There was a Texas-sized round of applause in Dallas recently, with the welcoming of Mininder Kocher, M.D., M.P.H. as the 38th president of The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA). Dr. Kocher is chief of the Division of Sports Medicine and the O’Donnell Family Endowed Chair at Boston Children’s Hospital, and a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
With a clinical practice focused on pediatric sports medicine and pediatric orthopedic trauma, Dr. Kocher is also the creator of numerous techniques for meniscus transplantation in children, growth plate-sparing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, patellofemoral stabilization, hip arthroscopy in children, and peroneal tendon subluxation repair. Often found on the sidelines, he is the team physician for numerous high schools, colleges, and U.S. Olympic teams.
Dr. Kocher serves as division chief and is on the Physician Organization Board at Boston Children’s Hospital. His past leadership roles include serving on the board of directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). He is the founder and second president of the Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine Society. He is an elected member of the International Pediatric Orthopaedic Think Tank, the Herodotus Society, and the 20th Century Orthopaedic Association. Within POSNA, he has served on multiple committees and on the board of directors twice as at-large member and research council chair.
OTW asked Dr. Kocher what has helped prepare him for this role and he said, “Being on boards for other organizations such as AAOS and AOSSM allowed me to understand the workings of high functioning organizations. Prior terms on the POSNA board as at-large member and a research Council chair gave me insight into the issues important to POSNA and the amazing culture of the organization. Most importantly, being in a Presidential line with Drs. Frick, Albanese, and Vitale before me and Drs. Sawyer and Sucato after me has allowed for great institutional memory, leadership role models, and a sounding board.”
This year’s mantra at POSNA’s is “getting back on our feet!” and Dr. Kocher explained to OTW how that will be put into practice. “In December 2019 we completed a strategic planning process that resulted in an excellent roadmap for our organization. Then COVID struck and we, like other organizations, went into crisis management mode. I think ‘back on our feet’ means getting back to our strategic plan and implementing initiatives designed to advance our four primary strategic initiatives: secure POSNA as the professional home for pediatric orthopaedics, advancing the specialty through education and research, defining, and advocating for quality care, and optimizing effectiveness and ensuring sustainability for the organization.”
