The Mickey Plyler Show, which is broadcast on South Carolina Upstate radio station 105.5 FM The ROAR, hosted a special edition of his live, three-hour-long remote broadcast from Arthrex global headquarters in Naples, Florida, on Tuesday, July 30.
The Mickey Plyler Show covers a wide range of collegiate and professional sports news with a special focus on Clemson Athletics. The ROAR serves as the flagship station for Clemson University Athletics and is an ESPN affiliate. It reaches from Greenville and Spartanburg all the way into northern Georgia and streams everywhere online.
Arthrex Vice President of Communications, Dennis O’Keefe kicked off the show, welcoming Mickey and his audience to the Arthrex global headquarters, while also highlighting Arthrex’s history, rapid pace of innovation and dedication to advancing minimally invasive surgery.
“Mickey’s audience has come to know Arthrex from the show’s weekly sports medicine segments with Clemson University team physician, Dr. Steve Martin, however having an entire 3-hr show dedicated to Arthrex and minimally invasive surgery has really enhanced the region’s understanding of how and why Arthrex is making a difference in the lives of patients around the world,” Dennis said.
Divided into nine, 15-minute segments, the show featured many guests including ESPN’s Injury Analyst Stephania Bell who spoke about her relationship with Arthrex and how medical animations produced here help her tell the story of an athlete’s injury and recovery to a broadcast audience.
Arthrex faculty surgeon and Clemson team physician Dr. Steve Martin joined Vice President of Strategic Development Dr. Larry Higgins to discuss how Arthrex is advancing minimally invasive surgery with Nano arthroscopy and orthobiologics.
“When you run a busy medical practice, it’s important to step back and come to Arthrex for a day or two to stay up to date on the latest advancements in the field,” Dr. Martin said.
Senior Manager of Medical Education Ryan Shamus and Senior Clinical Specialist Dan Veronie joined the show, highlighting OrthoPedia.com and the newly launched OrthoPedia Patient site designed to be the most comprehensive online resource on orthopedic injuries and treatments. Ryan and Dan also explained that Arthrex offers more than 55,000 training days for health care professionals (HCPs) each year, with more than 60 dedicated lab stations for them to train on.
The ROAR audience also heard from Dr. James Voos, NFL Head Team Physician with the Cleveland Browns and president of the NFL Physicians Society, about how his relationship with Arthrex has benefitted him and his patients.
“My role with Arthrex is a real partnership. This isn't a transaction of just using implants in the operating room. Arthrex really helps us change athletes’ lives and has been a wonderful partner in educating other physicians and healthcare providers,” Dr. Voos said. “Arthrex is on the forefront of what's next in orthopedic surgery, with new imaging technologies, such as Nano scopes, and new cameras that help us look in different directions inside the joint.”
Other guests included Clemson Sports Psychologist Dr. Milt Lowder, discussing the importance of treating an injured athlete’s emotional state, in addition to taking care of them physically. Having previously visited both the South Carolina and Naples campuses, Dr. Lowder noted what excellent care President and Founder Reinhold Schmieding takes of Arthrex employees as a good example of promoting physical well-being and a positive mindset.
PR and Media Relations Lead Therese Benson also joined the show to promote Arthrex’s Stay in the Game campaign, featuring elite athletes who have been injured and return to high level competition after being treated with Arthrex technology. She previewed a couple of upcoming stories, including one featuring two Clemson University football players. Linebacker Sammy Brown and offensive lineman Sam Judy. Both athletes suffered high ankle sprains and had the same Syndesmosis TightRope® XP surgery along with the InternalBrace™ procedure performed by team physician Dr. Steve Martin.
The audience heard from three Arthrex employees - all Clemson University graduates - Senior Director of Sales Jason Boulware, Engineering Project Manager, Sam Dozier and Packaging Engineer Anna Godbold.
The Director of Human Resources for Arthrex Manufacturing Melanie McLane and College Relations Supervisor Alyssa McCoy both joined the show to talk about job and internship opportunities at Arthrex.
“It’s easy to forget that Arthrex has only been in South Carolina for five years, so not everyone there knows us, like they do in Florida,” Melanie said. “We are competing for top talent against other, established companies in the region. A broadcast like this helps people connect the dots on who we are as an employer and as a vital part of the community.”
