Joseph Congeni, MD, physician liaison for philanthropy
After more than 35 years as director of Akron Children’s Sports Medicine, Joseph Congeni, MD, has cut back his responsibilities for a new physician liaison role with the Akron Children’s Foundation. S. Derrick Eddy, MD, recently succeeded Dr. Congeni as director of Sports Medicine and the Scala Family Endowed Chair in Sports Medicine.
When Dr. Congeni joined Akron Children’s in 1988, the Sports Medicine department didn’t exist. Some high schools had orthopedic or family medicine doctors for game-day injury care, while most injured athletes went to their primary care doctor or the ER.
“Colleagues in Pediatrics and Orthopedics, along with former Akron Children’s CEO Bill Considine, and I talked about creating a primary care sports medicine department,” Dr. Congeni said. “I love sports and teamwork – so primary care sports medicine seemed like a natural fit for me. Bill gave us the green light and one year to make it happen. The concept was new, as ours was the first sports medicine program of its kind in the country.”
Today Akron Children’s Sports Medicine department has 11 providers. Care is available on the Akron and Boardman campuses, The University of Akron campus and seven Akron Children’s regional locations. Dr. Congeni is proud of the nearly 50 Sports Medicine fellows – with the best of the best doctors staying to work at Akron Children’s.
Akron Children’s Sports Medicine, Orthopedics and Sports Rehabilitation departments are now part of the Akron Children’s Sports Health division.
“We all know how important it is for injured athletes to be seen quickly, and we work together to make that happen,” Dr. Congeni said. “We have experts in many different treatment techniques, plus newer services including sports psychology and sports nutrition. Whatever need an athlete has, we can help.”
Akron Children’s Sports Medicine department has also become a leader in concussion care, dedicating significant resources to research, including concussion studies using pro2cool cooling therapy.
S. Derrick Eddy, MD, director of Sports Medicine and the Scala Family Endowed Chair in Sports Medicine
Dr. Derrick Eddy completed his fellowship training at Akron Children’s in 2006 and has been an effective leader on the Sports Medicine team since 2016. He serves as medical director of Sports Health at The University of Akron. He also fills a critical role in training our sports medicine fellows in ultrasound-guided procedures and has been instrumental in expanding our sports medicine services throughout the region. This includes the addition of sports medicine services in Mansfield and expanded coverage in Medina and Boston Heights. In January, a sports medicine physician will join orthopedics at the walk-in sports injury clinic in Montrose.
“As the new director of Sports Medicine, I recognize the big shoes I have to fill. I am committed to honoring the legacy of this department while fostering growth and deepening our outreach to the community. Together, we will remain on the cutting edge of sports medicine diagnostics and treatments to care for the next generation of athletes,” Dr. Eddy said.
