In the News

The Orthopaedic Trauma Institute Holds its Annual Holiday Party for Children Recovering from Orthopaedic Injuries

The Orthopaedic Trauma Institute (OTI) at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) will host its annual holiday party on Thursday, December 20, 2007 from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. in Room 3M during the Orthopaedic Pediatrics Clinic. The department’s own Santa Claus will distribute toys donated by the community and hospital staff to children recovering from orthopaedic injuries.

“Our toy drive has been a great success in past years, and we’re expecting this year to be the biggest ever due to the generous support of our donors and the enthusiasm of our staff,” said Theodore Miclau, MD, Vice Chairman and Professor of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at SFGH. “It’s heartwarming to see the department and the community rally together to help these children forget about their injuries and enjoy the holidays.”

D. Trinh Pham, DPM, joins UCSF Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery

We are very pleased to announce that D. Trinh Pham, DPM, has accepted a position as a member of our faculty at SFGH. She will be a welcome addition to our busy Foot and Ankle service. Dr Pham graduated from Saint Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas with a B.S. in Biochemistry, and then went on to the California School of podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, California where she graduated in 2004. She was awarded the school's Scepter Award of Excellence as she exemplified the qualities of scholarship and devotion to the interests of patients. Dr Pham rotated through SFGH in her third and fourth years of Podiatry school. She was a resident in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Denver, Colorado for the past three years, where she distinguished herself as a well respected team player as well as a leader in her Chief Resident year. Dr Pham and her husband look forward to returning to the community that they loved while she was a student.

Alfred Chung Kuo, M.D., Ph.D., joins UCSF Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery

We are very pleased to announce that Alfred Chung Kuo, M.D., Ph.D. has accepted a position as a member of our faculty and will start here on September 3. Dr. Kuo graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Biochemistry, and then went on to receive a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and his M.D. at UCSF as part of the medical scientist training program. He was a resident in Orthopaedic surgery and a research fellow at the University of California, Davis and is now completing a fellowship in lower extremity reconstruction at the Scripps Clinic. Dr. Kuo has received numerous awards and has published papers in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, the Journal of Arthroplasty, and the Journal of Cell Biology. He will work closely with Dr. Hubert Kim at the Veterans Hospital, attend surgery and clinic at SFGH, and continue his basic research.

Drink Locally, Act Globally

The Homestead Bar and Restaurant, located on 19th and Folsom, has generously offered to sponsor events for the Department's International Orthopaedics efforts through a weekly "Happy hour". A portion of the sales from the "drink locally, act globally" event will be donated to the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation to the International Fund set up through the SFGH Orthopaedics Division. Happy hours for this event will be held every Thursday from 5pm through 7:30pm. Please make every effort to attend; your support is greatly appreciated!

Insights Into Better Healing Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon Ted Miclau

Ted Miclau never had an epiphany, a single moment when he knew he needed to work in the lab to become a better orthopedic trauma surgeon. But as he developed his surgical skills, including new ways to repair bones through small
incisions, or "minimally invasive" procedures, he was plagued by a growing unease. "Orthopedic surgeons have had tremendous success as structural technicians for bones," says Miclau. "If we put the pieces back together with limited damage to the surrounding tissues and blood supply, the body takes over and does the necessary repair—most of the time."

R. Richard Coughlin, MD, MSc

R. Richard Coughlin, MD, MSc, became Chair of Orthopaedics Overseas, the largest division of Health Volunteers Overseas, last month. Dr. Coughlin is currently an Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. "I am truly honored and challenged by the opportunity to serve as Chair of the orthopaedics division of Health Volunteers Overseas," said Coughlin. "I aspire to continue the strong tradition of this highly effective organization in addressing the inequalities in healthcare that affect most of our world.

Teaching the humanitarian message

2006 Humanitarian Award winner shares his philosophy with residents. One of the most important lessons R. Richard Coughlin, MD, an associate clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), believes he can give to orthopaedic residents is the knowledge than many people don't have access to quality health care.

To accomplish this goal, Dr. Coughlin, the 2006 AAOS Humanitarian award winner, was instrumental in starting a program that allows orthopaedic residents to do a residency rotation in South Africa.

R. Rick Coughlin received the AAOS 2006 Humanitarian Award

Richard Coughlin, MD, a trauma and foot and ankle specialist at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) Medical Center and an associate clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery at UCSF, was honored by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

Coughlin received the AAOS 2006 Humanitarian Award on March 24 at the organization's annual meeting in Chicago.

The award recognizes an AAOS fellow for outstanding musculoskeletal-related humanitarian activities in the United States and abroad. Included in the award is a $5,000 donation to Coughlin's volunteer organization of choice, Orthopaedics Overseas.

Three recent stories about Orthopaedic Surgery at SFGH

Nestled at the foot of Potrero Hill in the city's Mission District, the public hospital has been an essential part of San Francisco's health care system since 1872. Considered one of the finest public hospitals in the US, the General, as many refer to it, offers humanistic, cost-effective and culturally competent care to an international community of patients regardless of their ability to pay. This history has had a strong impact on the hospital's culture and creed.

