California Orthopaedic Association

The California Orthopaedic Association (COA) was organized by officers of the six California chapters of the Western Orthopaedic Association (WOA) on October 27, 1975.

A meeting was arranged and hosted by Dr. J. Harold LaBriola, immediate past president of the Los Angeles chapter of the WOA. The chairman presented the need to represent California orthopaedic surgeons in socioeconomic and legislative affairs statewide and nationally. Motions to form the COA passed, as did a motion that it be structured as a non-profit corporation with an IRS 501(c)(6) tax status to allow for lobbying and other activities to influence legislation and policy. The next several months were spent organizing, and finally the first officers were elected on February 2, 1976, prior to an AAOS meeting.

Mission

Protect orthopedic surgeon's right to practice quality musculoskeletal care by monitoring and taking an active role in legislative and regulatory issues impacting orthopaedic practice and their patients.

• Prepare our members for the changing dynamics of health care and how that impacts their practice by holding Practice Survival courses at our Annual Meeting.
• Keep members informed through e-mail alerts, publishing a quarterly newsletter, the COA Report, and maintaining a website of the latest orthopaedic news, CME meetings, and billing tips.
• Develop educational tools to assist our members in preparing for their Board recertification exams.
• Represent the orthopaedic community through coalitions comprised of consumer, payors, and other medical specialty groups to improve musculoskeletal care.
• Maintain a liaison with carriers/bill review companies (group health, Medicare, Workers' Compensation, Medi-Cal) to routinely discuss orthopaedic billing problems.
• Work with nationwide actuarial firms who have developed orthopaedic clinical practice guidelines in an effort to change those guidelines which do not represent sound musculoskeletal care.
• Develop and maintain a legislative key contact system comprised of orthopaedic surgeons and orthopaedic office managers who are willing to contact their state and federal elected officials on orthopaedic issues to develop lines of communication in an effort to educate them on orthopaedic issues, so that they are able to make more informed health care decisions.
• Provide scientific and educational opportunities by offering Category I Continuing Medical Education Credits and courses accredited by the Division of Worker's Compensation for Qualified Medical Evaluators at our Annual Meeting and through on-line and home-study courses.
• Interact with orthopaedic residents to educate them on the business aspects of orthopaedic practice and provide an opportunity for them to present their research and receive an award at our Annual Meeting.
• Represent California orthopaedist's interest with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. COA is responsible for electing members of the California Board of Councilors, lobbying the Academy on national issues, and participating at the AAOS National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. to provide input to Members of Congress and other federal public officials.
• Publish a Membership Directory, a valuable resource for keeping in contact with other orthopaedists in California.