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Membership in professional organizations, such as the South Carolina Orthopaedic Association, should deliver relevant and timely value which both justifies and exceeds basic member expectations for provided services. Since 1950, the Association has provided a singular visibility and leadership for orthopaedists in South Carolina. Today some 200 orthopaedists are Active members having a continued mission of increasing public awareness and health care improvement for persons with musculoskeletal impairments. Some specific outcomes of this mission follow:
Educational Leadership
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SCOA supports and provides opportunities for continuing medical education through annual scientific meetings and periodic special workshops such as Coding for Orthopaedics and Managing Your Practice: Improving the Bottom Line.
- SCOA supports orthopaedic residency programs through annual stipends which make possible resident participation at annual meetings and tangentially encourages entrance into a South Carolina practice through extended networking among SCOA members.
- SCOA provides annual financial support for activities sponsored by the Orthopaedic Research & Education Foundation (OREF) of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Professionalism
- SCOA publishes periodic newsletters and other timely member communications which address such issues as medical malpractice tort reform, Medicare issues, code changes, EMTALA, HIPPA, AAOS activities, etc.
- Through its annual meeting, and corporate network of orthopaedic vendors, SCOA provides an invaluable network for the exchange of information critical for improved health care.
- SCOA maintains an internet website for members and their patients to both facilitate member communications, support educational searches and serve as a potential internet platform for development of member websites.
Advocacy
- SCOA gives South Carolina orthopaedists an avenue for participation in community outreach ‘Good Neighbor’ activities such as: being a major financial sponsor for the Charleston Brittlebank Park, a safe and fully accessible playground for physically challenged children.
- SCOA monitors South Carolina and Congressional legislative issues of vital interest to orthopaedists and their patients; provides members with timely legislative alerts via email and fax blasts; and supports appropriate requests and actions of the South Carolina Medical Association
- SCOA has within the past three years taken a leadership role in blocking a change in scope of practice for podiatrists in South Carolina (A model for similar action in other states); spearheaded efforts for medical malpractice tort reform in South Carolina and most recently has been an active advocate for physician owned physical therapy services.
- SCOA leadership meets regularly with the South Carolina Congressional delegation and has strongly supported patients rights legislation and medical malpractice tort reform.
- SCOA successfully lobbied the South Carolina General Assembly and Governor’s Office to officially endorse the Decade of the Bone & Joint: 2000-2010.
- Members have direct access to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons through SCOA representation on the Board of Councilors, the policy making arm of the AAOS. The AAOS has just made a $20,000 grant to the SCOA for development of a grassroots advocacy statewide network.
The South Carolina Orthopaedic Association offers real value for its membership. An annual dues of $ 475 is within the average national state orthopaedic society medium level. The Association is your orthopaedic voice in Columbia and Washington. It is your primary South Carolina professional specialty organization.
A unified orthopaedic voice represents power…numbers make a difference….your membership can make a difference. Make a difference for yourself, your colleagues and your patients! Your continued SCOA membership is vital to your interests and the interests of other orthopaedists across South Carolina.
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