University of New England

UNECOM Associate Dean Kenneth Johnson appointed to U.S. Bone and Joint Board

BIDDEFORD- Kenneth H. Johnson, D.O., FAAO,  associate dean of planning for the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM), was recently appointed to a two-year, at-large position on the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade Board of Directors.

Dr. Johnson is a 1992 graduate of UNECOM and is certified by the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians and the American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine. He currently serves on the International Affairs and Membership committees of the American Academy of Osteopathy, has served three terms on the AAO Board of Trustees, is the immediate past president and is chief academic officer of the Northeast Osteopathic Medical Education Network, having participated in its governance since its inception. He also serves as the vice-chair for the American Osteopathic Associations Bureau of Osteopathic Education. In 2006 he received the Osteopathic Physician of the Year award from the Maine Osteopathic Association.

In the past, Dr. Johnson has served as the chief medical officer for the Health Access Network; as a faculty member of the Eastern Maine Medical Center/UNECOM Family Practice Residency; and as the director of Osteopathic Medical Education, director of the NMM Plus 1 Program, director of the Osteopathic Family Practice Program and director of medical student rotations at Eastern Maine Medical Center.

U.S. Bone and Joint Decade
The U.S. Bone and Joint Decade (USBJD) is an international collaborative movement sanctioned by the United Nations' World Health Organization that focuses on improving the quality of life for people affected by musculoskeletal disorders.

The USBJD's mission is "to provide national leadership and coordination of activities in the United States in the worldwide movement to improve patient care, to promote research and to advance understanding and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions during the International Bone and Joint Decade." The USBJD is made up of more than 100 organizations, as well as all American medical and osteopathic schools, and has been endorsed by all 50 states.

The USBJD Research Committee has led two important Decade initiatives: Project 100, the Decade's initiative to improve musculoskeletal health training for all students at medical schools, and the Young Investigators Initiative that aims to increase the pipeline of clinical researchers.

(Press release posted June 21, 2007)