Advancing Pediatrics

Healing children by educating the entire care team

The Armstrong Children’s Orthopedic Alliance (ACOA) is a surgeon-led organization dedicated to advancing pediatric orthopedic education worldwide. Guided by academic pediatric orthopedic surgeons, ACOA is the trusted source of high-quality, evidence-based, unbiased education for the global pediatric orthopedic community.

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Our Mission

Enhance the knowledge and experience of surgical teams who treat children with orthopaedic needs.

About

Founded in 2018 we focus on improving care globally through continuous research and education. Collaborations with international teams allow us to expand our impact by funding research and supporting care in underdeveloped countries.

+190h

Over 190 Hours of CME

Through our partnership with Amedco, ACOA provides over 192, and growing, Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits that reflect the highest standards of academic rigor and integrity.

The depth of educational content, the time participants engage in the activities, and strict adherence to credentialing requirements showcase our dedication to excellence in education.

+30

Over 30 Courses

From foundational resident training to advanced surgical and cadaver-based courses, the ACOA is committed to supporting pediatric orthopedic surgeons at every stage of their professional development.

+480h

Over 480 Hands-on Hours

The defining feature of Armstrong Children's courses is the high level of faculty engagement.

Our instructors are experienced pediatric orthopedic educators, committed to training the next generation of pediatric orthopedic surgeons to ensure that children continue to receive the highest standard of care.

+1650

Over 1650 student and growing

Our participants represent programs from across the United States, as well as numerous international institutions.

Some are committed to pursuing careers exclusively in pediatrics, while others anticipate working primarily with adult patients. Regardless of their chosen path, gaining a deep understanding of the unique nuances and intricacies involved in treating children is essential for all.

Save Your Spot

3 days to the event
PediFoRg Foot and Ankle Symposium (Pediatric Foot Ankle Research Group)
Sat, Jan 31
St. Louis
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22 days to the event
10th Annual Kaye Wilkins Pediatric Fracture Conference
Thu, Feb 19
Austin
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31 days to the event
Pediatric Orthopedic Masterclass for Advanced Practice Providers - Sacramento, CA
Sat, Feb 28
Shriners Children's Northern California
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58 days to the event
10th International Children's Spine Symposium
Fri, Mar 27
Center for Surgical Innovation, BioSci 3
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80 days to the event
Texas Pediatric Orthopedic Resident Training Course
Sat, Apr 18
Texas Children's Hospital
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Testimonials

I attended the POST course as a PGY-4 right as I was applying for pediatric orthopaedic fellowship. It was a wonderful opportunity to network with faculty and current fellows from across North America.

The course content had breadth and depth, inclusive of trauma, deformity, spine, and sports. There was a good balance of lecture and cadaveric lab sessions. The learner to faculty ratio in the lab was often 2 or 3 to 1, allowing for plenty of hands-on experience with personalized feedback.

I cannot recommend the POST course enough and look forward to returning in future years to build upon the knowledge I acquired.

Dr. Emily D.

Northwestern University

The PediOrtho West Conference was a wonderful opportunity to not only learn about pediatric orthopaedics, but meet a number of leaders in the field and fellow trainees across the country.

I found the material to be chunked in an easy-to-understand way on topics that are important/often seen. Additionally, pairing these topics with practical hands-on activities helped to further solidify concepts through multiple learning avenues (auditory, visual, and tactile).

As a junior trainee, I genuinely feel like I’ve come away with a solid understanding of ways to triage/begin management for common pediatric orthopaedic presentations and it further fueled my interest to potentially pursue a fellowship in pediatrics.

Again, thank you for all you did to help bring this to life!

Dr. Violette S.

Cedars Sinai Medical Center

ICSS was one of the best educational experiences of my training. I had the pleasure of attending as a senior resident and as a fellow.

The structure is ideal for understanding and retention, with interactive lectures from pioneers of spinal deformity surgery immediately followed by hands-on instruction in a fully equipped cadaver lab.

I highly recommend ICSS to any trainees or early career surgeon with an interest in pediatric spinal deformity.

Dr. Lukas K.

Rady Children’s Hospital

Armstrong Children's Foundation

Our partner foundation, Armstrong Children's Foundation, we focus on spearheading international educational partnerships to directly improve the treatment of children around the world. You can help to expand our reach today. Learn how you can make a big impact on the health of children in need.

COMING SOON

photorealistic photo of children jumping as a group outside on green grass on a sunny day_

Our Team and Board

We take pride in our exceptional team of board members who lend their expertise and resources to help us provide the highest quality pediatric medical education. Founded by Dr. Peter Armstrong, our team is dedicated to advancing the field and improving the lives of children everywhere.

