GAF Board and Founders

Board of Directors:

Patricia Cichlar, R.N., Executive Director, Orthopedic Learning Center, Rosemont, Illinois.

James C. Esch, M.D., Oceanside, California.*

John B. McGinty, M.D., Mobile, Alabama.*

Gregory Palutsis, M.D., Glenview, Illinois. Head Team Physician, Northwestern University. Board Treasurer.*

Milton Leroy Sprang, M.D., Evanston, Illinois. Past President, Illinois State Medical Society.*

Joan Schommer, LPN, Evanston, Illinois.

Howard J. Sweeney, M.D., Evanston, Illinois. Board President.*

* GAF Founder

Founders:

Dr. Howard J. Sweeney of Northbrook, IL.

Dr. Sweeney, an orthopedic surgeon who has devoted his career to sports medicine and arthroscopy, conceived the idea for the Global Arthroscopy Foundation. He taught at Northwestern Medical School and practiced medicine at Evanston Hospital, a Northwestern University affiliated teaching hospital, from 1957 until 2002. He was the Head Team Physician for Northwestern University from 1984 to 2002. He is the past chairman of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery at Evanston Northwestern Health Care. In 1991, under the auspices of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Dr. Sweeney helped create a special teaching unit designed to allow U.S. orthopedic surgeons to spend weekends perfecting their skills in arthroscopic surgery. After years of traveling the country teaching with vegetables and plastic models as the "patient," the Orthopedic Learning Center site was established in Rosemont, Illinois, where human cadaver parts are used to allow orthopedic surgeons to hone their skills.

Dr. Sweeney is the past president of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and past president of the Orthopedic Learning Center. He is also currently helping in the development of virtual reality technology as a tool for teaching arthroscopic surgery skills to orthopedic surgeons.

Dr. James C. Esch of Oceanside, CA.

Dr. Esch is the past president of Arthroscopy Association of North America and the Orthopedic Learning Center in Rosemount, Illinois. He originated the country's finest annual shoulder course more than 20 years ago in San Diego, CA. He is also the author of leading textbook on shoulder arthroscopic surgery in United States, Arthroscopic Surgery of the Shoulder and Elbow.

Dr. John B. McGinty of Mobile, AL.

Dr. McGinty is the past chairman of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of South Carolina. He is the past president of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He was one of the original innovators in arthroscopic surgery in the early 1970s and author of the nation's leading textbook on arthroscopic surgery.

Dr. Gregory Palutsis of Glenview, IL. Dr. Palutsis is Senior Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and the Head Team Physician for Northwestern University Varsity Teams. Dr. Palutsis is an Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Northwestern University Medical School.

Dr. Milton Leroy Sprang of Evanston, IL. Dr. Sprang is Senior Attending OB-Gyn Surgeon at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare. He is the Past President of the Evanston Hospital Staff and Past President of the Illinois State Medical Society.