Message from Our President
By Mark J. Romness, MD
President, Virginia Orthopaedic Society
Dear Virginia Orthopaedic Society Members,
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Mark J. Romness, MD VOS President |
Time flies when you are having fun. As we approach the mid-year of the Virginia Orthopaedic Society (VOS) cycle, I am excited with the progress we have made on both the advocacy and academic fronts. We are riding on the tail of a great turn out at the 67th Annual Meeting in Roanoke earlier this year and have used that to help our advocacy items, which are detailed in the article by our excellent government relations specialist, Cal Whitehead. We have also obtained significant special funding from the AAOS for advocacy initiatives in Virginia that could impact the entire nation.
Money from the AAOS was also used to partially fund an informational dinner at the Palm Restaurant at Tysons Corner where an excellent turnout included multiple VOS Past Presidents, local members and many potential new members. I had the pleasure of meeting two physicians just starting out of training and explaining the importance of the VOS to the future of their practice. Hopefully, we will gain the new and not-so-new non-member orthopaedists in our efforts in Richmond, the Commonwealth and nationally.
For those not familiar with Virginia legislative protocol (as I was before I joined the VOS), the General Assembly meets annually, beginning on the second Wednesday in January, for 60 days in even-numbered years and for 30 days in odd-numbered years, with an option to extend annual sessions for a maximum of 30 days. That means only 30 days in 2015 for active engagement of the House of Delegates and Senate. With the 2015 General Assembly right around the corner, the VOS has been active preparing for our positions on direct access, physician owned distributorships and other issues. With all this current activity, it is a great time to donate to your professional voice in Richmond, the OrthoPAC, at: https://secure.societyhq.com/vos/OrthoPAC.iphtml
You should have received a reminder about the 2015 Annual Meeting at The Homestead on April 24-26, 2015 and we look forward to seeing everyone there. We have confirmed our guest speakers who should make for a very informative and entertaining meeting. Daniel Berry, MD from the Mayo Clinic is the Past President of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and a world renowned Adult Reconstruction expert who should provide both a national perspective and leading edge information on joint replacement. Armen Kelikian, MD, one of my mentors from Northwestern University, is renowned for his work and classic text on foot and ankle orthopaedics as well as one of the most engaging medical speakers I have heard. For the sports enthusiasts, we have former University of Virginia basketball star Sean Singletary who will give his perspective on orthopaedic injuries and professional sports. The Homestead was bought by Omni Hotels since the last time the VOS was there in 2011 and major renovations have been completed. It will be fun to see what is new and enjoy the fellowship in the Allegheny Mountains. Please block your schedules to attend. And get some abstracts submitted!
Respectfully,

Mark J. Romness, MD