Carolina Sports Medicine joins Wilmington Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in partnership with the community’s trusted Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Douglas Messina, and Physician Assistant-Certified, Shawn Fitzergald. Dr. Messina and Shawn will begin seeing patients under the Wilmington Health practice on March 1st, 2023.
Wilmington Health values the expertise and high-quality patient experience Dr. Messina and team have provided for more than 25 years and is looking forward to this partnership coming to fruition. The clinic’s purpose will remain as it has been since 1997: to serve the community by providing expert orthopaedics and sports medicine care.
“Our goal is to create a smooth transition for our patients, and it will be important that we keep our existing patients well-informed of practice changes,” Dr. Douglas Messina said.
Dr. Messina and the team will fold into the current, well-established Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine team that currently serves at Wilmington Health and is led by physicians Dr. Claude Jarrett, Dr. Chris Jarrett, Dr. Chad Fortun, and Dr. Sharrona Williams. Dr. Messina will also join the surgeons practicing at their new Ambulatory Surgery Center on Glen Meade Road, which opened in early June.
“The ultimate goal of this partnership is to extend further access to high-quality, expert care in our region, and it follows through with our vision statement to continue to improve the patient experience,” stated Gabrielle Von Rupp, Project Manager at Wilmington Health.
Dr. Messina and Shawn will continue to see patients at his current location at 1717 Shipyard Boulevard under the name Wilmington Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. They will maintain the current team that has enjoyed serving its existing patients. Wilmington Health and Carolina Sports Medicine will provide more details to patients about the transition.
Dr. Douglas Messina is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder and knee, as well as total joint replacement of the knee and shoulder. He is fellowship-trained in sports medicine and reconstructive surgery.
T. Shawn Fitzgerald, PA-C has served Carolina Sports Medicine Patients for 20+ years. He is skilled in a wide range of therapies and treatments to manage all types of joint and muscle injuries resulting from sports, slips and falls, arthritis, aging, and general wear and tear.