Embargoed for Release: February 17, 2011

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John R. Tongue, MD, Named First Vice President of AAOS

SAN DIEGO—Orthopaedic surgeon John R. Tongue, MD, of Lake Oswego, Ore., became the first vice president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) at its 2011 Annual Meeting in San Diego.

An active member of the AAOS, Dr. Tongue has served for the past year as the Academy’s second vice president, served as the Chair of the Board of Councilors and has previously volunteered on numerous committees and task forces, including the Council on Education, the Committee on Public Education and the Council on Research.

“We (orthopaedic surgeons) have the best job in medicine by far—it is a very positive experience improving people’s quality of life. Having your patients remember you, thank you and trust you – that’s my fuel. I believe in this specialty we can help everyone – people of all ages and from all backgrounds and lifestyles and it is immensely rewarding to have that opportunity,” said Dr. Tongue.

Dr. Tongue has received numerous honors and accolades, including the AAOS Humanitarian Award, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association Public Service Award for his work in passing the Oregon Safety Belt Law, and the Oregon Medical Association’s Doctor-Citizen of the Year award.

“Road safety has been my personal focus for some time. So, it is timely that the Academy has a national PSA initiative warning about the threat of orthopaedic trauma associated with distracted driving. This initiative combines my two priorities – communications and safety – in a very important way,” said Dr. Tongue, who initiated the AAOS Communication Skills Mentoring Program in 2000. “Improving communication with our members, patients and the media will continue to be some of my top priorities.”

A graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and the St. Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri, Dr. Tongue served as an intern and general surgery resident at the University of Oregon Medical School in Portland, Ore. He then completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the San Francisco Orthopaedic Residency Training Program. He completed a sports medicine fellowship at the Orthopaedic Fracture Clinic in Eugene, Ore., and a hand surgery fellowship at the University of California in San Francisco.

Currently, Dr. Tongue maintains his private practice in Tualatin, Ore., and also is a clinical associate professor at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland.

“Within the Academy’s leadership structure, I represent the majority of our membership, who are community practitioners. I share their concerns about running a private practice while balancing a surgical and office schedule. One of my messages is that surgeons in all areas of our medical specialty must get involved as volunteers of this remarkable community of orthopaedic learners so we continue to have a balanced view of the state of orthopaedics,” said Dr. Tongue.

Active in several professional societies, Dr. Tongue is a member of the American Orthopaedic Association, the Western Orthopaedic Association, and the Oregon Medical Association. He also has authored more than 80 publications, book chapters and presentations.

"As we continue to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead for the specialty, John’s passion and commitment to patients, safety and communication will be a strong guide. John is a voice for our fellow surgeons in community practice and his dedication to the Academy and its membership is remarkable. I look forward to serving with John in the year ahead,” explained AAOS President Daniel Berry, MD.

When not volunteering or seeing patients, Dr. Tongue enjoys fly fishing, skiing and spending time with his wife Nancy and their three children.

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