Earlier this week, the El Paso County Medical Society inducted David Mansfield, MD as its new president for 2016. Dr. Mansfield has already served in several high-profile leadership roles within orthopaedic societies.

Dr. Mansfield is a past TOA president and currently serves as chair of the AAOS Board of Councilors, which serves as AAOS’s grassroots body and helps shape policy positions for the organization.

In his remarks, Dr. Mansfield cited a request by Houston orthopaedic surgeon Omer Ilahi, MD to serve as the president of the Texas Society of Sports Medicine (TSSM) as his first experience in organized medicine. The TSSM presidency turned out to be the launching pad for Dr. Mansfield’s intense involvement in the public policy process over the past decade.

During those 10 years, Dr. Mansfield noted that he learned how important it is for physicians to be engaged in the public policy process and the important role that TOA and the Texas Medical Association play at the state level.

Dr. Mansfield also touched on the important role that the medical community plays in El Paso. He cited Luis Urrea, MD as instrumental in his decision to return to his hometown of El Paso to practice orthopaedics.