Teaming Up for Better Health

If you’re going to deliver orthopedic and sports medicine services, why not play in the big leagues?

TriHealth is now an official partner of the Cincinnati Bengals, building on its long-standing relationships with the Cincinnati Reds, Xavier University, The College of Mount Saint Joseph and numerous local high schools and competitive sporting organizations.

The foundation of the partnership began during the 2012 season. When the Bengals moved training camp back to Cincinnati and needed on-site medical care for fans and staff, they turned to TriHealth, which had developed a strong reputation based on similar coverage it provides for fan care at Great American Ball Park and Cintas Center. The organizations also joined forces for “Sack Breast Cancer,” which provided free mammograms to underserved communities via the TriHealth Women’s Services Van, and “No Shave November,” which highlighted men’s health awareness. The expanded partnership will build on these efforts, including a blitz during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

TriHealth’s relationship with area sports teams and athletes is a natural extension of the services it provides to the community through its Orthopedic and Spine Institute. TriHealth’s affiliated hospitals and individual practices also provide this type of care – including five physicians from Wellington Orthopedic & Sports Medicine, who recently joined TriHealth. This includes Kevin E. Reilly, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and a team physician for the Bengals. 

Dr. Reilly has been providing care to the Bengals on and off the field for three seasons. He admits it’s a thrill – especially since he’s been a Bengals fan from the time he was 2 years old. 

But he considers himself a general orthopedic surgeon, providing the same kind of broad-based care everyone at TriHealth does. 

“I may be helping an athlete get back in the game, or working with an older adult whose goal is getting dressed and going to the grocery store,” Dr. Reilly says. “A 90-pound dancer and a 320-pound linebacker will have their own set of issues, but for almost everyone, it’s about pain and function, and my role is helping them get back to doing what they need or want to do. “

“When some of the area’s finest sports teams put their trust in TriHealth, it sends a very strong message about the kind of phenomenal experience people get when they come here,” says Jay Koch, executive director of the TriHealth Orthopedic and Spine Institute. 

“Whether you’re a professional athlete who uses your body to make your living, a weekend warrior or someone who gets injured on the job “ he says, “we want to get people back to where were before an injury – if not even better – as quickly and safely as possible.”

A Commitment to Integrated Care

A: the foundation of TriHealth’s orthopedics program is a commitment to integrated care. Across the system, the team includes orthopedic surgeons, physiatrists, podiatrists and sports medicine specialists – offering care ranging from preseason school physicals and minor injury care to hip and knee replacements. 

In addition, TriHealth provides a network of nationally recognized hospitals and world-class surgery centers. Flagship facilities Good Samaritan and Bethesda North hospitals, along with recent additions Bethesda Butler Hospital, Bethesda Surgery Center, TriHealth Evendale Hospital and Evendale West Surgery Center, offer a full range of easily accessible orthopedic care across the region. In the community, TriHealth offers sports and event medicine teams focused on community outreach. There are also robust physical therapy, rehabilitation and wellness programs. And it’s all backed by an extensive primary care network.

“That’s really one of the strengths of our program,” says David E. Taylor, MD, an orthopedic surgeon from TriHealth Orthopedic and Spine Institute. “We’re not strictly focused on orthopedics. That means, for example, we can take better care of a gymnast with nutritional issues than a practice that’s solely orthopedics-based.”

Ultimately, adds Koch, TriHealth is here to make the community healthier – with a continuum of care that reaches beyond orthopedics and sports medicine. 

“We look at each patient holistically, whether they’re a star athlete or someone who hurt their back working in the yard,” he explains. “Even if their primary reason for coming here is an injury, we identify any other issues, like high blood pressure or diabetes, and make sure they’re seeing all the right care providers to get everything under control.”

Getting Your Student Athlete Back in the Game

In addition to its existing comprehensive services, TriHealth recently added a Saturday injury clinic. “We can see everything from sprains and strains to more serious injuries,” says Emily Dixon, DO, a primary care and sports medicine physician with TriHealth Orthopedic and Spine Institute. “If a student athlete gets injured on a Friday night, this gives him or her an alternative to the emergency room if it isn’t too serious. And we’re hoping that weekend access, and linking it to our primary care, makes it easier for people to get the treatment they need.”

One unique aspect of TriHealth’s orthopedic services is its concussion management program, Head Count. What makes this program special is that it starts with a baseline screening during routine preparticipation physicals. Having this baseline information is vital to providing the best possible treatment in the event of an injury.

In addition, TriHealth offers a sports medicine fellowship program in partnership with the Bethesda Family Medicine residency Program and Beacon Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Participants in the one-year clinical program serve as team physicians at high school, college and professional levels.

While maintaining a focus on excellence in orthopedics every day, TriHealth is preparing the athletes and physicians of the future.

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