Guilford, CT native, Dr. Glenn S. Russo has joined Connecticut Orthopaedics as a spine, back and neck specialist.

“Dr. Russo helps us bring that little extra bit of community focus to our practice,” notes Glenn Elia, CEO of COS. “Like many of our doctors, he grew up and went to school in the area. Therefore, he will be able to quickly connect with our patients and in short order, become a trusted and valued orthopaedic provider in our growing practice.”

Dr. Russo graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and completed a residency at the Yale University School of Medicine. Prior to that, he received a Master’s Degree in Medical Science from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stonehill College in Easton, MA.

Dr. Russo completed his fellowship in Spinal Surgery at the renowned Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, PA. There, he also served as a Clinical Instructor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.

He will be seeing patients in five of our local offices (Branford, Hamden, Milford, Shelton and Wallingford) and will also serve as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT.

“Often, we ask patients what kind of music they like to hear during surgery,” explains Dr. Richard A. Bernstein, an Orthopaedic Surgeon with” Connecticut Orthopaedics (CO). “I know most of the ’80s or ’90s music, even the oldies, so they start to sing, and we’ll sing along with them.”

While Dr. Bernstein does not suggest that singing along with patients is one of the advantages of Wide-Awake Surgery, he does cite it as evidence of a significant benefit: patient ease. “Before the surgery, patients save time and anxiety, because they do not have to go through a lot of complex visits and testing. Once the surgery is done, they can walk out comfortably, drive themselves home, and do the things they want for the remainder of the day.”

Wide Awake Surgery, which uses local anesthetics rather than putting a patient to sleep using general anesthesia, provides many benefits to patients. Reducing patient anxiety is certainly one benefit, but there are several others including lower costs and quicker recovery. Also, because the patient is awake, the doctor is able to communicate the progress of the surgery right while it is occurring – a level of doctor-patient communication that is not possible in surgeries using general anesthesia. Post-operative recovery is measured in minutes rather than hours and the patient can return to their normal day afterwards, which includes eating what they want right away which is another unique and welcomed patient benefit of this approach.

“I was watching an old Addams Family video on my iPad during the surgery,” remembers Robert Rattner, a patient of Dr. Bernstein, “and he started singing the theme song. Then everyone else in the operating room joined. How many times do you leave surgery laughing? Not very often.”

“I enjoy the Wide-Awake Surgery,” Dr. Bernstein notes. “We talk about things like their family, their job, things they like to do, and sometimes we sing. Trust me, you don’t want to hear me sing, but I think it’s a really good way for me to get to know my patients and for my patients to get to know me.”

 

When you’re a State Department official stationed in Bahrain and you need a “top” spine specialist.

Luckily for David Pernal, another State Department employee stationed in Peru had already blazed the trail for him. The government’s Bureau of Medical Services already knew of Dr. Yue and suggested that David return to the states on leave to seek out the care of renowned spine specialist, Dr. James J. Yue. His only other option was to be part of a medevac flight back to Washington DC where he’d be assigned to a specialist – all at great expense to the government. Getting the surgery done in Bahrain was never an option for David. He explained, “When you’re overseas, you certainly have access to good medical care but, you don’t have a primary care doctor who will help you select the right surgeon and hospital team. It can be tricky to get the high-quality help you need.”

As a Community Liaison Officer, Mr. Pernal knows a great deal about the challenges of family life in a foreign country. Besides Bahrain, he’s also been stationed in Morocco and Indonesia with his wife who is a career diplomat. His job is to provide support to U.S. government employees and family members who are assigned to American embassies and consulates abroad. He told us that once he connected with Dr. Yue’s team at Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists (COS) everything fell into place. Because he already had imaging studies available, he simply sent them digitally and then via email and telephone communication he was diagnosed and a treatment plan was laid out. He explained that for expatriates who are a long way from home, long-distance care is often the best approach. He added, “When I finally met Dr. Yue in person, I felt like I had been a patient of his for a long time and was already comfortable with him”.

After being granted leave to come back to the U.S. with his family and meeting with Dr. Yue for consultation, it was determined that he needed a multi-level disc fusion and he was scheduled for surgery at the Connecticut Orthopaedic Institute (COI) at MidState Medical Center on July 31st, 2018. He’s been very happy with the care he’s received and raved about the nursing staff at COI. He explained, “As a former Emergency Medical Technician myself, I’m very tuned into my care. I can tell you that the nursing care was the best I’d ever received. Quite frankly, it’s probably the best I’ve ever seen! I attribute my speedy recovery to Dr. Yue and the efforts of the entire staff at MidState Medical Center. I will be giving Dr. Yue and his team high grades with the Bureau of Medical Services when I check in with them. I would expect that as word gets around, you’ll be seeing many more expatriates coming here for their orthopaedic care.”

The procedure was a complete success and David Pernal is well on his way to recovery. He has been staying with family in Connecticut (he grew up in Willimansett). He and his wife will be heading back to Bahrain in September.

