Orthopaedic surgery chairman’s department goals include adolescent sports medicine focus
Slauterbeck, who has an almost 30-year career in orthopaedics, envisions a more diverse department where he plans to promote and recruit staff, residents and medical students. He also plans to build on the foundation already in place for providing exceptional patient care.
By Brittany Otis
botis@health.southalabama.edu
James Slauterbeck, M.D., the new professor and chair of orthopaedic surgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, has several goals he would like to accomplish related to expanding patient care at USA Health.
His immediate goal, though, is one of the most important.
“I want to get to know my staff, faculty, residents and custodians to learn more about their families and what they love about USA Health,” Slauterbeck said. “I’m excited to know the people in the department and I’m most looking forward to meeting them.”
Slauterbeck, who has an almost 30-year career in orthopaedics, envisions a more diverse department where he plans to promote and recruit staff, residents and medical students. He also plans to build on the foundation already in place for providing exceptional patient care.
“Our patients are our top priority,” he said. “I want to support our staff as they continue to implement principles such as selflessness, honesty and professionalism. These beliefs will help guide our patient interaction.”
Throughout Slauterbeck’s career, his main focus has been pediatric and adolescent sports medicine, where he cares for adolescent patients up to the age of 21. He has extensively researched risk of injury for athletes, specifically the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
At USA Health, he will work to launch an injury prevention program to benefit middle, high school and college athletes. “I want to minimize injury and keep players performing at their best ability,” he said. “Our health system has done great work with concussion prevention and I’d like to further that mission.”
Slauterbeck also plans to implement new services into the department such as knee and joint preservation, which focuses on arthritis prevention, and meniscal and articular cartilage transplant surgery, which will help relieve knee pain.
His plans call for increasing USA Health’s footprint in orthopaedics to include all of southern Alabama, also providing more care for those in underserved communities.
“If we strive to follow the department goals, there’s no doubt in my mind that our staff will become more recognized, innovative leaders for the great work they do and outstanding care they provide to patients.”
Slauterbeck is now accepting adolescent and adult patients at the Strada Patient Care Center. To schedule an appointment, call the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at (251) 665-8200.
