Greetings, IOS members – time seems to fly, and we are, over 6 months after the spring meeting. Fall is my favorite season of the year. Football is in full swing, and in my opinion, it is the best time to be outdoors in Iowa.

I recently returned from the NOLC/AAOS meeting in Washington DC. I experienced firsthand the advocacy efforts of the AAOS along side, Drs. Igram and Nepola, and some great residents from the University of Iowa Orthopedic program. This was my first experience visiting legislators and taking part in the efforts for needed healthcare reform. It was very interesting, and it was definitely a learning experience for me.

Even though we are still in the fall of 2023, we are already looking forward towards 2024. We have chosen a date for the Spring 2024 IOS meeting. It will be on Friday, May 3, so please plan to save the date! We will be holding it at a new venue this year, the Hilton in downtown Des Moines.

As I took over the IOS president role last spring, there was discussion amongst the board of how to keep our society strong, and how to keep orthopedic surgeons interested and in attending our spring meeting.

The question was raised, “What is or should be the main role and goal of the iOS?” Certainly in today’s day and age CME’s are easy and convenient to come by online. My opinion would be the true value lies in a couple of other factors. Firstly, it’s important to have a strong state society in the case of lobbying efforts and forwarding the goals of the orthopedic surgeons in our state.

Secondly, it is keeping and fostering a sense of community and professionalism amongst us, orthopedic surgeons. In today’s age of technology and busy world, I feel there still value in face-to-face meetings, handshakes, being able to put a face with a name. I would greatly encourage you all to attend the meeting this spring, and encourage your younger partners to come as well. Taking a day from a busy practice can be difficult, but the value in maintaining good professional relationships with other surgeons in our state as we all strive to take great care of our patients should not be overlooked.

More to come, and hope to see you all in Des Moines in May.

Matt DeWall
DMOS
President of the IOS