by Emily Stembridge
Gregory Mencio, MD, Neil E. Green, MD, Professor of Orthopaedics and chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics, has been named president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) following a year as president-elect.
“Dr. Mencio is incredibly deserving of this honor. Over the decades he has made enormous contributions to pediatric surgery, improving the lives of children suffering from traumatic injuries and inherited orthopaedic diseases. I want to congratulate him and express my appreciation for representing the Medical Center in such a distinguished manner,” said C. Wright Pinson, MBA, MD, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System Officer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Mencio was elected to the ABOS board of directors in 2015, and he has served as chair of ABOS’ credentials and research committees.
“One of the commitments we make as professionals is to keep our knowledge and skills current and to uphold the highest standards of professionalism,” said Mencio. “The ABOS has an 87-year history of serving the best interest of the public by setting standards for orthopaedic surgeons through examination, certification and recertification. It is a tremendous honor to have been elected by the board to serve as president.”
Previously, Dan Spengler, MD, Neil Green, MD, Douglas Lundy, MD, and Wright, all Vanderbilt Orthopaedics faculty or alumni, have completed presidential terms for the ABOS.
“The Department is thrilled that Dr. Gregory Mencio has ascended to the position of president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. We are proud of the tradition of Vanderbilt contributions to the board. This marks the fifth time in the history of the board that a faculty member or alumnus has served as president. We look forward to the accomplishments of the board under Dr. Mencio’s stewardship over the next year,” said Rick Wright, MD, Dan Spengler Professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Mencio earned his medical degree and completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Duke University. He completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopaedic surgery at Newington Children’s Hospital (now Connecticut Children’s Medical Center). He joined the faculty at VUMC in 1991.
Mencio has been chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt since 2006. His areas of interest include scoliosis and spinal deformity, pediatric trauma, limb lengthening and orthopaedic aspects of neuromuscular disorders.
