Rick Wright, MD, MMHC, the Dan Spengler, MD Professor, Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs, has been named President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM).
The AOSSM represents 4,200 orthopaedic surgeons and other professionals who provide comprehensive health services for the care of athletes and active people of all ages. They are also the founding partner of the STOP Sports Injuries campaign to prevent overuse and traumatic injuries in children.
“It is an incredible honor to serve as president of AOSSM at such a pivotal time for the Society,” said Wright, who joined Vanderbilt Health in 2019. “Similar to Vanderbilt Health, and in fact all of medicine, AOSSM is facing challenges in the health arena. The leadership lessons I have observed and learned in my roles at Vanderbilt Health will serve me well in leading AOSSM over the next year.”
A 28-year member of AOSSM, Wright is a past recipient of the group’s Cabaud Memorial Award and George Rovere Education Award. He has held several leadership positions over the years, including chair of the Enduring Education and Membership committees and program chair for the 2022 AOSSM Annual Meeting.
As president, Wright will lead the board of directors and help advance the society’s mission to be the global leader in sports medicine by fostering education, research, advocacy and collaboration that improve the care of athletes and active people of all ages.
Among his goals, Wright plans to publicly launch the Strive for Five campaign, “an ambitious commitment to securing the resources needed to fuel groundbreaking research and innovation,” and investing in the next generation of leaders.
“Dr. Wright is an exceptional leader whose commitment to excellence, collaboration and innovation has shaped our society for many years,” said Corey Parker, MPA, AOSSM Chief Executive Officer. “His passion for advancing sports medicine and developing future leaders makes him uniquely positioned to guide AOSSM through an exciting period of growth. I look forward to partnering with him as we continue to strengthen our impact on our members, our patients and the profession.”
