Dr. Peter Indelicato, right, makes the awards presentation to Dr. Champ L. Baker.

Columbus, GA (July 21, 2010) Hughston Clinic orthopaedic surgeon Champ L. Baker Jr., MD, FACS, received two prestigious national awards last weekend at the annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM).

     Dr. Baker was honored with the Robert E. Leach, MD Mr. Sports Medicine Award for his significant contributions to the world of sports medicine, and the George D. Rovere, MD Award for his contributions to sports medicine education. More than 1,400 orthopaedic surgeons from across the United States attended the three-day conference in Providence, R.I., and were on-hand to witness Dr. Baker receive the awards.

     The Mr. Sports Medicine Award is the top award presented each year by the AOSSM. Dr. Baker is the 37th recipient of this distinguished award given to an individual who has provided outstanding service in the orthopaedic community and made numerous contributions to the specialty of sports medicine. As part of the award, $5,000 will be donated to Dr. Bakers charity of choice. The only other physician from the Hughston Clinic to win this award is the clinics founder, the late Dr. Jack C. Hughston, a pioneer in developing the discipline of sports medicine. Dr. Hughston, the Father of Sports Medicine, was also Mr. Sports Medicine in 1976.

     The George D. Rovere Award is given annually to a member of the AOSSM for his or her contributions to sports medicine education. Throughout his career, Dr. Baker has consistently served the AOSSM and other industry organizations, and remained dedicated to education and training through teaching, lectures, research, and published articles. For 25 years, Dr. Baker has served as Director of the Hughston Sports Medicine Fellowship program at the Hughston Clinic, where more than 200 young doctors have trained, studied and advanced their knowledge of sports medicine.

     It is a tremendous honor to be recognized with these awards, said Dr. Baker. I am humbled and grateful. It has always been my passion to serve and give back to the field of sports medicine, to further advance the discipline through research, continuing education, hands-on experience, physician collaboration, and the discovery of new and innovative ways to treat patients.

     This is quite an accomplishment for Dr. Baker to win two awards in the same year from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, said Mark Baker, CEO of the Hughston Clinic. Everyone at Hughston is extremely proud of Dr. Baker for this well-deserved recognition.

     Besides being a physician at the Hughston Clinic, Dr. Baker is chairman of the board of directors at the Hughston Foundation, a nonprofit learning institution dedicated to research, education and training. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Baker holds teaching appointments at Tulane University School of Medicine and at Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Baker served as president of the Hughston Clinic from 1994 to 2000.

 Past Winners: Robert E. Leach, MD Mr. Sports Medicine Award
2010 Champ L. Baker., Jr., MD, FACS
2009 John A. Bergfeld, MD
2008 William G. Clancy, Jr., MD
2007 Peter J. Fowler, MD, FRCS
2006 Clarence L. Shields, Jr., MD
2005 J. Richard Steadman, MD
2004 William Allen, MD
2003 Russell Warren, MD
2002 Robert J. Johnson, MD
2001 Robert W. Jackson
2000 Arthur L. Boland, MD
1999 Jay S. Cox, MD
1998 Gerald A. O'Connor, MD
1997 Kenneth E. DeHaven, MD
1996 Frank W. Jobe, MD
1995 Frank H. Bassett, III, MD
1994 John A. Feagin, Jr., MD
1993 H. Royer Collins, MD
1992 George A. Snook, MD
1991 Fred L. Allman, Jr., MD
1990 Marcus J. Stewart, MD
1989 Lenox Baker, MD
1988 Robert E. Leach, MD
1987 Robert Kerlan, MD
1986 Robert L. Larson, MD
1985 James A. Nicholas, MD
1984 Bernard R. Cahill, MD
1983 Robert Metcalf, MD
1982 John C. Kennedy, MD
1981 Alan Ryan, MD
1980 Ejnar Eriksson, MD
1979 Leslie M. Bodnar, MD
1978 Thomas Quigley, MD
1977 Joseph D. Godfrey, MD
1976 Jack C. Hughston, MD
1975 Donald Slocum, MD
1974 Unknown
1973 Don H. O'Donoghue, MD

About the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is a world leader in sports medicine education, research, communication and fellowship, and includes national and international orthopaedic sports medicine leaders. The Society works closely with many other sports medicine specialists, including athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians, and others to improve the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries. AOSSM is also a founding partner of the STOP Sports Injuries campaign to prevent overuse and traumatic injuries in kids. For more information on AOSSM or the STOP Sports Injuries campaign, contact Lisa Weisenberger at lisa@aossm.org or 847-292-4900.