J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society Member Representatives attended the AAOS’ 2025 National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC) in Washington, DC. The purpose of this annual advocacy conference is to advance a unified advocacy agenda by providing legislative and regulatory education, advocating for orthopaedic related legislation, and creating relationships with legislative decision makers on the Hill.
Pictured: Malcolm DeBaun, MD (Duke University Health System / Durham), Michael Marushack, MD (Past President, North Carolina Orthopaedic Association, ErmergeOrtho / Wilmington), Kevin Coates, MD (President, North Carolina Orthopaedic Association), W.G. Hefner (VA Medical Center / Winston-Salem), Congressman Richard Hudson (9th Congressional District, North Carolina), Erica Taylor, MD (Duke University Health System / Wake Forest), Lucas Romine, MD (ErmergeOrtho / Clayton), Ned Amendola, MD, FAAOS (President / American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University Health System / Durham).
Malcolm DeBaun, MD, served as one of the Gladden Society Representatives at OrthoPAC’s National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC) 2025. Reflecting on the experience, Dr. DeBaun stated: “I was honored to represent the Gladden Society and share the perspective of an orthopaedic trauma surgeon on Capitol Hill. Advocacy is about building relationships and being part of solutions—promoting excellence in patient care through strong narratives and reasoned dialogue.”
Together with the North Carolina delegation, which included Gladden Member Drs. Amandola, DeBaun, and Taylor, he discussed key advocacy priorities, including prior authorization reform, Medicare payment reform, continued support for peer-reviewed orthopaedic research (PRORP) funding, and the role of physician-owned hospitals.
Gladden Members, Left to Right: Lattisha Bilbrew MD, Alysia Kemp MD, Nathan Gause MD, Erica Taylor MD, Michael Parks MD, Kwadwo Owusu-Akyah MD, Amelia Sorenson MD, Shawn Price MD, Wayne Johnson MD.
Gladden Members on the AAOS Board of Specialty Societies (BOS) and Gladden Member Representatives are advocating for policies that promote access to high-quality orthopedic care for all.
Together with the BOS, BOC, AAOS Board of Directors, JRGOS members advocated for key issues, including Medicare payment reform, prior authorization, and physician-led hospitals.
From Left to Right: Izuchukwu Ibe MD, Valerae Lewis MD,Alysia Kemp MD, Shawn Price MD, Erica Taylor MD, and Nathan Gause MD.
JRGOS Members from across the country connected at National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC) in Washington, DC and advanced policy priorities that determine the future of musculoskeletal care.
First photo (left to right): David Brogan, MD; Troy Morrison, MD; Richard Ma, MD; Alex Lawrence (Legislative Assistant for Senator Josh Hawley, MO); L. Nathan Gause, MD; Jaime Bellamy, DO.
Dr. Nathan Gause is the AAOS BOS representative for JRGOS (Gladden Society) and is a member of the Missouri delegation at OrthoPAC’s NOLC 2025.
Dr. Gause and the Missouri delegation discussed Medicare payment reform which addresses the 7.5% drop in the physician fee schedule since 2020, supporting a permanent fix through an improved conversion factor that accounts for inflation, prior authorization by reducing administrative barriers that delay or limit patient care, physician-owned hospitals by protecting and expanding physician-led models of care, and PROP (Peer-reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program) which restores the $30M cut, and ensures continued support for research with direct clinical impact.
Pictured (left to right): Marcus Purnell, MD; Charles Preston, MD; Ami Bera, MD (Congressman, Sacramento County); Amelia Sorensen, MD; and Mauro Giordani, MD.
Dr. Amelia Sorensen, served as a Gladden Society Representative at AAOS’ NOLC 2025, and reported that 21 physicians currently serve as members of Congress—an important presence that strengthens AAOS advocacy on issues such as prior authorization and physician payment.
Together with the California delegation, Dr. Sorensen highlighted the importance of efforts of the Physician Caucus to safeguard funding and protect patient access, while underscoring the broader importance of physician advocacy and leadership in shaping health care policy at both the state and national levels.
Drs. Wayne Johnson, Alysia Kemp, and Erica Taylor, attended the Symposium on Prior Authorization. Rules, Legislation, and New Challenges. Gladden Members on the AAOS Board of Specialty Societies (BOS) and Gladden Member Representatives are advocating for policies that promote access to high-quality orthopedic care for all. Together with the BOS, BOC, AAOS Board of Directors, and JRGOS members advocated for key issues, including Medicare payment reform, prior authorization, and physician-led hospitals.
