From Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic:
When Dr. Robert K. Kerlan started his private practice in 1950, the field of “sports medicine” was not yet a recognized specialty. But, like many orthopaedists, Dr. Kerlan had an avid interest in sports, and when the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, he was named their team physician and thus began what became a lifetime spent perfecting the science of sports medicine. As Dr. Kerlan’s private practice expanded, he began working as an orthopedic consultant to several other professional teams in a variety of sports, including hockey, basketball, football and horse racing. All the while, at the same time, he continued to teach at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. In 1965, his friend and former colleague at Los Angeles County General Hospital, Dr. Frank W. Jobe, offered to help Dr. Kerlan with his overwhelming work load, and the rest is history. The resulting clinic was co-founded in 1965 as the Southwestern Orthopaedic Medical Group located in Inglewood, California, and in 1985 the name was changed to the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.
The medical experts at Kerlan-Jobe have gained both national and international recognition as pioneers in the field of sports medicine. Since the founding of the Clinic, they have had a profound effect on the training and exercise routines of professional athletes in nearly every type of sport. As a result of the many years of specialized treatment, research and education, the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic has also succeeded in meeting the standards of the many people from all walks of life who have entrusted them with their rehabilitation and care. As a preeminent center for research and education in both orthopedics and sports medicine, Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic has established itself as a pioneer in medical breakthroughs. Our physicians have been responsible for developing advanced surgical methods and procedures to enhance treatment, rehabilitation and recovery for their patients. In 1973, a fellowship program was established by the clinic, and this orthopedic and sports medicine fellowship program is now one of the country’s largest and most respected programs of its kind. Each year, this program provides intensive training and research for more than a dozen of the nation’s finest young doctors which is a fitting tribute to its founder Dr. Kerlan, who passed away in September of 1996, after dedicating nearly 50 years of medical education, research and clinical practice to the medical community. Visit: www.kerlanjobe.com