To kick off the start of the Major League Soccer (MLS) season, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) will be posting its first-ever soccer blog series with Dr. Riley Williams and other HSS experts. Read our previous installments with Dr. Williams here.
Throughout my tenure at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), which is approaching 24 years, I have witnessed the continued capacity and skill with which the hospital offers the best and most innovative orthopedic care to patients, especially as it relates to sports medicine. Because of this unwavering dedication to excellence, HSS has received many distinctions, including being named No. 1 in orthopedics in the United States for six consecutive years. Similarly, HSS is a designated Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Medical Centre of Excellence—one of only three in the United States and a position that is earned by demonstrating a deep understanding and expertise in soccer-related medicine.
Both distinctions exemplify the position HSS holds in the medical and sports industries. This is in large part due to our delivery of care extending to the specific needs of our patients and the level of value-driven and collaborative care that we provide; whether it is treating elite athletes as I do in my role as head team physician/medical director for the New York Red Bulls professional soccer team, being instrumental in shaping medical protocols in professional sports, or establishing research to improve the sports-related orthopedic care available to athletes.
Being a leader in orthopedics and being trusted by professional sports organizations is an incredible achievement. Each year as the professional soccer season begins, I reflect on the significance that this position conveys. Not only does it differentiate the hospital’s sports service from others in the nation, it validates the depth of understanding and the level of care that my sports medicine colleagues and I provide to elite soccer athletes.
As an orthopedic surgeon at HSS specializing in sports medicine, my goal is to treat patients—non-athletes and athletes alike—with the best treatment and resources to ensure that from diagnosis through recovery patients are back to playing a sport to the best of their ability. At HSS, this means creating a treatment plan that initiates cross-specialty collaboration among medical professionals like orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine specialists, radiologists, physical therapists, athletic trainers, nutritionists, and strength and conditioning coaches. Together, we offer forward-thinking solutions to sports-related medical conditions and injuries that emphasize the importance of treatment, recovery and performance of a patient.
Our reach is far, yet our dedication to excellence is eminent. As the health care industry continues to evolve, HSS will remain a fixture in orthopedic medicine established to ensure athletic patients regain the mobility, strength and endurance expected of a professional athlete.
Dr. Riley J. Williams III is the Medical Director & Head Team Physician for the Brooklyn Nets & New York Red Bulls. He is also the Team Physician for USA Basketball and works as the Team Physician for the Iona College Department of Athletics.
