Who We Are
Our Goals and Purposes
We support policies that put patient interests first and foremost. This focus on the patient will be critical as our health care system evolves over the next several years due to both funding constraints and the laudable effort to insure more of our citizens; make no mistake--meaningful access to quality care in America is largely determined by one's insurance status.
Unfortunately, any changes to our health care system are occurring against a backdrop of severe financial constraints. The Congressional Budget Office has reported that our current federal budget deficits are unsustainable and that health care spending is an ever increasing share of that debt.
In addition, the states are slowly recovering from a near perfect financial storm of their own. Almost all state governments have experienced large drops in revenues over the last few years, and nearly all continue to reduce their Medicaid spending in one way or another.
Therefore, neither the federal government through our Medicare program, nor the states through their assorted Medicaid programs will be able to maintain access to care for our citizens, pay for all needed medical services, and continue to reimburse health care providers at current levels within our current system. Reform is inevitable and needed, and we maintain that a reformed system must better serve the needs of our patients--only patient centered reforms can improve both patient health and quality of care while controlling costs.
Finally, we, as a society, will always advocate for the patient as health care financing changes, and we celebrate the many joys and rewards of being an orthopedist, one of the best jobs on earth.
The patient and family will be at the center of medical care.
Our Mission Statement
We share the following objectives:
- Commit to professionalism, quality, safety, and ethical practice as the foundation of patient care;
- Educate our colleagues on the value and promise of patient centered care;
- Support the physical and emotional wellbeing of our colleagues in the practice of Orthopaedics
Our Mandate as American Citizens
The conclusion to the 2009 Message to the Public from our Social Security and Medicare Trustees reads as follows:
" The financial difficulties facing Social Security and Medicare pose serious challenges. For Social Security, the reform options are relatively well understood but the choices are difficult. Medicare is a bigger challenge. Its cost growth can be contained without sacrificing quality of care only if health care cost growth more generally is contained. But despite the difficulties—indeed, because of the difficulties—it is essential that action be taken soon, particularly to control health care costs."