Editor: What To Know
- The physician-centric culture at AOP enables partners to lead the strategic, business, and clinical aspects of their practice with a collaborative approach to problem-solving, a shared vision of clinical excellence, peer engagement to propel evidence-based practice, an active voice in decision-making, and resources that foster growth and access to care.
- He completed his residency training in orthopedic surgery at the University of Utah, followed by a sports medicine fellowship at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, CO.
- In 2016, under his leadership, Steadman Hawkins Clinic established a strategic partnership with UCHealth and the University of Colorado School of Medicine to create a state-of-the-art orthopedic facility for sports medicine.
American Orthopedic Partners (AOP) today announced Dr. Ted Schlegel joins the practice as Senior Vice President, Clinical Excellence.
In his new position at AOP, Dr. Schlegel will ensure the delivery of clinical excellence by providing leadership and subject matter expertise for clinical innovation and the development of best practices. He will share with his colleagues across AOP evidence-based practices and strategic clinical program initiatives so that AOP delivers the best possible clinical value and outcomes to its patients across the country. Dr. Schlegel comes to AOP with nearly 30 years in the clinical and academic settings in orthopedic medicine; and he knows first-hand the challenges orthopedic surgeons face in the rapidly evolving healthcare environment.
Most recently, Dr. Schlegel was a practicing orthopedic surgeon at Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Denver, a practice he co-founded. In 2016, under his leadership, Steadman Hawkins Clinic established a strategic partnership with UCHealth and the University of Colorado School of Medicine to create a state-of-the-art orthopedic facility for sports medicine. Dr. Schlegel served as Fellowship Director for the sports medicine program at UCHealth Steadman Hawkins Clinic and Director of Research and Innovation for the UC Inverness Center. After retiring from his clinical surgical practice, he was honored with the Emeritus Associate Professor position in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Dr. Schlegel’s clinical work and research on regenerative treatments of the knee and shoulder led to the development of several innovative technologies; including the creation of an FDA-approved surgical technology (Opus Medical) that simplifies arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs. Dr. Schlegel also worked on a novel technique for treating partial thickness rotator cuff tears using a patented collagen scaffold (Rotational Medical).
During his 18 years’ tenure as the team physician for the Denver Broncos, Dr. Schlegel led several research projects on sports injuries specific to high-level football players, and in 2012, he received the prestigious “Outstanding NFL Team Physician Award.”
More recently, his research interests have focused on evaluating effective strategies for curbing the soaring costs of healthcare delivery. As Co-Founder of the North American Specialty Hospital (NASH), he designed an innovative new health care delivery model that resulted in significant savings for self-funded companies.
Dr. Schlegel earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from University of Cincinnati School of Medicine and Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences from Brown University. He completed his residency training in orthopedic surgery at the University of Utah, followed by a sports medicine fellowship at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, CO.
“We are excited to have Ted join our team. His vast experience in the orthopedic profession will help us continue to build a national orthopedic practice that focuses on quality care and clinical value,” said AOP CEO Jay Bronner. “We are passionate about building a strong future for practices that join AOP and Ted will help us do just that,” he added.
“AOP’s unique model makes so much sense – it’s physician-owned and physician led – giving patients the confidence in their care under our leadership,” said Dr. Schlegel. “Together, I’m confident AOP’s experienced team will transform how orthopedics is practiced – with scale, innovation, strong leadership, and most importantly quality care and clinical value,” he added.
The physician-centric culture at AOP enables partners to lead the strategic, business, and clinical aspects of their practice with a collaborative approach to problem-solving, a shared vision of clinical excellence, peer engagement to propel evidence-based practice, an active voice in decision-making, and resources that foster growth and access to care.
AOP leadership believes physicians are best equipped to improve outcomes and reduce costs in healthcare. Physicians who join AOP help build clinical value, lead the orthopedic specialty, define meaningful clinical metrics, set national standards for best practices, with a continued focus on patient-centric care. To date, AOP has partnered with orthopedic practices in California, Illinois, New Jersey, and is continuing its fast growth and the expansion of its national footprint.
