Julie A. Switzer, MD, FAOA, FAAOS, is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with specialization in geriatric orthopedics and upper extremity. Dr. Switzer served as Co-Chair for the AAOS Clinical Practice Guideline Workgroup on Hip Fractures in Elderly Patients; is a founding member President of the International Geriatric Fracture Society (IGFS/FFN-US); is on the Board of the Fragility Fracture Network; and is on the Steering Committee of the AOA’s Own the Bone Program.

Dr. Switzer recently retired as an Associate Professor from the University of Minnesota Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.  She is Medical Director of Geriatric Orthopedics and TRIA Healthy Aging, within the HealthPartners Care Group. In this role, Dr. Switzer has spent the majority of her 20+ year orthopedic career dedicated to establishing and leading an interdisciplinary, protocol-driven Geriatric Fracture Care Program, with a primary career goal to make a substantive difference in the field of geriatric orthopedics. This has been accomplished through a focus on enhancing care for older fracture patients in the perioperative period; preventing subsequent fractures in elderly fracture patients; and working with vulnerable populations of elders with musculoskeletal problems.  Her work on Healthy Aging focuses primarily on the comprehensive care of arthritis, the most common chronic musculoskeletal condition of aging.

Dr. Switzer is Course Director of the bi-annual, Geriatric Orthopaedic Fracture Conference, started one of the first Geriatric Orthopedic Trauma Fellowships in the US, and has also been involved in multiple national and international presentations.  She has over 70 publications and chapters mostly related to bone health and musculoskeletal care in the senior population.