Orthopedic surgeon David A. Spiegel, MD, of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was awarded the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' 2017 Humanitarian Award.
Here are five things to know:
1. The AAOS' Humanitarian Award recognizes living fellows, international and emeritus members of the Academy who have led outstanding muscoskeletal-related humanitarian activities in the U.S. or abroad.
2. Dr. Spiegel has spent more than two years of his career engaging in activities at the Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children in Nepal.
3. Since Dr. Spiegel introduced the Ponseti method for clubfoot treatment to the HRDC, the hospital has used it to treat over 4,000 feet. He has led Ponseti workshops in five Chinese provinces and delivered over 200 lectures in several countries.
4. Dr. Spiegel said, "In all my years of working in low and middle-income countries, I have learned that the entire field of orthopedic surgery has to be adapted in a contextually relevant manner, given differences in pathology, the resources available, and the socio-cultural context in which the services are delivered — you are forced to redefine the field."
5. In 2006, Dr. Spiegel was recognized with the President's Call to Serve Award by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation and was awarded the Golden Apple Award from Health Volunteers Overseas in 2009, POSNA's Humanitarian Award in 2013 and the Scoliosis Research Society's Walter P. Blount Humanitarian award in 2016.
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