Ramon L. Jimenez, MD, receives American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' highest leadership honor

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American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Mar 08, 2018, 10:45 ET

NEW ORLEANS, March 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) today presented the 2018 William W. Tipton, Jr., MD, Leadership Award to Ramon L. Jimenez, MD from Monterey, Calif. at the Academy's 2018 Annual Meeting. With this award, Dr. Jimenez becomes the second person in the history of the Academy to win both the Tipton Leadership and the Diversity awards.

The Tipton Leadership Award recognizes Academy members who have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities which have benefitted the orthopaedic community, patients, and/or the American public. The award honors and celebrates the life, accomplishments and qualities of the late William W. Tipton, Jr., MD, an orthopaedic surgeon, educator and former AAOS chief executive officer.

Dr. Jimenez knew at an early age that he wanted to be a leader and emulate the role models and mentors he encountered throughout his childhood, education and career. As a second-generation Mexican-American, his parents instilled in him the importance of working hard, receiving a good education and assimilating, while remaining true to his culture.

Dr. Jimenez embraces the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" as this sentiment has been a benchmark that has helped shape a career-long history of leadership focused on giving back to his profession, his heritage and the community.

During his career, Dr. Jimenez has worked diligently to advance important causes and initiatives that benefit his patients, colleagues and the profession, including his commitment to identifying and training the next generation of orthopaedic physician leaders. "Ramon has an unwieldly penchant for mentoring and developing leaders as part of his leadership processes," said Mitchel B. Harris, MD, Chair, AAOS Leadership Development Committee.

Embracing diversity in the orthopaedic work force is another passion for Dr. Jimenez. As a result, he was one of the founding members of the AAOS Diversity Advisory Board and oversaw efforts to improve patient care domestically and internationally by leading the development of the AAOS Culturally Competent Care curriculum.

"Ramon has an appreciation of his heritage and a unique ability to help his community understand the cultural and material challenges of diversity," said William J. Robb III, MD and the 2017 Tipton Award recipient.

In 2009, Dr. Jimenez, along with Alberto A. Bolanos, MD, founded and serves as president of the American Association of Latino Orthopaedic Surgeons with the mission to mentor young Latinos to a career opportunity in orthopaedics. Dr. Jimenez continues to serve as president of the organization.

Dr. Jimenez also served as the president of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation where he built partnerships and increased development funding by seven figures.

With deep ties to his hometown of San Jose, Calif., Dr. Jimenez has become very involved with The Foundation for Hispanic Education, which oversees three local charter high schools and provides education and resources to support English language learners and educators. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the organization and is the chair of the charter school committee.

"Ramon has the ability to bring people of divergent ideas together and quickly move everyone in the same direction," said Basil R. Besh, MD. "Through his influence and inherent charm, he's able to get people to see the big picture and focus on how an issue will be viewed in the future, rather than just in the moment."

Over the past 40 years, he has been involved and served the Academy at many levels including the Board of Directors, Board of Councilors, Leadership Fellows program, patient and public education, physician-patient communications, along with the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative.

Additionally, Dr. Jimenez has held leadership positions at the Western Orthopaedic Association, and the California Orthopaedic Association. He was chief of staff and on the board of trustees at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, and serves on boards at Santa Clara University, National Hispanic University and Palma High School.

"Bill Tipton was a very close friend of mine and to be given an award that embodies who he was as a person and a leader is an honor and a privilege," said Dr. Jimenez. "When Bill sat down with you and asked you to become more involved with an organization or initiative, you immediately wanted to echo his commitment and emulate the type of leader he was."

Dr. Jimenez founded and managed a five-person practice in San Jose for 35 years where he specialized in arthroscopy, reconstruction of hips and knees, and spine procedures. He is currently a senior consultant for an orthopaedic and sports medicine group in Monterey.