Pediatric Orthopedic Global Outreach (POGO) Committee

Abstract

The field of global health has undergone remarkable growth and development over the past half century. Pediatric orthopedists have been at the forefront of much of this work. From the beginning, these individuals have understood what it means to perform global outreach and have helped our profession and Society focus on how to do so in meaningful and impactful ways. In 2001, the Children’s Orthopedics in Underserved Regions (COUR) committee was formed to help POSNA members carry out this work in resource-limited environments. The COUR committee was initially approached and asked to consider changing the name to better reflect the modern verbiage used in the field. As we began to consider and explore this request, it became apparent that this also was an opportunity to recognize the evolved role the committee has for our membership and the Society. After a thorough process of consultation and debate, the committee recommended that the name be changed to the Pediatric Orthopedic Global Outreach (POGO) committee. After review, the Board of Directors approved this name change in September 2019. In this manuscript we present the history, rationale for change, and vision for the future. The mission of POGO will be carried out through a combination of Education, Coordination, and Research. While the name of the committee has changed to POGO, the principals that made COUR so successful remains at its core. This is an opportunity to build on the work of the visionary leaders who laid the foundation for us to shape the future.