| Plexus Consulting Group | Success Stories | ||
| American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) |
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American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 6300 North River Road
Plexus Consulting Group, LLC |
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Vital Stats: With more than 25,000 members, the Academy is the world's largest
and most influential medical organization of orthopaedic surgeons
dedicated to providing the highest quality musculoskeletal care. The Challenge | The Solution | The Process | Unforseen Benefits | Measurements & Results | Lessons Learned
How to promote the specialty of orthopaedic surgery while demonstrating that orthopaedic surgeons care about their patients and communities? AAOS had done research to gauge the public's knowledge about the
orthopaedic surgery specialty and concluded that not only was there
a broad lack of knowledge about the profession, but also a lack of
familiarity with orthopaedic surgeons themselves. The surgeons were
not widely viewed as the caring, professional physicians that they
are. Subsequently, AAOS set out to develop public relations programs
to define and inform the public about the specialty and also to show
that "orthopaedic surgeons care."
AAOS created a traveling art exhibit to tell the story of orthopaedics in an innovative way and show that orthopaedic surgeons are caring and compassionate physicians. In April of 2000, a Call for Entries went out to artists worldwide, asking those who currently have or had experienced an orthopaedic condition to submit their work and tell their stories for a themed art exhibit, eMotion Pictures: An Exhibition of Orthopaedics in Art. Both adult artists and children were asked to share their art that illustrated, although not necessarily figurative or representational, some aspect of the artist's feelings concerning their orthopaedic condition. These experiences included:
The response was overwhelming. More than 1,400 entries were received
from 17 countries and 43 states, illustrating the broad spectrum of
orthopaedic conditions and experiences. Orthopaedic surgeons told
of how they felt about making a difference in peoples' lives, their
frustrations with a sometimes less-than-perfect result, and spoke
of their commitment to the patients they care for. The artists' words
were strong and the artwork powerful. eMotion Pictures: An Exhibition
of Orthopaedics in Art opened at the Herbst International Exhibition
Hall at the San Francisco Presidio, from February 19, 2001 to March
20, 2001. Additional exhibitions were planned throughout the year. The process behind eMotion Pictures involved the following steps:
Artist notification Logistics Marketing Screening of Entries
Artist Notification Logistics
AAOS had not anticipated the overwhelming response that the exhibit would generate from its members and the general public. The success in San Francisco launched a traveling roadshow, with the next stop in Washington, DC. Through the support raised from the industry ($521,000 to date) subsequent exhibits are in planning phases. The AAOS has confirmed the following dates and cities for additional exhibitions from 2001 to 2003:
AAOS predicts that over 250,000 people will visit the exhibits through
2002. "Beyond expectations." The team effort involved in the monumental and unprecedented undertaking
was extensive. The public response to the exhibit was overwhelming,
and the result beyond the wildest expectations of anyone at AAOS.
Once the exhibit was ready for 'prime time', the audience was mesmerized.
Yaacov Agam, the world famous Israeli artist and founder of the kinetic
art movement, who has experienced a hip replacement, attended the
gala opening receptions in San Francisco and spoke to guests about
the significance of movement in relation to his art. Each piece of
art told the individual artist's story, and spoke about what patients
and doctors meant to one another. AAOS published all of the successful
entries and their stories in a beautifully bound 'coffee table' volume.
Ultimately, the exhibit was a testament to the impact that orthopaedic
surgeons have on people's lives, and gave the doctors involved a tremendous
sense of pride. It showed them in vivid detail "how they have
contributed to giving people their quality of life back."
The lessons that AAOS learned throughout this process were both practical and deeply personal:
The exhibit energized AAOS members. Staff members responsible for
organizing the show were uniformly gratified by the opportunity to
"be involved in doing something meaningful." Gordon's advice
to other associations is to "know your audience and the story
that you are trying to tell. Learn to think outside the box."
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