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Katie O. Orrico, JD

SVP, Health Policy & Advocacy
AANS/CNS Washington Office
Arlington, Virginia, United States

Katie O. Orrico, Esq., is the Senior Vice President for Health Policy and Advocacy for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) and has represented organized neurosurgery before the U.S. Congress and federal agencies since 1985. A native Washingtonian, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology, with honors, from The Catholic University of America in 1985. Upon graduation, she worked as a legislative assistant for CLP Associates, a small health care policy and advocacy firm, where she represented the AANS and CNS, among other health care clients. While working for CLP Associates, Ms. Orrico pursued her law degree at night and, in 1991, earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. In 1997, she became the director of the AANS and CNS Washington Office, upon the establishment of a full-time office. Ms. Orrico was promoted to her current role in July 2021. She is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In her capacity as the AANS/CNS Washington Representative, Ms. Orrico works closely with other medical societies on several legislative coalitions, serving in a leadership role in the Alliance of Specialty Medicine, Health Coalition on Liability and Access, Partnership to Improve Patient Care, Regulatory Relief Coalition, Surgical Care Coalition, and several workgroups established by the American Medical Association (AMA). She is on the board of directors of the American Board of Medical Specialties, serving as one of its public members. Most recently, in 2022, Ms. Orrico was selected to serve as a public member of the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education Review Committee for Neurological Surgery.

In recognition of her contributions, Ms. Orrico has received several awards, including the CNS Distinguished Service Award, AANS Distinguished Service Award, AMA Medical Executive Lifetime Achievement Award, AANS/CNS Council of State Neurosurgical Societies Leibrock Lifetime Achievement Award and California Association of Neurological Surgeons George Ablin, MD Award for Distinguished Public Service.

Ms. Orrico is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Health Lawyers Association, American Society of Medical Association Counsel, Women in Government Relations, Women in Health Policy and the Virginia Bar Association.

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