National sports medicine council welcomes Sanford surgeon

Dr. Nathan Wm. Skelley will represent South Dakota’s orthopedic and sports medicine surgeons

National sports medicine council welcomes Sanford surgeon

Sanford Health orthopedic surgeon Nathan Skelley, M.D., was recently selected by his peers to be the South Dakota representative for the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) council of delegates.

As a delegate, Dr. Skelley will participate in quarterly online meetings and an in-person annual meeting during his three-year term. In this role, he will be part of a national conversation that focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating sports medicine related injuries and conditions.

“This is an exciting time in sports medicine,” Dr. Skelley said. “I am honored to represent the state of South Dakota and Sanford Health in this delegate position with AOSSM.”

Cultivate knowledge

The AOSSM represents the interests of orthopedic surgeons and other professionals who provide comprehensive health services for the care of athletes and active people of all ages and abilities.

The organization aims to cultivate evidence-based knowledge, provide extensive educational programming and promote emerging research that advances the science and practice of sports medicine.

It is important to note that as the South Dakota delegate, Dr. Skelley will be representing the entire state – not just Sanford Health.

“I want all health care systems in South Dakota to be successful and deliver the best possible sports medicine patient care,” Dr. Skelley said. “We all have the same goal to keep our athletes in the game and keep our patients healthy.”

Dr. Skelley is the sports medicine orthopedic surgeon and head team physician for the University of South Dakota athletic department. He grew up in Joplin, Missouri, in a medical family. Both his father and grandfather became doctors and his mother is a cardiac nurse specialist and author.

Promoting new concepts

He has an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and attended Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. After medical school, Dr. Skelley completed his surgical residency at Washington University in St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He then performed his sports medicine fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Skelley will work with AOSSM to promote medical updates and health care advocacy in his new role. He will have a chance to provide input on educational materials and present and share new concepts in sports medicine. He’ll also have the opportunity to bring new concepts and practices from other delegates back to the state.

“This fellowship of sports medicine surgeons is extremely important to our profession,” Dr. Skelley said. “It’s the exchange of ideas – the shared decision-making – and collaboration that helps to advance patient care. We’ve missed many of these opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being able to serve in this delegate position is an exciting opportunity to work with other national leaders to promote sports medicine health throughout the country. I look forward to representing the state of South Dakota and advocating for our athletes and patients.”

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Posted In Healthy Living, Orthopedics, Sanford Stories, Sioux Falls, Sports Medicine