Former Editor Named AAOS Education Council Chair

Robert M. Orfaly, M.D., has been chosen to chair the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Education Council, a panel that provides oversight and decision-making for the Academy’s education portfolio. AAOS develops its academic dossier in accordance with essential policies and standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

A shoulder and upper extremity surgeon, Dr. Orfaly has strived throughout his career to improve the quality and value of orthopedic patient care and advance orthopedic education. He is a professor of orthopedic surgery and the quality medical director in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, where he has been a faculty member since 1999. His institutional leadership has included roles in promotion and tenure, value analysis, quality oversight, faculty compensation, and Faculty Council.

Dr. Orfaly has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to leadership and service within AAOS, having held numerous leadership roles, including serving on the AAOS Board of Directors while in the Board of Councilors leadership line. His extensive volunteer contributions include chairing the former Membership and Leadership Development Committee, serving as a mentor for the AAOS Leadership Institute, and participating on the previous AAOS Communications Cabinet. Most recently, from 2021 to 2025, he served as editor-in-chief of AAOS Now, where he guided the Academy’s flagship member publication through significant digital advancements, including the integration of video interviews and the launch of the Bone Beat podcast. Dr. Orfaly is also a graduate of the former AAOS Leadership Fellows Program.

Following his term on the Board of Directors, Dr. Orfaly expanded his professional leadership and quality management expertise by earning an MBA in healthcare administration from Southern Oregon University.

Beyond AAOS, Dr. Orfaly has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to professional advocacy and access to quality medical care. He is a past president of the Oregon Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons and recipient of the John Tongue Advocacy Champion Award. He also served as president of the Oregon Medical Association, where he chaired the Healthcare Finance Committee and Policy Committee, and represented the organization as an alternate delegate to the American Medical Association House of Delegates.

Dr. Orfaly earned his medical degree from McGill University in Montreal. He completed a surgical internship at the University of Toronto, followed by orthopedic residency and fellowship training in hand and upper extremity surgery at the University of British Columbia. He completed additional fellowship training in shoulder surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

With more than 39,000 members, AAOS is the world’s largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The organization advances musculoskeletal health by providing comprehensive education to help orthopedic surgeons and allied health professionals best treat patients in their daily practices. AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments, and related musculoskeletal healthcare issues; and it leads the healthcare discussion on advancing quality.