Support for UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute Propels Athletics, from Peewee to Pro
The Gretchen and Gregg Levy Family Chair in Sports Medicine, supporting the work of Michael J. Salata, MD, is pushing forward sports medicine at University Hospitals – and creating more opportunities for innovation.
An Exciting Future in Sports – and Sports Medicine – for Northeast Ohio
On the heels of recent playoff successes, the 2024 Cleveland Browns are now underway with a healthy roster. Their official care team, the sports medicine specialists at UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute, are reinvigorating everything from injury treatment to athletic performance.
"The recent opening of UH Drusinsky was a game-changer for us,” said Michael J. Salata, MD, Director, UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute; Director, Young Adult Hip Program, Joint Preservation and Cartilage Restoration Center; and Associate Team Physician, Cleveland Browns. “In many ways, Michael and Grace Drusinsky’s vision embodied what we’d been working toward for a decade.
Dr. Salata, a lifelong Clevelander, sees his community’s potential ready to be unlocked.
"Anything we do for our patients is exactly what we’d do for the Browns,” he said. “We’re propelling well-being and athletic performance at all levels – peewee to pro. Everyone here understands that mission, right from their first job interview."
UH sports medicine has fostered partnerships with over 70 high schools, five colleges, and other professional entities such as the Cleveland Ballet and Cleveland Monsters, with athletic trainers stationed on-site at each location.
Hard Work Recognized
Dr. Salata’s work has not gone unnoticed. Gretchen and Gregg Levy have seen how professional athletes represented by their agency, Verus Management Team and Verus Basketball, benefitted from his care.
The couple discussed Dr. Salata with James E. Voos, MD, Chair, UH Department of Orthopedic Surgery; Jack and Mary Herrick Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine; President, NFL Physician’s Society; and Head Team Physician, Cleveland Browns. This led to their “no-brainer” decision to establish the Gretchen and Gregg Levy Family Chair in Sports Medicine with Dr. Salata as the inaugural appointee. The chair also benefitted from a generous matching gift from Michael and Grace Drusinsky.
“Dr. Salata is very humble,” said Gregg. “When Dr. Voos asked him to join a surprise video call about the chair, he hopped on after completing a long, difficult surgery, saw all of us and looked puzzled. We broke the news and he said, ‘Thank God – I thought I was getting fired!’ The guy expects nothing for all his work. He does it because that’s just who he is.”
The Levy’s support for sports medicine and orthopedics doesn’t stop there. In 2021, they made a significant contribution to the expansion of UH Ahuja Medical Center, both as members of the UH Orthopedics Leadership Council and through their dedication of the Gretchen and Gregg Levy Family Basketball Court. In 2023, they helped establish the Alex Concepcion and Gretchen and Gregg Levy Family Chair in Orthopedic Trauma in honor of John Sontich, MD, Chief, Adult Orthopedic Trauma Services, who cared for Gretchen after a serious accident.
Sports Medicine on the Sideline and in the Lab
Under Dr. Salata’s leadership, the UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute Community Outreach Program has placed UH athletic trainers at regional high schools to support student-athletes and oversee emergency action plans. The AEDin3 program, led by Robert Flannery, MD, further boosts student-athlete safety by guaranteeing nearby life-saving equipment.
To sustain a pipeline of sports medicine experts, Sally and the late Bob Gries funded a fellowship program now ranked in the top 10 nationally. Through the generosity of Brenda and Marshall Brown, the sports medicine residency program allows chief residents to travel globally during their final year to train and learn from renowned leaders before going on to hold faculty positions at prestigious institutions.
Many Opportunities for Support
Dr. Salata and his colleagues are eager to expand their work.
“With philanthropic support, we can engage more patients and athletes across Northeast Ohio,” said Dr. Salata. We can work with more schools and even endow positions for UH trainers at specific high schools. Funding is also helping us exchange knowledge with incredible colleagues worldwide in places like Scotland, South Africa and Japan. So many questions in sports medicine need answers. It’s really only heating up.”
Make a gift today to support sports medicine at University Hospitals.