Much has been accomplished and it has become clear that this common effort should be maintained. As the Decade enters its 10^th year, the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade (USBJD) Board has decided the organization should continue to develop beyond 2011. The global Bone and Joint Decade also has received a mandate to continue this important work, worldwide.

To reflect the vibrant organization it has become, the USBJD will be changing its name and by the middle of 2011 transitioning to the United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI). As it launches the new USBJI and continues and expands programs to achieve its goals, the USBJD asks for your continued support.

Much progress has been made. Globally, musculoskeletal conditions have gained public and political priority. These non-communicable diseases are moving up the agenda in national, regional and global organizations, including the United Nations, World Health Organization, and at the National Institutes of Health.

Within the United States, organizations and their members have used the Decade and membership within the USBJD as a springboard to raise awareness, forge new collaborative relationships, build partnerships, and generally support the advancement and expansion of musculoskeletal awareness, care and research.

With your support and participation, the USBJD’s list of accomplishments has grown.  Some of the most notable have been:

• Publication of The Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States: Prevalence, Societal and Economic Cost, in print and on-line, and with supporting tools and an Executive Summary suitable for the public and policymakers;
• The Young Investigators Initiative increasing the pipeline of clinician-scientists, to date engaging more than 190 participants of which 84 have obtained musculoskeletal research funding totaling more than $60 million;
• The Project 100 program which has increased formalized instruction in musculoskeletal medicine in medical schools, of which less than 50% offered such instruction in 2002, improving to 80% in 2009;
• Public education programs, Fit to a T (bone health & osteoporosis), PB&J (for adolescents) and Experts in Arthritis, with more than 300 sessions for more than 13,000 patients and the public thus far;
• The 2009 Global Network Conference: assembling the worldwide musculoskeletal community; advocating on Capitol Hill to raise awareness, improve access to care, and increase funding for research, prevention, and rehabilitation; providing a forum to present the most important advances in major musculoskeletal conditions and create a roadmap for the future.

The USBJD Board has spent the last several months assessing the direction the ongoing organization should take and is excited with the result, which includes the continuation of its most successful programs. The goals for the rest of 2011 and for the new USBJI remain the same: to promote and facilitate collaboration among the public, patients, and organizations to improve bone and joint health through education, research and advocacy.  

The primary areas of focus will be awareness and advocacy, access to high quality musculoskeletal care, data assessment and dissemination, and interdisciplinary forums and programs. The Decade is asking for your continued support and for you to continue to actively participate in these programs. 

Opportunities for continued involvement to support the USBJI efforts include:

·         Improve access to high quality musculoskeletal health care: Join the USBJI medical education, data, and access-to-care workgroups.

·         Speak out and lend your voice to build strength in numbers: Contribute your expertise to build a stronger unified musculoskeletal voice.

·         Engage in public education programs: Use USBJI’s ready-made bone and joint health presentations and programs in your community.

·         Increase the pipeline of Young Investigators: Encourage young faculty to join this career development and grant mentoring program.

Please spread the news, and visit www.usbji.org regularly for updates.