Zimmer Holdings to Collaborate with the American Orthopaedic Association for Funding Post-Graduate Medical...( WARSAW Ind. Nov. 6 /- Zimmer Hold...),Health

WARSAW, Ind., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ZMH; SWX: ZMH) announced today that it has become the founding supporter of a new entity, created by the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), to provide funding for post-graduate orthopaedic fellowships and residency programs, beginning in the 2009-2010 academic year. The new, independent entity, called OMeGA Medical Grants Association LLC (OMeGA), will receive and analyze funding requests before making grants to educational institutions or programs.

Zimmer will have no role in selecting the recipients of its funding, but it will be permitted to allocate its donation among one or more specialty or sub-specialty areas that the Company wishes to support. These funding areas may include Adult Reconstruction/Arthroplasty; Shoulder and Elbow; Spine; Trauma; Sports Orthopaedic Surgery; Pediatric Orthopaedics; Foot and Ankle; Orthopaedic Oncology; Hand and Upper Limb Surgery; and Residency/Educational Resources.

"We are proud to collaborate with the AOA to create a vehicle that will allow us to maintain our long-standing, substantial support for post-graduate medical education while establishing safeguards to assure the confidence and trust of all stakeholders," said David Dvorak, Zimmer Holdings President and Chief Executive Officer. "As public and non-corporate private funding for fellowships has declined, we believe it is vital to patients that industry be able to continue to advance the medical profession. We join with the AOA in seeking to foster the development of the next generation of physicians who will conceive of new ways to improve patient outcomes."

"We are pleased to provide a new model to administer funding for post- graduate educati
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