Commitment to community has been embedded as a core value for OrthoVirginia, even before its formal founding as a practice. At any given time, over a third of the physicians at OrthoVirginia volunteer as athletic trainers and team physicians, primarily in the Northern Virginia region. As a result of their priority to support the local sports leagues and school systems, they serve as team physicians to 18 public high schools as well as a number of private schools, taking time to answer questions, provide guidance and help in the care of the students.

In addition to providing a crucial service for students actively playing a sport, OrthoVirginia provides support to many student-athletes that may not have ready access to health care, and services from the OrthoVirginia physicians can prevent the need for unnecessary emergency room, office and physical therapy visits. Many schools rely on community medical providers to provide pre-participation physical examinations through school-based screenings each spring. School districts say they know they can count on OrthoVirginia employees to donate admirable amounts of their time to support these initiatives, at no charge to the student or the school, and utilizing their staff resources. For more severe injuries, these physicians can help streamline the care for these students who would otherwise encounter barriers due to their insurance status or language ability. In addition to health services, physicians have provided educational seminars, assisted with developing safety protocols, provided pre-participation physicals, and helped raise funds for school athletic programs.

School leadership readily identify the positive impact of the partnerships with OrthoVirginia, and the support to school systems as a result. “These relationships are critically important to the operation of our school-based athletic programs,” says John Ellenberger, Director of Student Activities at Annandale High School. “It’s safe to say our Athletic Trainers would not be able to do their jobs without the vital support provided by OrthoVirginia volunteer team physicians.”

OrthoVirginia has always been motivated by a desire to help athletic trainers to perform an often time thankless job. Additionally, they are inspired by the need to provide quality and timely care to athletes. The impact of the partnerships between schools and OrthoVirginia, and specifically the legacy of service by many of their physicians, have demonstrated a strong commitment over several decades to supporting athletic programs statewide.