New Scholarship Announced at the 16th Annual Cutting Edge Concepts Seminar

The 16th Annual Cutting Edge Concepts in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine seminar, hosted annually by the Orlando Orthopaedic Center Foundation, provided the perfect backdrop for several major announcements impacting local sports medicine professionals. The event also serves as a vehicle to raise funds to support the Foundation’s Give Kids Sports initiative, providing access to sports for local youth in our community.

This year’s festivities kicked off with the announcement of the Chris Payer Honorary Sports Medicine Scholarship, now available to Orange and Seminole County students interested in a career in sports medicine. The scholarship was named in honor of Chris Payer, an Orlando Orthopaedic Center Foundation board member who passed away unexpectedly last year.

Dr. Randy Schwartzberg, President of the Orlando Orthopaedic Center Foundation, shared his vision to honor Payer’s legacy and encouraged the more than 700 local sports medicine professionals to share this opportunity with their students.

“Chris Payer was a great family man who loved sports and education,” says Dr. Schwartzberg, ”His values really embody what we’re all about here, and this scholarship honors his legacy.”

Every year, the Cutting Edge Concepts seminar delivers the most current education to healthcare providers while raising funds for great industry-related causes.

This year’s event welcomed and provided continuing education credits to more than 700 athletic trainers, physical therapists, and other allied health professionals. The event also continued a long-standing tradition of awarding a $2,500 check to UCF’s Student Physical Therapy Association (SPTA) for research.

“The Orlando Orthopaedic Center Foundation has grown deep roots in the community through youth sports, education, and staying at the forefront of the latest in sports medicine and orthopaedic care,” says Dr. Schwartzberg. “Our sports medicine seminar educates physical therapists, athletic trainers, and nurses who want to learn about our vision and leading-edge sports medicine.”

When asked how sports influenced her personally, Sophia P. Davis, D.O., a foot and ankle surgeon at Orlando Orthopaedic Center, credits athletics for steering her toward a career in orthopaedic medicine.

“I was a runner in high school, and running is what originally attracted me to orthopaedics,” says Dr. Davis. “Athletics taught me discipline and dedication, and being able to give children access to sports is very important to me and to the Foundation.”