By David Teuscher, MD President, Texas Orthopaedic Association It has been a great honor to serve as your President of the Texas Orthopaedic Association. I want to personally request your presence and active participation at the 2007 TOA Annual Meeting and Scientific Session to be held on May 10th – 13th at

the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas.

Activities begin Thursday afternoon with a Billing and Collections Course titled Get Paid Now! ‘Collect From Insurance Companies & Patients’ presented by Jerry Bridge, founder and president of Bridge Practice Management Group, Inc.  This course is open to orthopaedic surgeons and office staff.

On Friday morning we will visit our elected leaders in the Texas Capitol to discuss the many issues affecting our practice and our patients.  If you have not been on Texas Capitol visits before, or if you want a “refresher course”, we will have a primer session Friday morning before heading up to the Texas Capitol.  Everyone in a leadership role in Texas orthopaedics will be there so can be assured that you will be paired up with some seasoned colleagues.

The Capitol visits will be followed with a luncheon with an Open Microphone session at the Four Season Hotel.  Friday afternoon we will offer members and their staff a choice of a Workers’ Compensation Seminar or the Clinician-Patient Communication Course. The Communications Course will get you 4.5 hours of CME and a 3% discount on your liability premium if you are insured by TMLT.

The Friday evening reception will feature Col. James R. Ficke, MD, Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center presenting From Iraq - Back to Iraq: Modern Combat Orthopaedic Care.  This presentation will specifically concentrate on war injuries and their current treatment by our Texas military colleagues. We plan to invite legislators and their staff to this social and informational event.

The Program Committee has put together an incredible display of educational offerings during our Saturday sessions including scientific papers, poster presentations and exhibitors that highlight the cutting edge of Texas orthopaedic care. Our 2007 Keynote Speaker, Bernard F. Morrey, MD, Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, will present "The Elbow" on Saturday afternoon. Immediately after that, the 5^th Annual Resident Quiz Bowl will feature teams of two residents from each of Texas’ orthopaedic training programs competing for the highly coveted traveling trophy, title, and bragging rights. Dr. Mark Brinker’s orthopaedic brain-teasers challenge the contestants and delight orthopaedists and spouses alike.

We have scheduled activities throughout the meeting the entire family can enjoy, so plan to bring your spouse and family to this exciting event.  The Four Seasons Hotel is conveniently located near Town Lake, the Austin Children's Museum, Barton Springs, Botanical Gardens, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and Zilker Park. We want you to make a special note of our Sunday, May 13^th event; the renowned Four Seasons Mother’s Day Brunch in the fabulous San Jacinto Room. This will be a great way to show your favorite Mothers how much you care.

As always, your association provides complimentary registration for the annual meeting as one of the many benefits of TOA membership. All Texas orthopaedic interns, residents, and fellows are welcome to attend as our guest.  Mark your calendar and register for this important and historic event today. I look forward to seeing you in Austin in May.