AAHKS was saddened to learn this week of the passing of one of its founding members, Frank A. Gottschalk, MD on November 29, 2019. Dr. Gottschalk contributed to many papers presented at AAHKS Annual Meetings over the years. He also served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Arthroplasty. Dr. Gottschalk served as a reference for new AAHKS members over the years – contributing to the growth of the organization.
His major interests early in his career were in prosthetics and orthotics and ultimately in total joint reconstruction. “Dr. Gottschalk was a vital contributor to the orthopaedic educational mission of the Department of Orthopaedics. He was Chief of the Dallas Veterans Administration Medical Center P&O Clinic and Director of the Dallas short course in P&O for many years,” said Richard “Dickey” Jones, MD, a colleague at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. According to Michael H. Huo, MD, another colleague at UT Southwestern, “He was invaluable to thousands of patients, hundreds of residents and medical students and dozens of practicing partners. He continued to attend teaching conference, journal club, and we were working on a project together still. His legacy carries on through all he touched.” Read Dr. Gottschalk’s obituary.