The Academic Orthopaedic Consortium (AOC) is proud to announce the establishment of the AOC Women’s Executive Leadership Forum, which will provide a series of important initiatives and a national network specifically for its female administrative members. The Forum is made possible by the generous support of Breg, Inc., a market leader in orthopedic device manufacturing and DME program management, and a long-time sponsor of the AOC.
“When I surveyed the Orthopaedic Chairs across the AOC about the value of establishing additional leadership programs and a national network exclusively for our female administrative leaders, their response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive, and they encouraged us to move forward,”
– Michael Gagnon, Founder and CEO, AOC
Last year, AOC membership grew by more than 37%, now connecting more than 126 university-based orthopaedic programs, and female administrative members now outnumber male administrative members within the organization. When Gagnon approached Brad Lee, President and CEO of Breg, with the idea of building on the momentum of female leadership within AOC, Lee recognized the importance of the work and asked how his company could support the initiative.
“We believe deeply in supporting our clinical partners as they navigate the complexities of the modern healthcare system, and we understand that one of the best ways to do that is to give them more opportunities to learn from each other and innovate together. The Forum will be an avenue for women to come together and advance the profession, and Breg is thrilled to be part of that.”
– Brad Lee, President and CEO, Breg
Research has shown that having access to strong professional networks is critical to navigating career pathways, enhancing learning curves, and improving the performance of individuals and the entities they serve. Just in the last 18 months, publications such as Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Nature have provided research that brings to light how women can uniquely benefit from being part of female-led professional networks that are purely comprised of females, especially in traditionally male-dominated occupations.
The AOC Women’s Executive Leadership Forum will be led by Bobette Patterson, Chief Administrative Officer for the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Iowa and Vice President of the AOC. Webinars, peer mentorship, and symposium within the annual meeting specific to topics the members prioritize will be the focal points (i.e. negotiation, recognition, optimizing peer networks, conflict resolution, managing career trajectory).
“The AOC Women’s Executive Leadership Forum will allow for dialogue, education, and mentorship for a key group of professionals who have had similar challenges throughout our careers,” Patterson said. “This is extremely exciting and will reach beyond the AOC by also including ‘experts’ who have achieved career success outside of the musculoskeletal world. I am humbled and energized to help lead these efforts with direction from our female membership.”
The announcement is already generating excitement among the AOC members.
“The Forum will empower female executive members to be leaders and innovators in their organizations. I’m looking forward to leadership, education, and networking support that will be beneficial for personal and professional growth.”
– Ann Juengermann, Chief Administrative Officer, University of Missouri
