Leaders

Women entered the profession of orthopaedic surgery out of desire to do the work of restoring peoples’ bodies and lives after they were ravaged by trauma, disease, or birth defect.  The pioneers worked hard to find people and programs who would train and possibly even mentor them.  Employment opportunities varied and each pioneer gravitated to the situation that would offer the best opportunities for achievement and a good life.  One notable individual had to leave the country to be able to practice orthopaedic surgery in the military during wartime.

In successive decades, there has been a gradual increase in women entering all subsets of the profession.  This has been facilitated by the strong commitment of the women themselves, guidance from mentors/sponsors of any gender, role models, pipeline programs, and orthopaedic organizations created by and for women.  Many complex cultural issues continue to affect the work and training of today’s females and other underrepresented minorities within the profession.  These troubling issues require attention.

An overwhelming positive has been the rise of women into leadership positions within the structure of orthopaedic governance and practice in the United States.  These include Chairs of academic orthopaedic departments, Presidencies of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery and its subspecialty societies, and Presidencies of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons and of the American Orthopaedic Society among others.

In 2023, the number of female department chairs of academic orthopaedic departments rose to double digits.  Back in 2015, there was one.  A recent survey of the ten revealed the following:  Overall job satisfaction was 8.9 out of 10.  Satisfaction was driven by purpose and fulfillment to affect organizational changes and to create a positive impact across all levels of the department.  The participants also highlighted the value of developing institutional knowledge across domains, such as human capital, operations, and finances.

The chairs reported the presence of gender bias as a major obstacle to leadership.  The leaders advised development of leadership skills, whether through formal coaching, leadership courses and resources, or education such as obtaining an MBA.  Respondents also underscored the importance of advocacy and authenticity of leadership by identifying personal strengths, weaknesses, and overcoming self doubt.  One stated, “I feel I am using a completely different skill set than I do as a surgeon and it is both challenging and rewarding” (1).

PAST AND PRESENT CHAIRS OF ACADEMIC ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY DEPARTMENTS

1.  April Armstrong, MD: C McCollister Evarts Professor and Chair Department Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Penn State Health

2.  Susan Bukata, MD:  Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UC San Diego Health

3.  Evalina Burger, MD:  Professor and Robert D’Ambrosia Endowed Chair of Orthopedics, Department of Orthopedics, University of Colorado School of Medicine

4.  Michelle S Caird, MD:  Harald W and Helen L Gehring Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School

5.  Antonia Chen, MD, MBA:  Dr. Charles F. Gregory Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

6.  Cynthia Emory, MD, MBA:  Professor and Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at Wake Forest School of Medicine, North Carolina

7.  Leesa Galatz, MD, MBA:  Professor and Chair of the Leni and Peter May Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Health Systems, New York

8.  Mary Ann Keenan, MD:  Professor and Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia  (Past Chair, first woman in the country to assume the position)

9.  Lisa  Lattanza, MD:  Ensign Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Chair, Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Yale Institute for Global Health

10.  Anna Noel Miller, MD:  Chair of Orthopaedics, Dartmouth Health’s Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

11. Mary O’Connor, MD Oly:  Professor and Chair, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Florida. (Past Chair)

12.  Tamara Scerpella, MD:  A.A. McBeath Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin Medical School

13.  Jennifer Moriatis Wolf, MD:  Professor and Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at University of Chicago

PAST AND PRESENT LIST OF FEMALE ORTHOPAEDIC ACADEMY/BOARD/ASSOCIATION/SOCIETY PRESIDENTS.

 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:  Kristy Weber, MD, 2019

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery:  Judith Baumhauer, MD, 2012 & April Armstrong, MD, 2022

American Orthopaedic Association:  Serena Hu, MD, 2022 & Ann Van Heest, 2024

Arthroscopy Association of North America:  None

American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons:  Mary O’Connor, MD Oly, 2009

American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society:  Judith Baumhauer, MD, 2011

American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine:  Jo Hannafin, MD, 2013

American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons:  None

American Society for Surgery of the Hand:  Marybeth Ezaki, MD, 2001 & Jennifer M Wolf, 2022

Cervical Spine Research Society:  None

J Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society:  Claudia Thomas, MD, 2017 & Susan Stephens, MD, 2024

North American Spine Society:  None

Orthopaedic Trauma Association:  Heather A. Vallier, MD, 2020

Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America:  Lori Karol, MD (deceased), 2024

Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society:  44 women from 1983 to 2025, see https://rjos.org for a complete listing of ‘past presidents’

Scoliosis Research Society:  Serena Hu, MD, 2023, and Laurel Blakemore, MD, 2025

REFERENCES:

[1]. Wang, EW and Russo, CM.  Trailblazing Female Orthopaedic Department Chairs Offer Wisdom for Next Generation of Women in Leadership.  AAOS Now published 10/23/2024.  https://www.aaos.org/aaosnow/2024/oct/diversity/diversity02.