Hoag Orthopedics
Our Stories

James T. Caillouette, M.D., Joan & Andy Fimiano Endowed Chair in Orthopedic Surgery, has a saying he shares with patients. Motion is life. Those words not only define his work as an orthopedic surgeon who restores mobility to his patients, they fuel his personal mission to innovate the technology and delivery of orthopedic care.

After 28 years at Hoag, Dr. Caillouette remembers that when he first joined the staff, Hoag saw less than 200 joint replacements a year. “Today, Hoag Orthopedic Institute performs thousands of joint replacements each year,” he says. “I’ve had an opportunity to participate, along with my colleagues, in growing this institution and it has been very rewarding.”
 
Andy and Joan Fimiano, who were both treated several years ago by Dr. Caillouette, established the endowed chair to recognize and honor the physician for his work in health care economics and reform, along with the design of next-generation hip and knee implants. “The goal of our gift is to enable Dr. Caillouette to share his expertise so that it benefits more people. Basically, we need to clone him,” Joan says with a smile.

The proceeds from the endowed chair will enable Dr. Caillouette, chief strategy officer of Hoag Orthopedic Institute, to expand outreach, education, research and innovation. The Fimiano’s generosity gives him and his team the opportunity to introduce more process innovations such as bundled payment, a new payment model Hoag Orthopedics introduced in 2008. With proven success, Medicare adopted this payment system for total hip and knee replacement. It is anticipated that bundled payment will ultimately be applied to most interventional specialties.

For their part, the Fimianos are very pleased to support Dr. Caillouette and his important work. “We are so grateful to have the opportunity to recognize Dr. Caillouette, one of the finest orthopedic surgeons in the region,” Andy says. “Joan and I know Dr. Caillouette will use his endowed chair as a platform for expanding his research and recruitment and, most important of all, for improving treatment and outcomes for Hoag’s patients.”