For the past 133 years, SFGH has been a partner in public health with UCSF. The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery supplies some of the best trained faculty providing patient care services, conducting research and teaching at SFGH as part of that long history. Dr. Ted Miclau recently sat down and offered Michael Barnes some Insights Into Better Healing. Mr. Barnes then wrote about two of Dr. Miclau's patients in Dedication And Care Restores Motion and Advanced Treatment Gives Motorcyclist A Leg Up.

Leading by Example: AOPA's 2006 President Walter Racette, CPO

"Membership has its privileges, but it also has its responsibilities." Walter Racette, CPO, first heard the adage 30 years ago, and these days, as he assumes the top leadership role on AOPA's board of directors, the saying resonates loudly with him. "I'm convinced we have gone away from our responsibilities.to educate and really get people involved and revved up about the issues," he remarked.

In talking with AOPA's new president, it is clear Racette is committed to leading by example and reclaiming that responsibility. "I want to talk to members. I want to hear from them. I want their feedback."

Theodore Miclau, III, MD appointed Interim Chair

David Kessler is pleased to announce that Theodore Miclau, III, MD has been appointed interim chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, effective September 1, while the search for a permanent chair continues.

Dr. Miclau has been on UCSF's faculty since 1996. He is professor and vice chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery, director of Orthopaedic Trauma and chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at San Francisco General Hospital. He serves on many local and national committees, editorial review boards and grant-review panels. For three years, he has been chair of the Research Committee of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association. He has published over 75 research papers and 10 book chapters. He is an internationally recognized expert on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of bone regeneration and repair, locally applied antibiotics, and minimally-invasive fracture surgery.

2005 John Border memorial Fellow

AO North America President John Wilber and AO International President Tom Ruedi have announced that Dr. Milan Sen has been selected as the 2005 recipient of the John Border Memorial Fellowship.

Dr. Sen received his orthopaedic training at McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, and is currently an Orthopaedic Trauma Fellow at the Hospital for Special Surgery, under the direction of Dr. David Helfet. He will take the the John Border fellowship with Dr. Ladi Nagyu, in Zurich, and Dr. Ueli Buchler, in Berne.

We congratualte Dr. Sen for being selected as the fourth AO North America John Border Fellow.

UCSF Prosthetic Patient Summits Mount Everest
Nawang Sherpa, who last May became the first man with a prosthetic leg to summit Mount Everest, delivered hope to patients at UCSF recently. Sherpa, flanked by two friends and fellow mountain climbers, told a tale of courage and conviction on March 25 as a guest of the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The department hosted a reception for Sherpa - one of its most prominent successes - inviting fellow amputees and their families to hear his story and view the video (Windows Media) chronicling his remarkable trek.Read Full Article.

Injuries Account For $117 Billion In Medical Costs Annually...
according to the first national report on fatal and non-fatal injuries released by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC). Unintentional injury is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S; about one in every three people treated in an emergency department is treated for an injury. In 2001, an estimated 29.7 million people (1 in 10 U.S. residents) were treated for nonfatal injuries in hospital emergency departments. Motor vehicle crashes accounted for more than 2.9 million nonfatal occupant injuries in hospital emergency departments; unintentional falls accounted for more than 7.8 million non fatal injuries and among adults 65 years or older, fall-related injuries accounted for 62 percent of unintentional injuries. The complete report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/ss/ss5307.pdf
(Acrobat Reader required).

Educational Trip Turned To India Earthquake Relief by UCSF Orthopaedic Surgeons
Two UCSF Orthopaedic Surgeons were on a Group Study Exchange in Agra, India, assisting with the development of a charity polio treatment hospital and visiting many cities in the process. All was going as planned . . . when on January 26th, 2002, the Gujarat Earthquake occurred.

Drs. R. Richard Coughlin and Vikas Patel were unaware of the magnitude and devastation of the disaster and had a hard time getting up-to-date information after the quake. In India, communications were few and current information scant. Our doctors requested a short leave from the exchange group and made their way to Disa, near the quake-zone.

With the help of a general surgeon from Bombay, they were able to triage the more than 300 severely injured patients and get the individuals with major and infected wounds to the operating room. Eventually, our surgeons began performing some fracture cases, most of which were open extremity fractures and wounds. After a full, exhausting week, they were relieved by two orthopaedic and one general surgeon from Bombay. For Dr. Coughlin and Dr. Patel, being in the right place at the right time turned into more than they had bargained for. However, the earthquake victims got the best of this bargain, receiving expert care from seasoned medical professionals at a time when their world had turned upside-down. Read Full Article.

San Jose's Only Trauma Center to Close Unexpectedly
In an abrupt announcement the owners of the financially troubled San Jose Medical Center said Wednesday they will close it Dec. 9, rather than in 2007 as previously planned. The shuttering of the landmark institution will leave San Jose without a downtown acute-care hospital, emergency room or trauma center for the first time since the 1920s.  The usual load of 100 or more emergency room patients will be diverted to several area hospitals...

Trauma Center Closures are a California State Concern

A letter to Governor Schwarzenegger detailing the deepening hospital crisis in California. The President of the California Healthcare Association describes the impact of recent trauma center closures. Read Full Article (Acrobat Reader required)