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Burnout—What Is It? (Part I)

Burnout—What Is It? (Part I)

Burnout is a significant issue throughout the healthcare system and physicians are not exempt. In fact, up to 50% of physicians suffer from burnout. In 2014, at the Mayo Clinic, the burnout rate among orthopedic surgeons was 59.6%, up from 48.3% in 2011.

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WOA: A Place for Growth

WOA: A Place for Growth

Our generation of surgeons is fortunate to have many sources from which to obtain our ongoing education including meetings, online, and publications. The Western Orthopaedic Association (WOA) is an extraordinary star in the ever-expanding galaxy of orthopaedic organizations.

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The 81st WOA Annual Meeting - Content, Collegiality and So Much More

The 81st WOA Annual Meeting
Content, Collegiality and So Much More

The 81st WOA Annual Meeting highlighted a variety of aspects that are unique to the WOA. The Meeting’s content included multispecialty panel discussions focused on current and controversial issues as well as informative “rapid fire” research presentation modules.

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Leadership

Leadership

As physicians, we are looked up to and expected to be leaders – leaders of our teams, leaders within the hospital, and even leaders within the community.  There are a variety of things we can do to help ourselves become better leaders including listening, respecting others and their ideas, and slowing down for self-reflection and mindfulness.

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Richard Haynes MD to be Honored with Filler Award

Richard Haynes MD to be Honored with Filler Award

The 2017 WOA Blair Filler Lifetime Achievement Award will honor Richard (Dick) Haynes MD for his distinguished career of leadership, service, and education. Dr. Haynes and Sherri, his wife, will be honored Saturday, August 5th at our WOA Annual Meeting gala dinner in Kauai.

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Lessons From The Summit

Lessons From The Summit

It is a privilege to serve the WOA in any capacity; the greatest honor for me personally has been serving as President. Many lessons drawn from this experience can be translated into general teaching points for all.

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WOA Advocates New MOC Pathway

WOA Advocates New MOC Pathway

As your BOC representative, I submitted a WOA Board-approved AAOS Advisory Opinion at the April NOLC to abolish the ABOS high stakes exams for recertification.  This Advisory Opinion was approved and has been sent to the AAOS BOD.

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My Return To The Garden Island

My Return To The Garden Island

The 2017 WOA Annual Meeting (August 2-5) on Kauai is fast approaching and the resort rooms are nearly filled.  While it marks the Association’s ‘every third year’ return to Hawaii, this meeting is particularly exciting for me and my family.

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Optimizing TKR Patient: Weigh In On Weight!

Optimizing TKR Patient: Weigh In On Weight!

As a complex case manager for the State Insurance Fund of the state of Idaho, I have seen over the last 7 years the body mass index (BMI) creep up for knee patients with many cases now hitting 40’s or 50’s!

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THA: My Perspective – as a Patient!

THA: My Perspective – as a Patient!

As an aging athlete and ardent skier, it was only a matter of time before I needed a replacement joint.

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Dramatic Growth in Resident Abstracts

Dramatic Growth in Resident Abstracts

Many years ago, as a San Francisco Orthopaedic Program resident, I felt gratified and inspired after winning a WOA Vernon P. Thompson Award.

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Wrong Side Total Knee Implant Case Study

Wrong Side Total Knee Implant Case Study

A surgeon performs a left total knee replacement and implants a right femoral component. The error is not noted until after the cement sets. The patient’s ROM and patellar tracking is felt to be reasonable. The incorrect implant is left in position. The patient has a “good” ROM, but is having ongoing pain.

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A House Divided

A House Divided

For the last 7 years, Republicans have anticipated repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With a new administration, major changes to the ACA seemed inevitable. How is it then that House Speaker Paul Ryan recently declared that “Obamacare is the law of the land”? Suffice it to say that health care is such a polarizing issue that even the Republican House could not agree on how to disagree on aspects of the ACA ranging from essential benefits to subsidies.

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Mentoring - Paying It Forward

Mentoring - Paying It Forward

Helping, guiding, advising, and sharing are some of the words that describe mentoring. This complex and multidimensional process with ancient roots has become especially popular over the past 25 years. Mentors engage their protégées in supportive relationships designed to improve awareness, avoid problems, and enrich experiences.

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CMS Denies Outpatient Total Knee Replacement

CMS Denies Outpatient Total Knee Replacement

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently made a final decision not to move total knee replacement from the Inpatient Only (IPO) list. The decision denies Medicare recipients the opportunity to have their knee replacement surgery in any outpatient surgery center, despite the growing trend across the country to perform more joint replacement surgeries in an outpatient setting.

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Fracture Begets Fracture

Fracture Begets Fracture

Fragility fractures affect about 2.5 million people yearly in the United States and millions more worldwide. Once a fragility fracture occurs, there is 50% likelihood that another fracture will take place. In fact, 50% of hip fracture patients have had a prior fragility fracture. As orthopaedic surgeons, we have the opportunity to significantly impact the number of second fractures and the morbidity associated with these fractures. Every fragility fracture patient, including the 45-year-old with a distal radius fragility fracture, should have an osteoporosis evaluation, and/or discussions about bone health, calcium, Vitamin D, weight bearing exercises, home safety, etc.

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Seven Teaching Tips

Seven Teaching Tips

Orthopaedic surgeons are provided with opportunities to teach and learn practically every day. Teaching fuels the drive to increase our knowledge base about a subject so to more thoroughly impart lessons learned. Educating colleagues, patients, and ourselves is an obligation and a privilege. The educational process can nurture relationships as the learner becomes aware of the time, effort, and patience required to optimize the process. A great teacher stimulates the learner to seek more information.

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WOA Successfully Lobbies for Change

WOA Successfully Lobbies for Change

It is fortunate that WOA is well represented on the AAOS Board of Councilors (BOC). The BOC serves many functions—one of which is lobbying Congress on behalf of fellow orthopaedists. Bryan Moon (Texas) is doing a great job as the official BOC WOA Representative. Several WOA Board Members have served and others currently serve in the capacity of BOC state representatives.

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Orthopaedic Urgent Care Centers

Orthopaedic Urgent Care Centers

It has been said that orthopaedic surgeons make bad pilots and bad business people. Our reputation in business is changing as we work toward lower cost, higher quality care and as we help to develop new care delivery models. One such evolving model is Orthopaedic Urgent Care Centers.

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Trauma Care Advances: Hard Won; Consolidated in Publication

Trauma Care Advances: Hard Won; Consolidated in Publication

Ongoing military engagements in the Middle East over the past 15 years have resulted in a large number of severe orthopaedic injuries. In caring for these injuries, military orthopaedists have learned many valuable lessons that can be applied to orthopaedic injuries in the civilian population. A number of these pearls have recently been consolidated into a supplement (October 2016, Volume 30, Supplement 3) published by the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. The content of the issue has been made available for free so that all may benefit.

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