How Your Support Makes a Difference

Hello, healthcare champions and supporters!

As we celebrate 25 years of service at Jackson Orthopedic Foundation, we are grateful for your help in addressing one of the most significant health crises facing patients and clinicians today. Your support -- whether through a one-time or monthly gift, or by attending or sponsoring our annual Canes gala -- is more than a donation. It’s a direct investment in healthcare professionals who are tackling the growing impact of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, improving lives across the nation.

The Urgent Need for Skilled Clinicians in Musculoskeletal Care

Muscle, bone and joint conditions are a leading cause of disability worldwide. These disorders limit mobility and dexterity, forcing many into early retirement, lowering well-being, and reducing the ability to participate in society. In the United States alone, more than one in three people—about 127.4 million individuals—suffer from musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. This prevalence is expected to rise due to population growth and aging, adding to an already significant health and economic burden.

As many as 1 in 2 primary care visits involve a bone, muscle, or joint complaint, yet many healthcare providers receive minimal training in managing these conditions. Low back pain alone is the single leading cause of disability in 160 countries, underscoring the critical need for specialized, accessible training in musculoskeletal care, especially in primary care.

With fewer orthopedic physicians, minimal orthopedic content in medical and nursing schools, and an aging population, the need for effective primary care solutions continues to grow.

JOF’s educational programs address this gap by equipping clinicians with the skills and confidence needed to improve outcomes, ultimately helping patients improve function, reduce pain, prevent re-injury, and manage chronic issues -- and ultimately lead fuller, healthier lives.

Browse our courses

How Your Support Transforms Lives

By funding our education programs, your support benefits clinicians, patients, and communities by addressing the urgent need for well-trained professionals in musculoskeletal care. Here’s how your contribution makes a difference:

• Enhanced Patient Outcomes: Clinicians trained through JOF’s programs deliver better care to patients, who often struggle with chronic pain, limited mobility, and decreased quality of life. By improving treatment for these conditions, we help patients enjoy fuller, more active lives.
• Career Advancement and Improved Practice Performance: Our OPC program equips clinicians with the skills and confidence to address MSK conditions effectively, which can increase job satisfaction, as well as position well-trained providers well in the job market. Proper training can also reduce unnecessary referrals, lowering healthcare costs and improve the financial health of primary care practices.
• Support for Future Healthcare Leaders: Your donations enable college students to participate in our Healthcare Immersion Program, providing valuable clinical exposure that inspires careers in healthcare and ensures a pipeline of well-trained professionals.

Here’s How We Make a Difference

• Orthopedic Primary Care (OPC): Our flagship program offers clinicians the nonsurgical skills to diagnose and manage common MSK conditions effectively. OPC provides live (in-person), online, and hybrid courses that cover essential anatomy, pathophysiology, and treatment options, transforming both patient care and clinician confidence.
• Healthcare Immersion Program (HIP): Our Healthcare Immersion Program gives college students a rare chance to explore various health fields through a month-long summer immersion. Held in the San Francisco Bay Area, HIP provides early exposure to healthcare roles such as nursing, physical therapy, and more, inspiring and shaping tomorrow’s healthcare leaders.
• Accredited Continuing Education: Our courses are nationally accredited, meaning our continuing education (CE) hours are valid in any state. This empowers clinicians regardless of geography to provide exceptional care and adapt to the demands of modern healthcare.

What our Supporters are Saying

Our donors and sponsors make all of our work possible. Like you, they have a commitment to improved health outcomes for patients and enhancing the careers of healthcare providers through increased skills and confidence in this vital area. Among them:

• Melissa Allen, nurse practitioner, JOF donor and Healthcare Immersion Program preceptor: "As a healthcare provider, I understand that keeping people moving is essential to good health. I have personally benefited from the careful research and excellent clinical education  provided by JOF principals Kathleen Geier and AJ Benham in their courses and workshops — the Orthopedic Injection Workshop in particular. What a gift to me as a clinician!"
• Cecily Reeves, Professor Ph.D., FNP-C, PA Emeritus
  Samuel Merritt University, JOF donor: "I think I’m pretty selective in where I donate,” she says. “JOF is something that I want to support in any way that I can.”
  
• Judy Riffle, JOF donor: "​A wise friend advised me to ‘give in your local community, give to the good work you see right in front of you,’ and that spurred my interest in donating to JOF’s education mission.
  
  “They do such fantastic work and I’m happy to support them,” she said.
  

Read More from our Donors

Learn more: Join us at Canes

You can learn more about our impact on education and health at our annual Canes gala -- December 8 in Lafayette, California. If you're not in the area, you can still participate in our fun online silent auction, which opens December 1.

Learn more about Canes