The Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI) has announced the addition of three physicians: Drs. Donna A. Saatman, Jeffrey A. Westerfield, and Joseph M. Zavatsky.
Donna A. Saatman, M.D., Jeffrey A. Westerfield, M.D., Joseph M. Zavatsky, M.D. Join FOI
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According to the September 11, 2014 news release, “Donna A. Saatman, M.D. is fellowship trained in neurosurgery and specializes in the surgical treatment of adult degenerative spinal and peripheral nerve disease. Prior to joining Florida Orthopaedic Institute, Dr. Saatman served as president and chief neurosurgeon in a private practice in Brandon, Florida.”
“Jeffrey A. Westerfield, M.D. is board certified in family medicine and is fellowship trained in sports medicine. Dr. Westerfield specializes in musculoskeletal injuries and the acute care and management of concussions for athletes. Prior to practicing medicine, Dr. Westerfield served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard as a Chief Warrant Officer helicopter pilot.”
“Joseph M. Zavatsky, M.D. is board certified by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, specializes in spine surgery, treats all spinal disorders and patients of all ages. In addition to performing more common degenerative cervical, thoracic and lumbar surgical procedures, Dr. Zavatsky has a special interest in minimally invasive surgery along with adult and pediatric complex spinal deformity and reconstruction.”
“Adding new physicians with exceptional experience, training and skills not only increases the services we offer but also enhances the quality of care our patients receive, ” said Dr. Roy Sanders, president and chief medical officer of Florida Orthopaedic Institute.
Joseph M. Zavatsky, M.D. commented to OTW, “My goal is to provide adult and pediatric patients with complex spinal deformities the safest and least invasive options to improve their quality of life and get them back to doing what they enjoy most. I’m supported by a strong team of physicians at Florida Orthopaedic Institute and look forward to working with them to keep the community active.”
Jeffrey A. Westerfield, M.D., M.B.A. told OTW, “On my first day at work, I had the opportunity to care for athletes’ bumps, bruises, concussions and fractures under the Friday Night Lights and the response from parents and coaches was overwhelmingly positive. I believe that being on the sidelines gives me another chance, outside of my normal clinic setting, to provide concussion education and injury prevention to high school athletes.”
Donna A. Saatman, M.D. stated, “Alleviating a patient’s pain and keeping them active is something I am sincerely passionate about, and I look forward to extending my wealth of knowledge and 10 years of spine experience to patients at Florida Orthopaedic Institute.”
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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