Dr. Peter F. Armstrong

Chairman Emeritus

Dr. Armstrong received his medical degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1972. His orthopaedic residency was done at the University of Toronto followed by a pediatric orthopaedic fellowship with Dr. Robert Salter at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Following his fellowship, in 1982, he joined the orthopaedic staff at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto but spent the first two years doing orthopaedic research at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1991, he then became Chief of Staff of Shriners Hospitals for Children Intermountain (Salt Lake City). In 2000, he was selected as Chief Medical Officer of the 22 Shriners Hospitals and moved to the Headquarters in Tampa. At the end of June 2012, he became the Chief Medical Officer – Emeritus.

Dr. Todd Ritzman

Secretary

Todd Ritzman, MD is Director of Education of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Akron Children’s Hospital, Surgeon Director of The Austen Bioskills Lab at Akron Children’s Hospital, and Co-Director of the combined Cleveland Clinic / Akron Children’s Hospital Pediatric Orthopedic Surgical Fellowship. He attended medical school at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed orthopedic residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Pediatric Orthopedic & Scoliosis Fellowship at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. He is an active member of the AOA, AAOS, and POSNA and has a clinical and research interest in pediatric spinal deformity. Dr Ritzman is the founding Course Director of the Annual Akron Pediatric Orthopedic Resident Review Course, a comprehensive didactic and cadaveric surgical skills course which hosts 120 residents annually.

Dr. Ben Alman

President

Dr. Alman is the Distinguished James R. Urbaniak Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University. He was born in Philadelphia and studied at the University of Pennsylvania, Jefferson Medical School, Pennsylvanian Hospital, and Tufts University before undertaking a clinical fellowship in Pediatric Orthopaedics at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. After three years back in Boston at the New England Medical Center he returned to a faculty position at the Hospital for Sick Children, where he subsequently was appointed the A. J. Latner professor and Chair of Orthopaedics and Vice Chair for research for the Department of Surgery of the University of Toronto. Three years ago he relocated to Duke University. While in Toronto he helped develop and implement a competency based orthopaedic residency curriculum, the first of its kind. Dr. Alman has an active clinical practice focusing on the care of children with pediatric orthopaedic problems including tumors, congenital deformities, spinal deformity, syndromes, muscular dystrophies, and trauma.

Caroline Eaton

Executive Director

Caroline brings more than a decade of experience in pediatric orthopaedics, both in practice management and philanthropy. Under her leadership, the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute grew from a single physician practice to one of the nation's leading pediatric orthopaedic centers serving over one thousand children per year. She co-founded and led the Paley Foundation, a 501c3 public charity, which raised over two million dollars for international missions and physician education. Caroline grew the Paley Institute's international physician education training program and launched seminars as part of the Foundation's earned income program. Caroline's compassion and extraordinary professionalism has made a lasting impact on her colleagues, patients, and their families.

Dr. Jon Davids

Vice President

Jon R. Davids. MD is a board certified Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, who is the Assistant Chief of Orthopaedics and Medical Director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California; and Professor and Ben Ali Chair in Pediatric Orthopaedics in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of California Davis Medical School in Sacramento, California, USA. Jon has published and lectured extensively at regional, national and international levels, teaching gait analysis interpretation and clinical applications for children with cerebral palsy, myelodysplasia, and limb deficiency. He is also an active member of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM), American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ABOS), Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) and the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA). Jon serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics and Gait & Posture.

From our Founder

One of Dr. Robert Salter’s favorite quotes was from Louis Pasteur. "When I look upon a child, I am filled with admiration for that child—not so much for what it is today, as for what it may become." In many ways, that quote defines our profession and binds us together in the cause of helping children with orthopaedic conditions realize their full potential.

A critically important part of that responsibility is ensuring that we, as pediatric orthopaedic specialists, are doing the very best we can in providing care to our patients. That involves a commitment to continuous quality improvement through constant research and education.

The purpose of the ACOA is to have an entity that will focus, initially, on globally advancing pediatric orthopaedics through excellence in education. We are honored to be working in close collaboration with the Education Council of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America in this endeavor.

As the ACOA grows, we will be looking for other ways in which we can “advance pediatric orthopaedics”. This may include the ability to fund important research relevant to the understanding and management of pediatric orthopaedic conditions. It may also involve supporting, in various ways, the provision of care to children with orthopaedic issues in underdeveloped countries.

Through our various efforts, our ultimate goal will always be to help a child “for what it may become”!

Stay in the Know

Interested in staying in the loop on what the ACOA and the ACF are up to?