Hats Off to John Tongue, MD

Congratulations to John Tongue, MD, winner of the 2019 Blair Filler WOA Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Tongue’s legacy with the WOA will be forever marked as one of leadership, vision and commitment to education.

Dr. Tongue began his career relationship with the WOA early on, after winning the Vernon P. Thompson Award as a resident for his work on patella ligament injuries.  That first meeting instilled in him the power of both resident education and regional networking that the WOA offers. He served as a Junior Board Member in 1988, and later served on the Board of Directors in 2006.  

Dr. Tongue served as Treasurer of the WOA in 2008, and in 2017, after his Presidency of the AAOS, he returned to lead the WOA as President with his wonderfully successful meeting in Indian Wells, California. During his time leading the WOA, he helped foster many new initiatives including the WOA joining the AAOS Board of Councilors, the creation of the Western Orthopaedic Foundation, and WOA resident funded research through a relationship with the OREF.  

Busy as he was in his leadership roles, Dr. Tongue was never shy about doing the “hard work” to benefit the WOA. His strategic initiatives rewrote the bylaws and policies to secure a strong future for the Association. He worked tirelessly to expand the WOA’s commitment to resident education, and it was he who introduced the “touches” campaign as a great way to keep Members of the WOA connected.  

Thank you, Dr. John Tongue. Your impact on the WOA is momentous.

Brian Jewett, MD
[email protected]



Dr. Tongue and Dr. Jewett, April 2019 at the Tongue Residence in Portland, Oregon

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