The Amputee Coalition announced that Danielle Melton, MD, has succeeded Stephen Wegener, PhD, as chair of its scientific and medical advisory committee.
Melton is the director of the amputee program at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, Memorial Hermann Hospital Houston, Texas, and assistant professor in the physical medicine and rehabilitation and orthopedic departments at the University of Texas Houston Health Science Center. She has served on the scientific and medical advisory committee (SciMAC) since 2011.
SciMAC serves as a resource to the Coalition by contributing clinical and scientific expertise in the development, implementation and evaluation of Coalition programs, research and policy initiatives.
The Coalition also named Jacqueline Hebert, MD, and Col. Donald Gajewski, MD, to SciMAC.
An orthopedic surgeon and director of the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, Texas, Gajewski will serve as a military representative for SciMAC. Hebert, who is the clinical director of the Adult Amputee Program at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, will represent Canada on the committee. She is also chair of the medical advisory committee for the Amputee Coalition of Canada.
Wegener will continue to serve on the committee for 1 year as past chair. Christina Skoski, MD, and Natalie Fish, PT, will step down from the committee as their terms have expired. In addition, Col. Rachel Evans has announced her retirement from the Army and has stepped down from her position on the committee.
“I would like to thank Dr. Wegener for his hard work and expertise in guiding the committee and I look forward to Dr. Melton’s leadership,” Sue Stout, interim president and chief executive officer of the Amputee Coalition, stated in a Coalition press release. “I would also like to thank Drs. Hebert and Gajewski for joining the committee. The depth of their backgrounds and expertise will prove invaluable to the Coalition. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Skoski, Col. Evans and Natalie Fish for their dedication to the amputee community and for their years of service to SciMAC.”
