It been a busy year for Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance. In addition to 17 Middle Tennessee locations, four of which include urgent care clinics, TOA also operates a Sports Performance Center with specialized sports performance training for teams and individuals.

Bryan W. Lapinski, MD

On Sept. 1, TOA welcomed two new providers: Jason H. Harms, MD (spine), and Bryan W. Lapinski, MD (foot and ankle). Harms earned undergraduate degrees from Emory University before completing his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. After residency in Augusta, he recently wrapped his orthopaedic spine surgery fellowship at WVU Medicine in West Virginia. Lapinski is relocating to Nashville from Illinois, where he spent more than a decade with DuPage Medical Group. The orthopaedic surgeon earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, followed by an orthopaedic surgery residency at Northwestern. He then completed a foot and ankle fellowship at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Earlier this year, TOA also welcomed Martha P. George, MD (shoulder and sports medicine), Paul D. Crook, MD (sports medicine, joint replacement and shoulder), William E. Carpenter, MD (joint replacement) and Michael C. Bowman, DO (interventional pain management).

At the end of last year, the group celebrated the opening of a new TOA facility in Hendersonville. The 23,000 square-foot TOA Indian Lake Clinic takes a comprehensive approach to an active lifestyle with an enhanced clinic, physical therapy, and advanced imaging services, as well as supportive services such as fitness and yoga classes and personal training. In June, the Indian Lake practice added an Orthopaedic Urgent Care clinic for after-hour and weekend non-emergent sports, recreational or workers' compensation bone and joint-related injuries.

TOA expansion isn't limited to Middle Tennessee, however. In late August the announcement was made that three Tennessee orthopaedic practices would merge into one of the nation's largest orthopaedic networks, effective January 2021. TOA, Mid-Tennessee Bone & Joint Clinic (MTBJ) in Columbia, and Knoxville-based Tennessee Orthopaedic Clinics (TOC) will join forces, giving the group 27 locations. At this time, plans call for each entity to retain its current name and employees while sharing best practices and leveraging their combined scale and expertise.

Will Kurtz, MD

"The opportunity to partner with TOC and MTBJ allows us to continue our path forward in creating innovative orthopedic care delivery models for the thousands of patients who span across our respective markets," said Will Kurtz, MD, TOA president. "We are excited to learn from one another and create high-quality, cost-effective patient outcomes. Ultimately, we feel this merger will accomplish this and much more for the many years to come."