School of Medicine dean named AOA president
Stephen Kates, M.D., interim dean of the School of Medicine and executive vice president of medical affairs for VCU Health, will serve as president of the American Orthopaedic Association for the next year.
Stephen Kates, M.D., interim dean of the VCU School of Medicine, addressed fellow leaders of the American Orthopaedics Association at the group's annual leadership meeting. (Submitted photo)
On Friday, May 15, Stephen Kates, M.D., interim dean of the VCU School of Medicine, was inducted as president of the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) at the organization’s annual leadership meeting in Albuquerque, N.M.
“It is an honor and a privilege to serve the AOA in a leadership capacity at this important time in medicine and healthcare,” said Kates, who served for the past year as president-elect of the 139-year-old organization. “I’m grateful for the leadership, advocacy and support of my colleagues, and all those who have come before me. I’m optimistic that we will rise to meet the challenges ahead and create opportunities to deliver the quality orthopaedic care that is essential to thriving and healthy communities.”
Founded in 1887, the AOA is the oldest orthopaedics association in the world. Members of the organization, who earn the designation Fellows of the American Orthopaedic Association (FAOA), make up less than 10% of orthopaedic surgeons around the world.
As part of his duties, Kates will lead AOA initiatives in the U.S. and abroad in leadership development and issues facing the specialty. In his address to the group at its annual meeting, Kates discussed the aging demographics of the U.S., the aging workforce of orthopaedic surgeons and the growing demand for musculoskeletal care. He explored potential solutions to the challenges, including workforce development, innovative care models and leadership engagement.
Known as an international thought leader in his field, Kates co-developed the Geriatric Fracture Center (CFC) model of care, which standardizes the approach to geriatric fracture care using five principles. The model has been emulated in hundreds of hospitals across the U.S., U.K., Europe, Latin America and Asia.
After receiving his medical degree from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Kates completed his internship and initial residency in general surgery at Northwestern University in Chicago. He then completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y.
Kates has been at VCU since 2015, when he arrived on the MCV Campus to serve as the James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Chair in Orthopaedics of the VCU School of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He was appointed to the role of interim dean of the School of Medicine and executive vice president of medical affairs for VCU Health in December 2025 and maintains an active orthopaedic surgery practice in addition to his leadership duties.
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