Month: June 2025

Connecticut Orthopaedics is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Frawley as our new Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Brian will be responsible for leading operational strategy, optimizing performance, and upholding the highest standards of patient care and organizational excellence.

Brian brings a deep and diverse background in healthcare leadership, having served in executive roles across prominent medical groups, health systems, and academic centers. Most recently, he led strategy and operations for Hartford HealthCare Medical Group in the Fairfield region, where he played a key role in expanding their urgent care services. Prior to that, he served as Chief Operating Officer at ProHealth Physicians, a statewide medical group with over 300 providers and part of Optum Health. Brian holds a BA from Boston College and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati.

“We are delighted to welcome Brian to our team,” said Susan Bader, Chief Executive Officer of Connecticut Orthopaedics. “His extensive experience in healthcare management, along with his commitment to patient-focused care, aligns seamlessly with our mission to provide quality orthopedic services to our communities.”

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Brian Frawley as he begins this new chapter with Connecticut Orthopaedics!

We are excited to announce another milestone in the evolution of medical education provided by Connecticut Orthopedics: the successful completion of its first annual orthopaedic training component of the new Rural Family Medicine Residency Program (RFMRP) of the Quinnipiac University-Netter School of Medicine. Launched in July 2024, the RFMRP represents Netter’s first family medicine residency program, with its mission in place to train medical school graduates to become family physicians with the skills necessary to thrive in rural healthcare settings. These residents spent the months of July through October learning orthopaedics and sports medicine in our offices.

Bridging Gaps in Orthopaedic Care

Rural areas often face specific healthcare challenges when it comes to providing easily available access to specialty care, and this is certainly true in the field of orthopaedics. With this in mind, and recognizing the need for their future family physicians to be comfortable with the delivery of first-line orthopaedic care for their patients, Dr. Traci Marquis, Program Director, and Dr. Stephanie Morton, Associate Program Director – reached out to Dr. Kenneth Kramer, our Director of Medical Education at Connecticut Orthopaedics who has been overseeing a comprehensive program of medical student orthopaedic education provided by our CO physicians to the Netter school in recent years. Working with Drs. Marquis and Morton, Dr. Kramer developed and supervised an orthopaedic educational program for the Netter residents, drawing upon the breadth of our capable physicians to provide them with a comprehensive exposure to outpatient orthopaedics.

Running from July through October, the curriculum saw each of the four family medicine residents spend a full immersive month at Connecticut Orthopaedics. Their schedule included daily rotations in our offices where they gained hands-on exposure to patient care in our various subspecialties, in addition to receiving didactic lectures given by our physicians. Says Dr. Kramer, “Sixteen of our partners graciously gave of their time, talent and knowledge in educating the Netter residents in the various fields of orthopaedics that will serve them well in their futures. It was enthusiastically received by both the residents and their dedicated faculty, and we look forward to our continued participation as an important component of the Netter RFMRP.”

A Collaborative Educational and Societal Effort

“This inaugural clinical partnership between CO and the QU RFMRP is more than just a curriculum”, continues Dr. Kramer, “it’s a commitment by CO to the educational needs of physicians-in-training and the communities which they will serve, as well as to the needs of such a fine medical institution as the QU-Netter School of Medicine and its students, residents, and forward-thinking faculty.” Says Dr. Marquis, “The QU Rural Family Medicine Program leadership and residents are incredibly grateful for this partnership with Connecticut Orthopaedics. A strong set of orthopaedic knowledge and skills will play a fundamental role in the residents’ future practice as community primary care doctors, and will help us fulfill our mission of increasing access to care for all, especially in rural areas.”

Congratulations to this years Top Docs

In 2023, we had 17 doctors named to the list, and this year we are proud to announce that we have 41. We are proud to have the most doctors named to Top Docs in Orthopaedics in CT. This remarkable increase is a true testament to the exceptional caliber of our doctors and their unwavering commitment to patient care.

Castle Connolly Top Doctors represent the top 7% of all U.S. practicing physicians.

Castle Connolly Top Doctors are peer-nominated, and thoroughly vetted by our physician-led research team. These doctors are best-in-class healthcare providers, embodying excellence in clinical care as well as interpersonal skills.

Joint Replacement Specialists

Kenoma Anighoro, MD 

Jenna Bernstein, MD

Curtis Campbell, MD

John McCallum, MD

Philip Minotti, MD

Stephen Nelson, MD

Spine, Back, and Neck Specialists

John Beiner, MD, FAAOS, EMT/DMT

Gerard Girasole, MD

Glenn Russo, MD

James Yue, MD

Hand, Wrist, and Elbow Specialists 

Richard Bernstein, MD

Thomas Moran, MD

Kristin Sandrowski, MD

Tedd Weisman, MD 

Foot and Ankle Specialists 

David Caminear, DPM

Jeffrey DeLott, DPM

Allen Ferrucci, MD

Sanda Tomak, MD

Sports Medicine Specialists 

Stephanie Arlis-Mayor, MD, FAAFP

David Cohen, MD, FAAOS

John Daigneault, MD

Richard Diana, MD

Jordan Gruskay, MD

John Kelley, MD

Jeffrey Klauser, MD

David Martin, MD

Rowland Mayor, MD

Michael Redler, MD

Alan Reznik, MD, FAAOS

Patrick Ruwe, MD

Aaron Schachter, MD

James Spak, MD

Mark Wilchinsky, MD

Physiatry Specialists 

Isaac Cohen, MD 

Daniel Kline, MD

John Marino, MD

Pediatric Specialist

Peter DeLuca, MD

Pain Management Specialist 

Rakesh Patel, MD

Shoulder Specialist

Eric Padegimas, MD

General Orthopaedics 

Martin White, MD

Radiology Specialist

Joseph Gagliardi, MD

Click here to see 2025 Top Docs!

Join board-certified orthopaedic surgeon Dr. David Martin on Thursday May 22nd at 12 pm as he discusses common causes of knee arthritis, advantages of a uni-lateral knee replacement, and the ideal candidate for this minimally invasive procedure. Register hereOpens in a New Window or by clicking the image below.

We are excited to announce that Dr. Kelms Amoo-Achampong has accepted the role of Medical Director for the Master of Science in Athletic Training Program at Sacred Heart UniversityOpens in a New Window.  

In this distinguished leadership role, Dr. Amoo-Achampong will play a crucial part in supporting the MSAT Program’s mission to prepare future athletic trainers through high-quality education and clinical training.  

Dr. Amoo-Achampong will advise on the development and continuous evaluation of the MSAT curriculum, collaborate with the Program Director to ensure instructional and clinical excellence, and review medical content for clinical accuracy and relevance. He will also support accreditation processes, including self-studies and site visits, and assist in the development and maintenance of clinical site partnerships. Additionally, Dr. Amoo-Achampong will act as a key educational resource for faculty and students and support the training of clinical preceptors and experiential learning opportunities. 

His appointment reflects the high standard of care, expertise, and leadership he brings to our practice every day. We are confident that his involvement will not only strengthen the MSAT Program but also help shape the future of athletic training and sports medicine education.  

After over 30 years of dedicated service, Mark Wilchinsky, MD is retiring from our practice. While Connecticut Orthopaedics will miss Dr. Wilchinsky’s presence and leadership, we are grateful for the years of hard work and the positive influence he has had on our team. He is excited to have free time to golf with his friends, travel with his wife Viki and spend quality time with Rocky, their puggle. We would like to express our gratitude for the excellent care he has provided for thousands of patients during his illustrious career. Please join us in wishing Dr. Wilchinsky all the best in this next chapter!