BIDMC Othopaedic Trauma Service Year in Review, 2011-2012

By: Edward K.Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D, Paul Appleton, M.D.

The Orthopaedic Trauma Service continues to thrive at BIDMC and 2011 has been a productive year for all of us in the clinical and research areas. Our closer communication and collaboration with the trauma services at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital has resulted in the initiation of several multicenter studies. We have worked together at streamlining inter-institutional IRB approval processes for clinical studies with the assistance of our outstanding research staff (Katiri Wagner and Lindsay Herder). We also have increased our participation in inter-institutional combined-trauma research meetings while continuing to work towards creating a future framework for even closer collaboration in the form of a truly combined Harvard Orthopaedic Trauma Service. For the first time since 2004, we have had the MGH fellows credentialed with clinical privileges at BIDMC and have welcomed their participation in selected cases. We are looking forward to closer clinical and research ties in the years to come.

Our primary dedication to resident education has continued with our usual busy operative responsibilities for the PGY 4 and 5 residents as well as increased operative participation for the PGY3 and 2 residents.  Our efforts at increasing resident operative experience have been rewarded with motivating reviews by our residents who continue to rank us highly in their reviews of our service. We are looking forward to many more years offering our mentorship model of resident education in which each senior resident works with one attending for their entire rotation. We have worked hard at limiting the administrative burden on our residents by working with a dedicated trauma NP (Nicole Desrosiers) who manages all our outpatient clinical issues and two inpatient PAs (Scott Herman and Barry Griffin). We have a highly motivated trauma team consisting of our permanent staff plus a complement of 4 orthopedic residents, an intern, and an EW resident who is first responder to all EW consults during the daytime. Our intraoperative team (Angela Kelly and Brett Mactavish) continue to make going to the OR the best part of our jobs. We are also grateful for the support of our superb trauma administrative staff (Mary Gillen, Kathy Donovan and Louisa DelloIacono) who keep our service running smoothly and our patients happy.

Over the last two years the BIDMC also has offered modest educational grants for thesis support for orthopedic residents choosing to do the projects with us to cover minor research expenses. Additionally, we have increased our collaboration in basic sciences and translational studies with the Center for Advanced Orthopaedic Sciences (CAOS) at BIDMC, led by Dr. Chris Evans. At present, we are involved in novel work studying options for infection prevention in orthopedic implants as well as exploring a new approach to femoroplasty for geriatric fracture prevention, both studies in close collaboration with Ara Nazarian at CAOS.

We are grateful to our BIDMC orthopaedic partners and leaders,  as well as to the greater Harvard Orthopedic Community for their continued support and, particularly, to our residents for their devotion to their work and their camaraderie. They are the reason we love what we do.