American Society for Surgery of the Hand Welcomes New President

The American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), a nonprofit dedicated to the care of the hand and upper extremity, has a new president. Martin I. Boyer, M.D., FRCS(C) was initiated as the 74th president of ASSH at its2019 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev. Boyer is the Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and co-chief of Hand & Microsurgery at Washington University.  He has served recurrently on the ASSH Council since 2008 and has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2017. 
 
Under Boyer’s leadership, the organization will build on its strengths, especially in their core position as global educators.  “We are very excited to have [Boyer] at the helm,” said ASSH CEO Mark Anderson. “He brings clarity and focus to the job of leading our organization. And he’s funny.”  Council and staff are impressed with his extensive work in education and his skills as a leader and surgeon.  
 
“We expect Marty to continue ASSH’s leadership in hand surgery, both through his exceptional dedication to patient care and his passion for education which will help the next generation of hand surgeons prepare themselves for hand surgery of the future,” said L. Scott Levin, M.D., ASSH past-president, who works closely with Boyer in ASSH leadership. 
 
Boyer has an extensive history of leadership throughout his career. He graduated first in his class from the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and completed residency and two hand surgical fellowships before being recruited to Washington University in 1997. In 2009, he was installed as the Carol B. Loeb and Jerome T. Loeb Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. Boyer is currently director of the Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship Program at Washington University School of Medicine, and has earned several awards, including the Samuel R. Goldstein Leadership Award in Medical Student Education and the Sidney S. Pearl Award for Inspirational Teaching. He has published over 120 articles in journals such as The Journal of Hand Surgery, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 
 
During his presidency, Boyer hopes to improve hand surgery fellowship education, specifically by establishing an updated fellowship case recording system in partnership with ACGME. “He has a long track record of leadership success and this is a natural next step for him. We are excited to see the direction he charts for the Hand Society and we look forward to great things over the next year. We couldn’t be prouder that Dr. Boyer is representing Washington University and hand surgeons everywhere,” said Charles Goldfarb, M.D., co-chief, Hand and Microsurgery Service and executive vice chair of the Orthopedics Department, Washington University.
 
Boyer began his presidential term on Sept. 7; it will conclude after the 75th ASSH Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, on Oct. 1-3, 2020. 

ASSH’s mission is to advance the science and practice of hand and upper extremity surgery through education, research and advocacy.