After nearly 40 years of providing cutting edge medical care to his patients in Columbia, Missouri, Arthrex faculty member and orthopedic surgeon Patrick A. Smith, MD, is now a full-time resident and physician in Naples.
“I am excited to get my boots on the ground and begin building my practice and, eventually, an orthopedic training fellowship in Naples,” Dr. Smith said.
Dr. Smith will lead the sports medicine program at the new Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)/Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) facility, which will open in April 2025 near the Arthrex global headquarters in Naples.
“Dr. Smith is an incredible person, researcher, surgeon and friend. It’s an honor to have him here,” said President and Founder Reinhold Schmieding, who played a pivotal role in recruiting Dr. Smith to relocate his practice to Naples. “This is a true benefit to our community.”
As an Arthrex consultant for more than 25 years, Dr. Smith is deeply involved in orthopedic research and has provided key guidance to many different product teams.
“Dr. Smith has a long history of consulting on technique development and research for many teams at Arthrex including my own,” said Knee and Hip Product Management Senior Director Jake Jolly. “He has great historical perspective and has helped us develop some of the most important products Arthrex has, including the InternalBrace™ system and QuadLink for ACL Reconstruction.”
For years, Dr. Smith has flown back and forth from Missouri to Florida to consult with Arthrex product teams, but now his office is literally across the street, making it that much easier to collaborate.
“Dr. Smith is already an integral part of the Orthobiologics team at Arthrex,” said Orthobiologics and Vet Systems Senior Director David Shepard. “His 2016 publication of our first FDA-sanctioned clinical trial using ACP to treat osteoarthritis is ranked as one of the most cited publications on platelet rich plasma.”
David says Dr. Smith has also worked with the Orthobiologics team to develop new, innovative methods of primary ACL repair using demineralized bone matrix. He also serves as chair of the Safety Group on Arthrex’s FDA trial of ACP Max.
“We are looking forward to even more collaboration with Dr. Smith, incorporating biologic technologies into surgical procedures,” David said.
HSS and NCH are building a state-of-the-art facility on Immokalee Road just east of the North Naples hospital, offering inpatient and outpatient services, an ambulatory surgery center, along with imaging and rehabilitation services. Dr. Smith plans to start a sports medicine fellowship there, as well, as he did in Missouri.
Arthrex is investing in the design and construction of the Arthrex Observation Suite at the new hospital, where visiting health care professionals can view live surgeries in two adjacent operating rooms (ORs) through glass walls. Proprietary audio-visual technology will showcase Arthrex’s OR imaging and resection technology in a live surgery environment. This will expand the medical education experience for visiting surgeons, within walking distance from the Innovation Hotel.
“In terms of destination medicine, it doesn’t get any better than this,” Reinhold said. “Having Dr. Smith move here now is a great win for Arthrex and the community, but also for me personally. He’s a sounding board, a mentor and an outstanding surgeon who truly cares.”
