Welcome Letter and Top Doctors

Message from Howard A. Chansky, MD, Professor & Chair, Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine:

The fall season comes alive with football, the return of students, and this year in our case, the return of a normal clinical schedule. After two more elective surgical “pauses” due to the unprecedented heat wave in June and another COVID surge in August and September, the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine is once again back to a brisk clinical pace. Our pandemic-related challenges are far from over, but I am optimistic that if there is a winter COVID peak, it won’t be as severe as the previous ones.

Another local fall event is Seattle Met Magazine’s announcement of their “Top Doctor” awards. This follows the similar April edition of Seattle Magazine’s “Top Doctor” awards. The public places much emphasis on hospital and physician “rankings” and as reported in my last newsletter, the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine was one of six UW Medical Center’s adult specialty programs to be named by US News as top 50 in the nation. I can now report to you that many of our orthopaedic physicans were voted onto these top doctor lists by their peers throughout the region. While no such ranking system is perfect and some amazingly talented surgeons in the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine are left off this year’s list, it is nice that our community of physicians recognizes so many of our surgeons as the best of the best. A compilation of our 2021 orthopaedic “Top Docs” is available here https://orthop.washington.edu/welcome-letter-and-top-doctors.html

The great depth and breadth of quality orthopaedic services we provide at our five hospitals populated by academic orthopaedic faculty is not necessarily reflected in any ranking system but we do strive to provide a “higher degree of care” at all times and at all sites. On behalf of the entire Department, I wish you and your families a safe and enjoyable fall season.

Seattle Met's 2021 Top Doctors

Seattle Magazine's 2021 Top Doctors