at its annual meeting in New Orleans, La.

“It is a privilege to lead the Academy in its mission to support and educate
our members and ensure they provide the best possible quality musculoskeletal care for their patients,” said Callaghan. “Every day we see people get back on their feet, and that is the best part of my job.”

He added that his and the Academy’s priorities are to:

• Continue to enhance patient care

• Track success rates for procedures and devices and use this information to improve the standard of care and continue learning

• Initiate new ways to work with orthopedic specialty societies and international orthopedic organizations

Callaghan specializes in hip and knee replacements and serves as the Lawrence and Marilyn Dorr Chair and professor in both the Department of Orthopaedics and Department of Bioengineering at the University of Iowa, College of Medicine, in Iowa City, Iowa. He also is on the orthopedic staff at the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Callaghan previously served as first vice president of the Academy and is a former vice president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He also has served on the work group that recently incorporated the American Joint Replacement Registry, as well as the past president of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, the Iowa Orthopaedic Society, the Hip Society and the Mid-America Orthopaedic Association. He has also served as the chairman for the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation.

Callaghan has received numerous honors, including the John Charnley Hip Society Award given by the Hip Society, as well as The Insall Award on behalf of the Knee Society. Callaghan is the author or co-author of more than 260 peer-reviewed articles.

Berry Chosen First Vice President

In addition, Daniel J. Berry, M.D., has been elected as first vice president of the Academy.

Berry serves as professor of orthopedics, College of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and chairman in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery there.

Active in the AAOS since 1998, Berry has served on numerous committees and task forces, including the American Joint Replacement Registry and the CME Courses Committee. He most recently served as second vice president of the Academy, and prior to that role, as president of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. He also held leadership roles for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Hip Society and the Mid America Orthopaedic Association.

An orthopedic researcher, Berry has received numerous honors including awards for clinical research from the Hip Society, the Knee Society and the Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation. He is the author or co-author of more than 130 peer-reviewed publications and 60 book chapters.

“Looking ahead, we (the AAOS board) will focus on a variety of goals for the
specialty, but we also need to be nimble enough to react to whatever healthcare reform brings us,” said Berry.