Blair C. Filler, M.D. 2009 Tipton Award Recipient     Blair C. Filler, M.D. Receives 2009 Tipton Award for Outstanding Orthopaedic Leadership Blair C. Filler, M.D. was named recipient of the 2009 William W. Tipton Jr., M.D. Leadership Award at the February 26 Ceremonial Meeting of the 2009 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Dr. Filler’s career has been rooted in bringing quality care to underserved communities, increasing diversity among orthopaedic surgeons, and helping colleagues maintain more viable practices. Established by friends, colleagues, and organizations through AAOS and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF), the William W. Tipton Jr., M.D. Leadership Award honors the qualities exemplified by the late Dr. Tipton, including his commitment to mentorship, diversity, bridge-building, and collaboration. A similarly named award was simultaneously established by the California Orthopaedic Association and in its first year, 2006, was awarded to Dr. Filler. Dr. Filler has taught and mentored young orthopaedists while treating patients, mainly in underserved areas in Los Angeles County, at teaching hospitals and through private practice continuously since 1961.  Between 1990 and 2008, he served as director of medical education at Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital, and he’s on the faculty at UCLA as a clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery, a position he has held for18 years.  “Dr. Blair Filler has been a mentor and inspiration for many of us. He has been on the teaching faculty of our two largest local Universities for over 45 years. His lectures on bone and joint infections, upper extremity cerebral palsy surgery, and basic ethics of coding and billing remain among the favorite grand rounds sessions for these programs.  Blair and his wonderful wife Dodie have been the example of how we all should share our professional careers with a happy stable home. But most important to me, he is a dear friend, whose wise consultation has helped me care for many of my patients.” M. Mark Hoffer, M.D. Professor of Orthopaedics University of Southern California These and prior postings, including academic appointments at the University of Southern California Medical Center, Centinela Hospital, Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital Medical Center, and the Martin Luther King, Jr./Drew-Medical Center reflect Dr. Filler’s career-long commitment to making health care more accessible and orthopaedics more diverse. “Blair’s commitment persisted through political controversy and chronic underfunding.  He not only provided service to the underserved minority community of Los Angeles, but encouraged and trained minority physicians in orthopaedics.” William C. McMaster, M.D. Costa Mesa, California Frequently called upon to lecture and consult in upper extremity — particularly hand surgery, for which he trained with Herbert H. Stark, M.D. of Los Angeles — Dr. Filler concentrated on muscle transplants that help children with cerebral palsy to have some use of their hands. An experienced marathoner, he is also a leading authority on conditions common to distance runners. Dr. Filler has served with numerous community organizations throughout his career, including the Los Angeles County Medical Association Disaster Committee; Los Angeles Olympic Village Health Service; and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department emergency services team, with which he served 25 years rescuing endangered mountain climbers, skiers, scuba divers, and crash victims. “For the last for decades Blair Filler has defined orthopaedic volunteerism. His career defines the each of the criteria of the William W. Tipton Jr., M.D. Leadership Award.” Richard J. Haynes, M.D. 2006 Tipton Award Recipient Dr. Filler has offered leadership in volunteer and elected positions for the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine; American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery; American College of Surgeons; American Medical Association; American Orthopaedic Association; American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine; American Society for Surgery of the Hand; California Orthopaedic Association; Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation; Southern California Hand Society; Twentieth Century Orthopaedic Association; Western Orthopaedic Association; and the Wilson-Bost Interurban Orthopaedic Club.  Throughout his career Dr. Filler has been an active member in these and many other professional organizations. “Blair never joined an organization that he didn’t improve. He’s an organization man par excellence. I think he’s contributed mightily over the many years of his involvement and remains involved to this day.  He’s an exceptionally nice guy and a tremendous fellow.” Source:  American Medical Association Source:  American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Mason Hohl, M.D. President 1978 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Dr. Filler has been honored by the California Orthopaedic Association and the American Medical Association (AMA) for his work to cultivate current procedural terminology (CPT) coding fluency throughout orthopaedics. “Without a doubt Blair Filler is the doyen of orthopaedic CPT coding. For more than four decades he has maintained his enthusiasm in teaching orthopaedic surgeons the importance of remaining current on their knowledge of correct coding. Blair's dedicated and scholarly, but modest leadership in the coding arena has had a positive influence on the practice of every orthopaedic surgeon who has followed his principles.” James R. Urbaniak, M.D. Virginia Flowers Baker Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery Duke University Medical Center In addition to informal and formal teaching on CPT coding, Dr. Filler served as editor of the AAOS Complete Global Service Data for Orthopaedic Surgery, now in its tenth edition, and collaborated with James V. Luck Jr., M.D. on the fifth edition of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. Central to the campaign to establish an effective AAOS presence in Washington D.C., Dr. Filler developed the Board of Councilors resolution that triggered a search for a professional lobbyist, convened the first Capitol Hill meeting with Congressional leaders, and has sustained his commitment to advocacy through the years. “Blair Filler is one of a handful of Academy Fellows who has attended almost every National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference and AAOS legislative conference, since they first began in 1980.  He is a wealth of information and an invaluable resource in all issues related to orthopaedic CPT coding and Medicare reimbursement.  He has built a solid reputation for knowledge, integrity, and political savvy in the Federal legislative and regulatory arena.” David Lovett, J.D. Director, AAOS Washington Office Dr. Filler is also known for developing a protocol for use by the AAOS Admissions Committee in evaluating applicants for membership to help ensure ethical standards.  Closer to home, he is credited with restructuring and revitalizing both is state and regional orthopaedic societies, the California Orthopaedic Association and Western Orthopaedic Association. “As president of the California Orthopaedic Association Blair changed the format and spirit of the organization. By this he managed to change a relatively inactive organization with only a small membership into a dynamic statewide organization with more than 2,100 members.  Blair, working with a few of the other board members, salvaged the Western Orthopaedic Association from insolvency and it now, too, is an active organization. His tireless work in these organizations appreciated by all who practice in the West.  It’s especially noted that he continues his early mini-marathons while the rest of us wipe the sleep from our eyes, barely making it to the continental breakfast.” Richard B. Welch, M.D. President 2001-2002 Western Orthopaedic Association Dr. Filler served in the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946.  He earned bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Michigan, in 1950 and 1955, respectively.  Dr. Filler interned at Los Angeles County General Hospital (1955-1956) and went on to complete residencies at the Joslin-Lahey Clinic (1956-1957) and at Veterans Administration hospitals in Boston (1957-1961), where he served as chief resident, orthopaedic surgery in his final year. He and his wife Dodie have resided in and around Los Angeles since 1961.  Read more about Dr. Filler in AAOS Now William W. Tipton Jr., M.D. Leadership Award homepage

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