Extract
Distinguished leaders of the American Orthopaedic Association, guests, and
ladies and gentlemen:I come to you humbled by the honor and privilege to serve as the 118th
president of the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA)—the association
of orthopaedic leaders. Like all others who have served before me, I owe the
honor to those who have preceded me. I am thankful to God for the direct
calling into the medical profession. I stand here today because of His
guidance, protection, and direction. I owe much to those who were influential
in my career: Fred Elliott, J. Paul Harvey, Sig Hansen, Bob Winquist, Dan
Spengler, Mike Copass, Roby Thompson, and to the great foundation that has
been given to me in a career as an orthopaedic trauma surgeon. My partner of
thirty-three years, Beth, and our children have given me much support and have
sacrificed a lot. I am grateful to them. The hard work in patient care,
teaching, and research has been rewarding. The ultimate reward is the pulpit I
have been given in front of the orthopaedic leaders of much of the world. I
intend not to waste it and to speak to a phenomenon that I have witnessed
evolving at an exponential rate over the last decade—the criteria for
orthopaedic leadership.