Michael L. Parks, MD, clinical director of Orthopedic Surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, today received the 2019 Diversity Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).  

The Diversity Award recognizes members of the Academy who have distinguished themselves through their outstanding commitment to making orthopedics more representative of, and accessible to, diverse patient populations, according to the organization. Dr. Parks received the award at the Academy’s 2019 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.

"I am honored to be recognized by the AAOS," Dr. Parks said. "In order to provide care for an ever increasing diverse population, we must understand their needs. The diversity of our faces helps with this understanding and ultimately our ability to provide excellent care for the patients we serve."
 
Dr. Parks specializes in total joint replacement at HSS, where he is vice chair for Quality and serves on the hospital’s Board of Trustees. He has led a number of research projects at HSS, with a particular interest in socioeconomic and racial disparities in access to arthritis care and total joint replacement surgery. He has published numerous articles in professional journals related to these topics. 
 
"HSS strives to deliver optimal care and services to all of our patients by adopting initiatives, behaviors, attitudes, and policies that enhance cultural competency and inclusion while serving diverse populations," said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of HSS. "We applaud Dr. Parks for his efforts and his work in this area, and are extremely proud that a member of the HSS staff has received the AAOS Diversity Award."
 
Colleagues describe Dr. Parks as an exemplary leader who is actively involved in many organizations working to eliminate racial, ethnic and gender disparities for both patients and future physicians.  
 
In 2018, Dr. Parks was named president of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. He is a former president of the New York State Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons and has served on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.
 
Dr. Parks is a member of the steering committee of the Movement is Life Caucus, which seeks to understand and address disparities in musculoskeletal health care. He is also actively involved with Nth Dimensions, a nonprofit organization that works to increase representation of women and minorities in orthopedic surgery. 
 
Dr. Parks was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. He graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and went on to earn his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where he received the President’s Clinical Science Award. After completing an internship in general and thoracic surgery, followed by an orthopedic residency at Duke University Medical Center, he continued his training at Hospital for Special Surgery with a fellowship on the Hip and Knee Service.