Robert Hunter, MD — director of the Orthopedic Center of Excellence at the Salida, Colo.-based community hospital Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center — is working to expand a physician education program for active-duty orthopedic surgeons.
Dr. Hunter sits on the board of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and serves as the chairman of AANA's development committee.
Here's what you need to know:
1. In 2010, the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons asked AANA to help train active-duty orthopedic surgeons. Since then, Dr. Hunter has helped AANA develop an annual course, which includes both lecture and laboratory components.
2. Each year, the program teaches around 50 surgeons. However, Dr. Hunter notes that there are about 500 orthopedic surgeons on active duty.
3. Dr. Hunter hopes to offer the course multiple times a year, to increase physician participation. However, this expansion would require the AANA to acquire additional funding.
4. The AANA worked with legislators to draft legislation asking the federal government to allocate U.S. Department of Defense funds to these physician education programs. This legislation was introduced to the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives earlier this summer.