Andrew W. Gurman, M.D., Orthopedic Surgeon, to Lead AMA
A hand surgeon from Pennsylvania has just been tapped to lead the nation’s largest physician association—the American Medical Association (AMA)—Dr. Andrew W. Gurman, a former speaker and vice speaker of the Pennsylvania Medical Society House of Delegates and chair of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Political Action Committee, will assume the presidency in June 2016. Dr. Gurman is in private practice in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
A native of New York City, Dr. Gurman grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, and attended Syracuse University. He received his medical degree from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, in 1980. Dr. Gurman completed a surgical internship and residency in orthopedic surgery at the combined Montefiore Hospital/Albert Einstein program in New York City, and a fellowship in hand surgery at the Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopaedic Institute, also in New York City.
Asked what role has best prepared him for this new position, Dr. Gurman told OTW, “I have already served on the AMA Board of Trustees for eight years as vice speaker and then as speaker. I have also been a member of the AMA executive committee, so the information stream has been the same as that which goes to the presidents. In the capacity of AMA board member and executive committee member, I have become familiar with the strategic plan, the advocacy agenda, and the issues facing physicians, patients, and the AMA. I have had the opportunity to represent the AMA within the federation at state medical society meetings and other venues, and have also been the face of the AMA at events in the larger business community such as rotary clubs.”
“The AMA’s influence and expertise supports physicians’ efforts to put patients first while responding to the multiple challenges of a complex, diverse and evolving health care system. Beyond advocacy, ethics and best practices, I intend to focus my tenure on meeting physicians’ needs and advancing the AMA’s three strategic areas: improving health outcomes for the 86 million Americans living with pre-diabetes and the 70 million with hypertension; accelerating change in medical education to ensure physicians are prepared to meet the needs of a 21st Century health care system; and enhancing physician satisfaction and practice sustainability.”
“I also intend to continue my ongoing work to promote AMA efforts aimed at curbing prescription drug abuse, misuse, overdose and death. We are engaged in advocacy efforts with state and federal policymakers supporting a public health approach to address the problem. That approach includes increased access to treatment and prevention programs and lifesaving overdose prevention medications like naloxone, enhanced education for physicians and patients and modernized and fully funded prescription drug monitoring programs.”
Leesa Galatz, M.D.: New Chair at Mount Sinai
Leesa Galatz, M.D., Chief of the Shoulder and Elbow Service at Washington University in St. Louis, has been named System Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She will assume her new role in October 2015.
An accomplished, recognized leader in the research arena, Dr. Galatz is the associate editor for basic science for the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery and is a peer reviewer for other orthopedic publications. She told OTW, “I am really pleased to be joining Mount Sinai Orthopedics and I’m excited about the many clinical and research initiatives we have planned. My initial efforts will be focused on strengthening the individual divisions at the different hospitals. We have plans to recruit new physicians and scientists to the department to round out the existing outstanding complement of faculty. I want to create a sense of unity and stability across the system and foster the academic mission of the department.”
Asked about her research priorities, Dr. Galatz noted, “One of the new developments will be the Mount Sinai Center for Orthopedic Outcomes Research. We are partnering with the Department of Population Health Science and Policy to initiate a large-scale clinical research program. The size and breadth of the Mount Sinai System in New York will enable us to study clinical outcomes, health care value, and treatment effectiveness over a very large population. This will empower us to make a real impact on clinical care. In addition, we will expand our basic science faculty and provide resources to existing faculty in order to enrich our program of basic and translational research.”
James D. Kang, M.D.: New Chair at Brigham and Women’s
Brigham and Women’s Hospital is welcoming a new chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery—Dr. James D. Kang. An acclaimed researcher and surgeon, Dr. Kang has been on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh (“Pitt”) since 1993.
At present, Dr. Kang holds several posts at Pitt: the Executive Vice Chairman for Clinical Services, tenured Professor of Orthopaedic and Neurological Surgery, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, UPMC Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Spinal Surgery, and Director of Ferguson Laboratory Musculoskeletal Research Center for Spine Research in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Kang also recently became president of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine.
Dr. Kang told OTW, “My role as Vice Chairman at the University of Pittsburgh as well as my various roles in the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC committees on quality and education has prepared me well for my new role as Chair at the Brigham. Most importantly, I have had great mentors in my career who have shaped my principles in leadership in academics. People like Dr. Freddie Fu, Ed Hanley, Henry Bohlman, James Herndon, to name a few.”
“First of all, I will be getting to know the Brigham culture and try to get to know the faculty of the department. I will articulate to them the vision of the department and develop a team approach to achieve these goals. Our goal would be to continue the work begun by my predecessors (Drs. Tom Thornhill and Clem Sledge) and bring the Brigham orthopaedics to a higher level of excellence in basic science and clinical research.”
