Women in Arthroplasty Committee

Providing mentorship, professional development and networking for the growing membership of women in AAHKS
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The Women in Arthroplasty Committee (WIA) plans and oversees programs and activities that provide mentorship, professional development and networking for the growing membership of women in the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS).

 

Surgeons Raise Awareness of Gender Bias in New Video

“Do you do surgery in those heels? I’d love to see that.” This is one of several actual comments said to female orthopaedic surgeons brought to light in a new video from the AAHKS Women in Arthroplasty Committee (WIA). The video features male surgeons reading derogatory comments out loud in front of the camera. The surgeons were not shown the comments prior to the camera rolling, so their reactions of surprise and disbelief are unscripted.

The project involved collecting actual comments from WIA peers that they had heard from their employers, colleagues and patients. WIA members worked closely with the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society and recruited male advocates to participate.

“Our hope is that the video will bring awareness in the orthopaedic workplace so that everyone is more aware of their inherent biases, eliminates them and ultimately encourages more women to be successful in this field,” said Audrey K. Tsao, MD, WIA Chair.

For next steps after watching the video, watch the WIA/RJOS webinar, “Harassment is Everyone’s Issue: Optimizing Your Work Environment,” moderated by Antonia F. Chen, MD, MBA.

Share this video! Contact Denise Smith Rodd, Senior Communications Specialist, if you need the original video file to show offline at your event.

Mission

WIA is dedicated to promoting gender diversity in the field of adult reconstructive surgery for the betterment of patient care, enhanced surgeon well-being, and education of patients and surgeons in order to advance the field of hip and knee arthroplasty.
WIA believes that promoting women in arthroplasty will provide mentorship and the positive collegial professional development of female surgeons in the field. This will also shape the future of arthroplasty, ultimately translating into enhanced patient care for those with arthritic disorders of the hip and knee joint.
WIA is committed to increasing the number of women surgeons in arthroplasty to better serve AAHKS, and most importantly, enhance our society of musculoskeletal patients that we serve.
Objectives

  • Build mentorship pipeline programs for women students, residents and fellows
  • Build a knowledge-based culture of inclusion in AAHKS
  • Develop meaningful data-driven and feasible diversity and inclusion goals across AAHKS
  • Promote education, leadership and professional development for women in arthroplasty
  • Increase membership of women in AAHKS
  • Assess and influence perception of women in arthroplasty
  • Diversify our arthroplasty workforce to create an inclusive environment to counteract potential subconscious bias

Get Involved

Get involved in WIA and sign up to be a mentor or mentee too. Click here to complete this form, and we will be in touch.

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Contact Us

If you would like more information, please contact Eileen Lusk, Director of Membership and WIA Liaison, at eileen@operationwalkglobal.org.

Committee Members

Audrey K. Tsao, MD, Chair
Rina Jain, MD, FRCSC, Vice Chair
Cara A. Cipriano, MD, MSc
Rinelda M. Horton, MD
Claudette M. Lajam, MD
Amanda D. Marshall-Rodriguez, MD
Linda I. Suleiman, MD
Kimberly K. Tucker, MD
Antonia F. Chen, MD, MBA, BOD Liaison
Anna R. Cohen-Rosenblum, MD, YAG Committee Liaison

Committee Volunteers

Jaime L. Bellamy, DO
Jenna A. Bernstein, MD
Jessica H. Lee, MD
Elizabeth G. Lieberman, MD
Diane S. Litke, MD
Leslie M. Manohar, MD
Christine M. Pui, MD
Eric L. Smith, MD
Amy Steinhoff, MD