AAOS recognizes member with William W. Tipton Jr., MD, Leadership Award
Andrew W. Gurman, MD, FAAOS, received the 2022 William W. Tipton Jr., MD, Leadership Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, according to a press release.
“Andy, through his effective leadership as president of the AMA, has forever changed the profession of medicine for surgeons and physicians for the better, while promoting and maintaining our appropriate focus on the patients we serve,” orthopedic surgeon Casey Jo Humbyrd, MD, FAAOS, said in the release.
Gurman has been a leader and advocate for organized medicine for more than 40 years, and is one of only two orthopedic surgeons to serve as president of the AMA. During his AMA presidency, Gurman testified against suggested mergers of several large insurance companies that would have evoked issues for physicians.
He also has a private practice in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he specializes in hand surgery, and serves on the AAOS Delegation to the AMA.
“Dr. Gurman’s demeanor and passion for making sure that patients remain the first and foremost priority of the medical profession is no secret,” Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FACS, FAAOS, chief physician officer, Geisinger System Services, said in the release. “He brings together many voices from disparate backgrounds, finding clarity in the advocacy agenda that could span any specialty for the purpose of patient care.”
Prior to his role as AMA president, Gurman was a speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Delegates and an elected speaker of the AMA House of Delegates. He uses his more than 15 years in presiding officer positions on state and national levels to mentor young physicians who are rising to hold leadership positions in the AMA and in their state and specialty societies, according to the release.
The William W. Tipton Jr., MD, Leadership Award honors AAOS members who have displayed excellent leadership skills that have aided “the orthopedic community, patients and/or the American public,” according to the release. This award honors William W. Tipton Jr., MD, a former executive vice president of AAOS.
“Dr. Tipton was an early mentor to me when I first got involved in the American Medical Association and I am incredibly honored and humbled to be the recipient of the AAOS Tipton Leadership Award for service,” Gurman said. “To be recognized by one’s own peers for the work that I have done in organized medicine on behalf of physicians and our patients is meaningful.”
Read more about