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Atlanta’s top athletes — from the Falcons and Hawks to Atlanta United — rely on Emory Healthcare when they’re injured.
Patients across Georgia receive that same level of sports medicine and orthopaedic expertise.
“If you’re going to treat elite athletes, you have to be doing it every day,” says John Xerogeanes, MD, Chief of Sports Medicine at Emory Healthcare. “That experience matters for everyone.”
Learn about Emory Orthopaedics & Spine care. Make an appointment online, find a provider or call 404-778-3350 to schedule an appointment.
Emory Healthcare’s role as the official team health care provider for many of Atlanta’s teams didn’t happen overnight. It grew through years of trusted clinical relationships that helped shape the sports medicine innovation patients benefit from today.
Today, Emory supports multiple professional, league, collegiate and high school athletic programs — expertise that translates directly into faster diagnosis, advanced treatment and improved outcomes for all our patients, from youth athletes to weekend runners and active adults.
When people think of sports medicine, they often picture a doctor rushing onto the field after a player gets hurt. In reality, caring for elite athletes requires a much larger team and a comprehensive approach to health.
Professional athletes depend on:
They also rely on coordinated care for everyday health needs — exactly the same care challenges faced by active adults across Georgia.
“Athletes have the same health issues anyone else has,” Dr. Xerogeanes says. “They might need a cardiologist, a dermatologist or help managing a chronic condition.”
As a large academic health system, Emory Healthcare brings all of that care together — connecting athletes with experts in cardiology, endocrinology, mental health and other fields when needed.
Working closely with athletes operating at the highest level helps Emory innovate — and those advances flow directly back to patients seeking faster recovery, fewer complications and better long‑term outcomes.
Treating elite athletes means constantly searching for better surgical techniques, faster recovery protocols and ways to prevent injuries in the first place.
A key example:
Emory helped advance a technique in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery using the quadriceps tendon to reconstruct the ligament. Once uncommon in the U.S., it gained traction after excellent results in high-level athletes.
“If something works for athletes who are pushing their bodies to the limit, people feel confident it can work for others too,” Dr. Xerogeanes says.
Today, Emory patients benefit from:
Sports medicine research is accelerating. At Emory, researchers study how the body moves and what causes injuries.
They analyze:
“The next frontier is predicting injuries before they happen,” Dr. Xerogeanes says.
Identifying these risks early helps shape injury-prevention programs, safer return-to-play guidelines and better therapy pathways for athletes of all ages.
Partnerships with professional teams also create unique learning opportunities for medical trainees for Emory’s residents and fellows.
“They’re on the sidelines, they’re inside training facilities and they’re seeing how these injuries are managed in real time,” Dr. Xerogeanes says.
This hands-on experience helps train physicians who are adept at managing complex injuries and collaborating with trainers, coaches and specialists — while helping Emory attract talented physicians and researchers.
While professional teams may receive the most attention, Emory’s sports medicine programs support youth leagues, high schools and community programs throughout Georgia.
“Whether it’s a professional player or a high school student, they deserve the same level of care,” says Dr. Xerogeanes.
For many families, knowing their child can see the same sports medicine doctors trusted by Atlanta’s professional athletes offers real peace of mind.
In Atlanta, professional sports are part of the city’s identity. Partnerships between teams and health systems play an important role in supporting that ecosystem — from keeping athletes healthy to helping the city host major events.
But for Emory Healthcare, the biggest impact may be felt far beyond the stadium.
For patients coming to Emory, they know they’re receiving the same expertise trusted by Atlanta’s top athletes.
For Dr. Xerogeanes, the rewards of the work are often personal. He still hears from athletes he treated decades ago — patients who return years later, sometimes with their own children, seeking care.
“That’s what makes it worthwhile,” he says. “Helping someone recover from an injury and get back to the life they love — that’s why we do it.”
Emory Sports Medicine treats athletes of every level and sport. Some common conditions we treat include ACL tears, rotator cuff tears, knee injuries, and more.
Emory Orthopaedics & Spine offers comprehensive orthopedic and spine care at multiple locations across the Atlanta metro area, and our orthopedic and spine programs are ranked among the top in the nation. Our highly trained orthopaedic and spine specialists work together to diagnose and treat a wide variety of orthopaedic, spine, and sports medicine conditions.
Our physicians use innovative approaches to care – many of them pioneered right here at Emory – to ease your pain and get you back to an active lifestyle.
Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine also has among the highest patient satisfaction and best outcome rates in the nation* for your surgery. By using advanced research techniques developed by our top surgeons, we can make sure your surgery is done right the first time.
*Results based on an average of 86% patient satisfaction rating compared to a national benchmark of similar facilities at 68%. Infection rates averages at .45% for primary hip and knee procedures compared to .58% nationally.