 

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven Department of Athletics announced a partnership with the Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists which includes Dr. Rowland B. Mayor who takes over as the Chargers primary Team Physician.

“The health and wellness of our student-athletes is of the utmost importance,” said Chris Palmer, Director of Athletics and Recreation. “The physicians at Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists are of the highest quality with extensive experience in treating sports related injuries. With 22 locations along the shoreline, including one just minutes from campus this partnership is convenient for our student-athletes. We are grateful to have them as an extension of our Charger family.”

This partnership enhances a relationship with Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists that began with Dr. Stephanie Arlis-Mayor who serves at the Chargers concussion specialist. Dr. Mayor and Dr. Arlis-Mayor will head up a team of 55 physicians among 22 locations throughout the New Haven and shoreline area who will provide Chargers student-athletes care in more than 15 specialties.

Dr. Mayor is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in arthroscopic surgery, adult and pediatric sports medicine and reconstructive surgery of the knee and shoulder. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University before completing his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists CEO, Glenn Elia said, “We’re thrilled with the new University of New Haven partnership. The New Haven Chargers will join an already impressive list of universities, high schools and sports conferences that have benefited from COS’s comprehensive array of sports medicine services and programs.”

In addition to their 22 Connecticut office locations, Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists also provide four urgent care walk-in centers, three in-house MRI centers, a state-of-the-art surgical center with five operating rooms, seven in-house physical therapy centers as well as the Connecticut Orthopaedic Institute at MidState Hospital.

ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN ATHLETICS
The University of New Haven has one of the finest comprehensive athletic programs in the Northeast Region, with a rich history and tradition of advancing to both conference and NCAA postseason tournament play. The University has been a proud member of NCAA Division II since the early 1980’s and continued the D-II tradition by joining the prestigious Northeast-10 Conference during the 2008-09 season. To learn more about the New Haven Chargers visit NewHavenChargers.com.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN
The University of New Haven, founded on the Yale campus in 1920, is a private, coeducational university situated on the coast of southern New England. It’s a diverse and vibrant community of more than 6,800 students with campuses around the country and around the world. Within its five colleges, students immerse themselves in a transformative, career-focused education across the liberal arts and sciences, fine arts, business, engineering, public safety and public service. More than 100 academic programs are offered, all grounded in a long-standing commitment to collaborative, interdisciplinary, project-based learning. At the University of New Haven, the experience of learning is both personal and pragmatic, guided by a distinguished faculty who care deeply about individual student success. As leaders in their fields, faculty provide the inspiration and recognition needed for students to fulfill their potential and succeed at whatever they chose to do. To learn more about the University of New Haven visit NewHaven.edu.

Two SCC Student-Athletes are Recognized with Scholarship Awards

Two student athletes – Olivia Coyle (East Haven) and Mark Montano (North Haven) – are the recipients of the 2018 SCC “Comeback Player of the Year” awards. Both students suffered severe injuries, yet were able to overcome them to become outstanding role models in their respective schools. A corporate sponsor of the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC), Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists P.C. (COS) has offered a Comeback Player of the Year Scholarship for student-athletes who participated in an interscholastic sport during the 2017-2018 academic year and showed great leadership both on and off the field after their severe injury. Coaches and school’s athletic directors nominated these student-athletes after they each suffered an unfortunate injury that prohibited them from play for their high school teams. Both will receive a financial scholarship to be used for their college education. “This is our eighth year in awarding student-athletes from the SCC with scholarships,” explained Glenn Elia, Chief Executive Officer of COS. “Our goal has been to acknowledge student-athletes who have overcome the challenges of an injury and, through hard work and determination, have become positive role models for their fellow teammates. Because sports medicine and rehabilitation is one of the many subspecialties that COS offers, we understand intimately what it takes to recover from an injury and return to playing sports at a high level.” “Many thanks to the doctors and staff at Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists for their support of the SCC and these scholarships,” explained SCC Commissioner Al Carbone. “Our league has many outstanding student-athletes who excel in the classroom and on the playing fields; but it is a tremendous gesture to recognize traits like courage, perseverance and selflessness.”

2017-18 SCC/Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists Comeback Players of the Year
MARK MONTANO, North Haven (football)
Mark tore his labrum in his right shoulder midway through his junior year, and continued to play despite his injury. He received surgery in the February 2017, and undertook the rehabilitation to return to the field in the fall. And return he did. Mark led the Indians in all offensive and defensive categories, propelling the team to the Class L state playoffs. He earned consensus All-State honors, and was the SCC Tier 1 Co-Player of the Year. North Haven head football coach Anthony Sagnella said, “Mark was our guy. He was our captain, our leader and the hardest working player in our program. He is honorable, selfless and courageous. He exemplifies what every student athlete should hope to be.” Mark will attend the University of Connecticut in the fall with plans to major in biology and then attend dentistry school.

