Saint John’s Health Center will be announcing the creation of a state-of-the-art orthopedic and sports medicine center – the Chan Soon-Shiong Musculo-Skeletal Science Center (CSS-MSSC) – at a corporate leadership event honoring renowned Los Angeles developer Timothy J. Leiweke at the JW Marriott Los Angeles at LA Live. The CSS-MSSC is made possible by funding from the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation, and the initiative has been led by healthcare visionaries Michele B. Chan and Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, by Lou Lazatin, President and CEO of Saint John’s, and by the newly appointed co-Medical Directors Neal ElAttrache, MD, and Bert Mandelbaum, MD.

“There is a great need to integrate sports training with physical therapy and rehabilitation, and with state of the art acute care at every level, from high school to college to professional sports,” said Dr. Soon-Shiong. “To our knowledge, there is currently no institution in the country dedicated to addressing musculo-skeletal conditions in this comprehensive fashion. The Chan Soon-Shiong Musculo-Skeletal Science Center will provide this unifying structure, through which Saint John’s will fully integrate sports medicine, sports performance science, physical therapy, stem cell therapy, integrated education of surgical fellows, physical therapists and sports trainers. Clinicians of the highest caliber will provide acute care and conduct state of the art clinical trials. The Center will provide the highest quality of care, from treatment to rehabilitation, and will have a reputation for excellence and innovation that professional sports teams and world-class sports performance organizations will seek out. Our honoree this evening, Tim Leiweke, and the Anschutz Entertainment Group epitomize excellence in sport and the highest standards of civic and community service. I can think of no more appropriate occasion to announce the establishment of this new Center.”

The CSS-MSSC vision includes the addition of both the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic and the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group (SMOG) to the Saint John’s family. Having the support of these two healthcare leaders will make Saint John’s a global destination for advanced orthopedic and sports medicine care. Through their joint efforts, Saint John’s will also be able to better serve the community, especially to benefit Los Angeles’s young student athletes.

“The new Center will be a world leader in the increasingly important field of sports sciences and a provider of the highest quality of care for athletes along the entire continuum from treatment through complete rehabilitation,” explained Lazatin. “Saint John’s is grateful for the visionary leadership of the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation, who initiated the concept, and for Kerlan-Jobe and SMOG who have agreed to take part in this amazing new venture.”

As part of Kerlan-Jobe’s move to Saint John’s, its practice at the Howard Hughes Center in Los Angeles will become a Saint John’s outpatient department. Kerlan-Jobe will also move its outpatient clinic in Beverly Hills and all of its inpatient practices to Saint John’s campus, in addition to bringing its research and fellowship program to the Saint John’s. Kerlan-Jobe, which is the largest and most successful sports medicine fellowship program in the country, will be supported under an affiliation with the Saint John’s Foundation.

SMOG, which has had a strong relationship with Saint John’s for the past 25 years, will expand its affiliation with the Health Center by converting its clinic on the fourth floor of the 2020 Santa Monica Boulevard building in Santa Monica into a Saint John’s outpatient department. SMOG will also continue to provide outpatient and inpatient services at Saint John’s.

“Bringing SMOG and Kerlan-Jobe under the Saint John’s umbrella of care will allow us to better serve our patients,” said Lazatin. “The talent and experience these two great orthopedic powerhouses bring is undeniable. This new venture will enable us to continue to provide the breakthrough medicine and inspired healing for which we are known.”

Kerlan-Jobe and SMOG have already developed reputations as the go-to clinics for sports medicine care in Los Angeles. Both work with Los Angeles-area teams such as the Lakers, Sparks, Dodgers, Angels, Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Chivas USA and LA Galaxy as well as collegiate athletic departments at the University of Southern California, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University and Santa Monica College. This is all in addition to national and international organizations and events including the PGA, Major League Baseball, US Soccer, Amgen Tour of California, Cirque du Soleil and the World Cup.

Saint John’s sees its 2012 Corporate Leadership Award event honoring Timothy J. Leiweke as the perfect place to announce this new venture. An extraordinary Los Angeles leader, Leiweke is dedicated to revitalizing the economic, civic and social landscape of Los Angeles. His achievements have created positive change that has resulted in extraordinary and lasting benefits to the community.

About Saint John’s

Since its founding in 1942 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Saint John’s Health Center has been providing the patients and families of Santa Monica, West Los Angeles and ocean communities with breakthrough medicine and inspired healing. Saint John’s provides a spectrum of treatment and diagnostic services with distinguished areas of excellence in cancer care, spine, orthopedics, women’s health, cardiac care and specialized programs such as the internationally acclaimed John Wayne Cancer Institute. Saint John’s is dedicated to bringing to the community the most innovative advances in medicine and technology. For more information, visit www.newstjohns.org

About the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation

Established and led by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and his wife, Michele B. Chan, the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit entity dedicated to the support of health care and medical research initiatives. The CSSFF has made numerous grants to health initiatives in California and across the United States. It has so far pledged some $135 million in support of developments at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.

About Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic

The Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic is a world leader in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopaedic and sports medicine injuries and illnesses. In addition to sports medicine, Kerlan-Jobe specializes in all aspects of orthopaedic care, including the diagnosis and treatment of the spine, shoulder, elbow, knee, hand and foot disorders, orthopaedic trauma, arthritis, congenital disorders and work-related injuries. It is also a leader in research in the areas of sports medicine and orthopaedic care. For more information, visit www.kerlanjobe.com.

About Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group (SMOG)

The Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group has grown to be the premier orthopaedic practice in Western Los Angeles, and now consists of 12 physicians all of whom meet the highest standards of education, training and experience. SMOG’s physicians are constantly involved in the development of new techniques and treatments to remain on the leading edge of orthopaedic medicine. This includes work with the National Institute of Health as well as some of the world’s leading medical technology companies. SMOG, a FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, continues to elevate levels of care with a central focus on quality of care for athletes ranging from young to old, novice to professional. In addition, SMOG has developed a nationally recognized fellowship program that annually trains three orthopaedic surgeons from around the country in the most advanced techniques of patient care for all aspects of Sports Medicine. For more information, visit www.smog-ortho.com.