The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) has elected new leadership from University of Minnesota Physicians. Ann Van Heest, MD, an M Physicians Orthopedic hand surgeon, will now serve as the secretary of the ABOS Board of Directors.

“I look forward to my responsibilities in guiding the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, as it carries out it’s responsibility of setting standards and ensuring competence for the practice of orthopedic surgery in the United States, serving to protect the public,” Dr. Van Heest said. “In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, new opportunities and innovations exist in advancing competency-based medical education for orthopedic surgery residents and fellows, as well as adapting board certification and maintenance of certification in the virtual environment.”

Dr. Van Heest, who is serving a 10-year term on the ABOS Board of Directors alongside 21 others on the Board of Directors, will serve in this one-year term, officer position as secretary. Her service to the ABOS first began in 2015 when she was elected to serve as the chair of the ABOS Graduate Medical Education and Subspecialty Certification Committees. Nominations for the position come from the American Orthopaedic Association, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Medical Association.

To begin her career, Dr. Van Heest earned her medical degree and completed her orthopedic surgery residency from the University of Minnesota Medical School. She completed fellowships in hand surgery and pediatric orthopedic surgery from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Children's Hospital in Boston. Today, she specializes in hand surgery.

A press release states that the ABOS was founded in 1934 as a private, voluntary, nonprofit, independent organization to serve the best interests of the public and the medical profession. These interests are achieved through the ABOS by establishing standards for the education of orthopaedic surgeons, which are evaluated by the ABOS through examinations and practice evaluations. More information can be found at www.abos.org.