Michael Parks, MD, of HSS Receives Diversity Award from American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

LAS VEGAS, March 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael L. Parks, MD, clinical director of Orthopedic Surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, today received the 2019 Diversity Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). 

The Diversity Award recognizes members of the Academy who have distinguished themselves through their outstanding commitment to making orthopedics more representative of, and accessible to, diverse patient populations, according to the organization. Dr. Parks received the award at the Academy's 2019 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.

"I am honored to be recognized by the AAOS," Dr. Parks said. "In order to provide care for an ever increasing diverse population, we must understand their needs. The diversity of our faces helps with this understanding and ultimately our ability to provide excellent care for the patients we serve."

Dr. Parks specializes in total joint replacement at HSS, where he is vice chair for Quality and serves on the hospital's Board of Trustees. He has led a number of research projects at HSS, with a particular interest in socioeconomic and racial disparities in access to arthritis care and total joint replacement surgery. He has published numerous articles in professional journals related to these topics.

"HSS strives to deliver optimal care and services to all of our patients by adopting initiatives, behaviors, attitudes, and policies that enhance cultural competency and inclusion while serving diverse populations," said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of HSS. "We applaud Dr. Parks for his efforts and his work in this area, and are extremely proud that a member of the HSS staff has received the AAOS Diversity Award."

Colleagues describe Dr. Parks as an exemplary leader who is actively involved in many organizations working to eliminate racial, ethnic and gender disparities for both patients and future physicians.  

In 2018, Dr. Parks was named president of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. He is a former president of the New York State Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons and has served on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.

Dr. Parks is a member of the steering committee of the Movement is Life Caucus, which seeks to understand and address disparities in musculoskeletal health care. He is also actively involved with Nth Dimensions, a nonprofit organization that works to increase representation of women and minorities in orthopedic surgery.

Dr. Parks was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. He graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and went on to earn his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where he received the President's Clinical Science Award. After completing an internship in general and thoracic surgery, followed by an orthopedic residency at Duke University Medical Center, he continued his training at Hospital for Special Surgery with a fellowship on the Hip and Knee Service.

About HSS | Hospital for Special Surgery
HSS is the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the ninth consecutive year) and No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S.News & World Report (2018-2019). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has one of the lowest infection rates in the country and was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center four consecutive times. The global standard total knee replacement was developed at HSS in 1969. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State. In addition, HSS will be opening a new facility in Florida in late 2019. In 2018, HSS provided care to 139,000 patients and performed more than 32,000 surgical procedures, and people from all 50 U.S. states and 80 countries travelled to receive care at HSS. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. The HSS Global Innovation Institute was formed in 2016 to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is the world's leading provider of education on musculoskeletal health, with its online learning platform offering more than 600 courses to more than 21,000 medical professional members worldwide. Through HSS Global Ventures, the institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally.

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery

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