Adapt to an evolving field: Proposed bylaw changes aim to modernize the AAOS
Key takeaways:
- The AAOS board of directors proposed updates to the organization’s bylaws.
- Proposed changes include streamlined bylaws and engaging younger members.
Early in 2024, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons board of directors approved a new strategic plan, which included proposed updates to the organization’s bylaws.
“The changes are intended to modernize the AAOS, and the bylaws is one of the ways to modernize the organization so that we are more efficient, more effective and we can deliver what our members require to be able to practice orthopedic surgery, optimize their practice and deliver the best care possible for patients,” Annunziato (Ned) Amendola, MD, FAAOS, president of the AAOS and chief of sports medicine at Duke University, told Healio.
Streamline bylaws
Perhaps the most striking proposed change to the bylaws is their length, according to Paul Tornetta III, MD, PhD, FAAOS.
“Part of the new strategic plan was specifically stating to improve our governance processes because ours are outdated and not reflective of what high-functioning boards and organizations do,” Tornetta, chief of orthopedic surgery at the Boston Medical Center and immediate past president of the AAOS, told Healio. “Our bylaws are 68 pages right now, and some parts are unclear. We had a recent issue where the board had to meet to agree on what the bylaws mean. In addition, much of our bylaws is what most organizations would consider policies and procedures rather than bylaws.”
According to Amendola, the streamlined version of the bylaws would reduce what was previously more than 60 pages to under 20 pages by removing operational items deemed nonessential.
“It is like our constitution for the country,” Amendola said. “The Constitution is a small booklet if you have a copy of it. It is not 300 pages.”
Engage younger members
Another proposed change is to engage younger, active surgeon members of the AAOS.
“We want the active membership, the people who are in practice and the people who are working to be much more involved in the AAOS,” Amendola said. “An example of that is getting active Fellows into leadership positions. Instead of thinking of the AAOS as an old boys’ club, we should be thinking of it as an active members’ club where younger and more active Fellows can be involved in leadership positions, the nominating committee and the board of directors.”
He added, “As a result of these changes, you have a much more well-informed board that can make better strategic decisions in terms of which direction the orthopedic profession is going. It is going to include an engaged, more diverse group of active Fellows to be involved in leadership positions to help things move forward.”
Evolve with the field
The AAOS will need to be able to constantly adapt with a rapidly changing orthopedic landscape, according to Tornetta. To prepare for the future, Tornetta said it will be increasingly important to elect board members based on complementary skillsets and competencies instead of popularity and likability.
“Our hope is that by choosing our public board member and our board members well, we can be more self-reliant, and we can adapt and pivot our processes to the unknown major changes that we will undoubtedly face,” Tornetta said. “Part of this is to try to future-proof the organization because some major thing is going to happen in health care that no one saw coming and we want to be able to adapt to be able to meet that need for our members and their patients.”
He added that there are more threats to the autonomy of physicians and their practices now than there have ever been.
“There is an overwhelming increase in the number of entities and people who are trying to take on musculoskeletal care and profit from it, and not necessarily because it is going to help the patients,” Tornetta said. “All of the things that are happening right now in medicine — and nobody fully understands what the future is going to hold — necessitate us to be nimble and to be able to pivot as needed to support our members who are the real experts in caring for those with musculoskeletal conditions.”
Prepare for the future
However, inspiring surgeons to change their ways can sometimes prove to be a challenging endeavor, according to Amendola.
“People get used to the way things are run,” Amendola said. “It is difficult to understand the rationale for change, but it is imperative to evolve. An organization that continuously looks at ways to improve, ways to be better [and] ways to deliver what the members’ needs are is going to be a much more successful organization, rather than just burying our head in the sand and expecting things to stay the same forever.”
Tornetta said the proposed changes will allow the AAOS to become a better version of itself.
“If we do not have reform, we are going to continue to be less effective than we can be,” Tornetta said. “Without progress such as this bylaws proposal, we will be less well informed and will not become the best version of the board that our members deserve. Our goal is to have the most effective and high-functioning board possible that represents the interests of our members and their patients. It has taken many hours to get to this point, and those on the board have nothing to personally gain from this other than leaving the organization in a better position to succeed in any environment.”
References:
- AAOS. AAOS Strategic Plan: 2024-2028. https://www.aaos.org/about/meet-aaos/aaos-strategic-plan/. Accessed April 22, 2025.
- AAOS. Modernizing Our Culture. https://www.aaos.org/aaosnow/2024/nov/youraaos/youraaos01/. Published on Nov. 20, 2024. Accessed April 22, 2025.
- AAOS. Proposed Governance Changes. https://www.aaos.org/about/meet-aaos/proposed-governance-changes/. Accessed April 22, 2025.
For more information:
Annunziato (Ned) Amendola, MD, FAAOS, wishes to be reached through Deanna Killackey at killackey@aaos.org.
Paul Tornetta III, MD, PhD, FAAOS, can be reached at ptornetta@gmail.com.
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