R. Bruce Shack, MD, dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine in Chattanooga, and Kevin M. Spiegel, FACHE, President & CEO of the Erlanger Health System, announce the appointment of Scott Steinmann, MD, as chair and professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Steinmann will also continue his own high volume complex shoulder and elbow medical practice at the Erlanger Orthopedic Institute.
An internationally recognized orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Steinmann joins the UTHSC College of Medicine in Chattanooga and the Erlanger Health System after serving more than 20 years with the Mayo Clinic, where he was professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. He begins his role at UTHSC in October.
“We are fortunate to have been able to recruit Dr. Steinmann,” Dr. Shack said. “He is a world- renowned orthopedic surgeon. The department has been under excellent leadership under the direction of Dr. Richard Alvarez, who has been the chair for the past decade. The role Dr. Steinmann will play will be critical in the continued growth of the Orthopedic Department, which is one of our strongest departments here in Chattanooga. This is also a great opportunity for our residents to benefit from his leadership, to get exposure to other leaders within the field of orthopedics.”
The College of Medicine in Chattanooga is affiliated with Erlanger Health System, which serves as its primary clinical training site.
In making the announcement, Erlanger CEO Kevin Spiegel noted that, “The Department of Orthopedics is one of Erlanger’s ‘Centers of Excellence’ and its faculty is one of the best in our entire health system. Dr. Steinmann and his reputation in orthopedic extremities, as well as resident and fellowship medical education, is expected to take our orthopedic program to the next level.”
“This is a fantastic opportunity,” Dr. Steinmann said. “This opportunity at the UTHSC College of Medicine Chattanooga to lead the outstanding group that is already there is a dream job. UTHSC Chattanooga and Erlanger are on the move in Orthopedics. There have been great strides and changes with the evolution of the Erlanger Orthopedic Institute and the great clinical care that is currently being provided. At present, the entire spectrum of orthopedic care is being met. There is no area within Orthopedics for which a patient will need to leave Chattanooga to get care.”
In his role as chair, Dr. Steinmann will serve as the chief executive academic officer, and will be responsible for the educational programs, including the graduate, residency, continuing medical education, research efforts, public service, and the patient care programs within the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
“I’m very much looking forward to helping to grow the Orthopedic Department and residency program, and continuing to build on the department’s strengths,” he said. Dr. Steinmann notes that the UTHSC Erlanger clinical operation is recognized as a top hospital for any aspect of orthopedic care in the East Tennessee region and he expects the reputation to continue to expand in the future.
Dr. Steinmann completed his undergraduate training at Columbia University and his MD degree at Cornell Medical School. While there, he was exposed to the orthopedic surgeons at the Hospital for Special Surgery, one of the premiere orthopedic hospitals in the country, sparking his interest in the field. Dr. Steinmann completed his orthopedic surgery residency and a shoulder and elbow fellowship at the New York Orthopedic Hospital/Columbia University. He completed a hand surgery fellowship at the Mayo Clinic Rochester.
Dr. Steinmann served as a Commander in the United States Navy, where he was the attending orthopedic surgeon and director of upper extremity service for the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. During this time, he had the opportunity to take care of many of the country’s wounded warriors, as well as legislators at the Capitol and the White House. After his military service, Dr. Steinmann began his career with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
“We expect Dr. Steinmann to have a huge impact on our ability to recruit not just medical students and residents, but faculty members, to come to Chattanooga to grow the department and to develop new services within the Department of Orthopedic Surgery,” Dr. Shack said. “I think he will be a positive influence within the entire campus.”