Tomorrow is National Doctor's Day, celebrated on the anniversary of Dr. Crawford W. Long’s first surgery under anesthesia in Jefferson, Georgia. His work balanced the science and art of medicine and led to a significant advance in care. He did not publish his results for seven years. In the interim, Horace Wells and William Morton used ether at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston – resulting in Morton and Wells being credited with this advancement for years.

We are excited to welcome our incoming orthopaedic residents. They are exceptional applicants with backgrounds and interests that will enrich our program. We are proud to have them on our team and look forward to training with them to be the best orthopaedic surgeons and future leaders in our field. 

 

Congratulations to:

Welcome to the new Chair's Corner! As you requested in our recent survey, I will share departmental updates and videos each week in this column.

Patient Safety Awareness Week, promoted by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, aims to encourage everyone to learn more about healthcare safety.
 

February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of the achievements of Black Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in history. Take some time to learn about and recognize the many Black Americans' contributions to health care at Duke. In North Carolina, Dr. James Francis Shober became the state’s first black medical doctor in 1878, and 90 years later, in 1967, Duke graduated its first black medical student, Dr. Delano Meriwether.

• The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day.

Today, we commemorate the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was an exemplar of courageous, nonviolent activism. In addition to his speaking out against violent acts of racism, he also spoke out about quiet, less overt forms of racism. Overt or otherwise, all forms have links to poverty, health disparities, higher rates of incarceration, and other societal injustices that disproportionately impact marginalized communities. 

• Happy New Year! Ben discussed evidence-based New Year’s resolutions: The AMA has such advice based on resolutions that are more likely to be successful, and these include: (1) Make time for self-care, (2) set smart goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time based), (3)  focus on what you can control, (4) find ways to remain connected, and (5) make small changes.

Shyni Varghese, PhD, Laszlo Ormandy Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, will be the new vice chair of research in Duke's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

I am thrilled to announce the Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Program received notice this week that it has received full accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association.