Orthopaedics in the New Millennium. A New Patient-Physician Partnership*

Abstract

Dr. Heckman, thank you for your more-than-generous introduction. I would like to thank the fellows of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons for giving me the opportunity to serve you as your next President, a privilege that I humbly accept. These are busy and exciting times, with many forces testing our resolve. So, know that I call upon each of you to assist me in the work necessary to maintain the goals and standards of our Academy. It is special for me that my family can be with me today—my wife and partner of thirty-five years, Barbara; our four children, Lisa, Chris, Matt, and Peter; their spouses, Greg, Yuko, Tara, and Rene; and especially my three sisters, my Mom and Dad, and Barbara's Mom. I also stand on the shoulders of great educators, not the least of whom are my teachers and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh; the University of California at Davis, with Paul Lipscomb; and Louisiana State University, whose Chancellor, Merv Trail, is here with us. Thank you, Merv. I thank them for inspiring and challenging me. In addition to my family, they deserve credit for what I have accomplished professionally. There is one man whom I would like to single out: Albert Ferguson. Thank you, Ferg, for being there as a role model for my colleagues and me. I would like you to sit back, relax, and think about the future with me for a few minutes. But first, we must journey to the past. Only a few of the fifty generations that span a millennium are lucky enough to witness the dawn of a new one. Millennium has two definitions: “a span of one thousand years” and “a hoped-for period of joy, serenity, prosperity and justice.” A span of one thousand years is almost incomprehensible …