OLIVIA COYLE – East Haven (basketball)
Olivia sustained a meniscus tear in her left knee during the last part of the 2016-17 season, one that saw her earn All-SCC honors for her efforts. Through her diligent rehabilitation, Olivia returned to the team for the 2017-18 season, yet was dealt another setback when she injured the same knee the first week of practice. She had surgery again, and went through another bout of rehab to return to the court. Olivia’s second comeback to the court was indeed admirable; but her positive attitude, persistence and leadership she exhibited were integral reasons the Yellowjackets ascended to their first appearance in the SCC title game, and earned the program’s first-ever state championship (Class M). East Haven head girls basketball coach Anthony Russell said, “When Olivia was hurt, she knew there was light at the end of the tunnel. She was remained enthusiastic, which helped her and her teammates. The end result was spectacular for her and her teammates, and she deserves credit for her drive and determination.” Olivia will attend Pace University in the fall with plans to major in finance.

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT CONFERENCE
The 2017-18 academic year marks the 24th year of existence for the Southern Connecticut Conference. The SCC is comprised of 23 high schools with more than 23,000 students representing 16 communities. Recognized as one of the best athletic conferences in the state, the SCC also has a great tradition of offering first-rate non-athletic programs and events that enrich the overall high school experience of our young people to help them become responsible students, athletes and citizens. For more information on the SCC, visit www.southernconnecticutconference.org

PlantPure Communities (PPC) has announced that Dr. Tedd Weisman of Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists (COS) has been named to their Board of Advisors.

Dr. Weisman is a board certified orthopedic surgeon and physician-partner at COS. He is an advocate of whole-food plant-based nutrition and his goal is to impart information about the important connection between scientifically-based whole food plant-based nutrition and bone (and overall) health.

“More than ever in my career, I see this as calling, to become an educator about health – and was honored when given this unique opportunity to join the Board of Advisors of PPC,” said Dr. Weisman.

“I believe that the most important way to improve societal health, and decrease reliance on drugs, and yes, surgery, is through grassroots nutritional education.”

Dr. Weisman is Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Milford Hospital, in Milford, CT, and has held that position since 2005. He also served a two-year term as President of the Milford Hospital Medical Staff (2008-2010). Prior to moving to CT, Dr. Weisman resided in New York, where he served as Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at New York Medical College. Dr. Weisman also served as Chief of Hand Surgery at St. Agnes Hospital in White Plains, NY. He was founder and managing director of OrthopedicHealth, LLC from 2003 through its successful merger with Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists in 2013.

About PlantPure Communities
PPC is a nonprofit organization that’s mission is to build stronger, healthier, and more sustainable communities. This is being accomplished through a wide range of research, policy, and program activities and working with local nonprofits, businesses, governments, hospitals and other health-related organizations, faith-based groups, and other community organizations.

We’re very proud to announce that six of our physicians have been named in the 2018 Best Docs list by Connecticut Magazine. Founded in 1989 by Harvard Medical School physicians, Best Doctors is a global benefits provider and medical information services company that connects individuals facing difficult medical treatment decisions with the best doctors, selected by impartial peer review in over 450 subspecialties of medicine, to review their diagnosis and treatment plans. Best Doctors seamlessly integrates its services with employers’ other health-related benefits to serve more than 40 million members in every major region of the world.

This year’s crop includes, Dr. Richard A. Bernstein, Dr. John Daigneault, Dr. Peter A. DeLuca, Dr. John D. Kelley, Dr. James J. Yue and Dr. Richard A. Zell.

Thank you for representing us so well gentlemen!

New technology, service delivery model and convenience hallmarks of new COS office.

With over 20 years of service to the Meriden-Wallingford community, Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists (COS) now has the ability to deliver an even higher quality of orthopaedic care through its brand-new office at 701 North Colony Road in Wallingford. COS designed the newly constructed medical facility to deliver comprehensive orthopaedic care in a more convenient and patient friendly environment.

The new facility was designed to enhance the patient experience by making the waiting area more spacious, offering more exam rooms and having X-ray services available right onsite. “It’s a tremendous convenience factor for this community,” noted Glenn Elia, CEO of Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists, “Meriden and Wallingford now have a comprehensive medical center that represents the highest quality of care that you can find anywhere in the state, right in their local community.”

One feature of the new facility is that the clinical area and STAR Physical Therapy, a division of COS, are now located on the same floor, which allows for better integration of patient care. “Patients are very happy here. It’s much more fluid,” suggested Diane Griffin, Director of STAR Physical Therapy. “Patients can move from equipment to equipment or space to space, and we’re not bumping into each other. It’s sunny, it’s bright, it’s everything we’d want it to be, and a really happy place. Patients need that positive energy.”

Further, because COS has some of the highest quality orthopaedic doctors in the state, the patient experience is even more positive. “The experience matters, and that’s really important,” explained Elia. “The experience of the providers ultimately results in a high- quality patient experience.”