Center is one of just six FIFA-accredited sites in the world
MID-CITY When it comes to fixing a torn MCL or a sprained ankle, professional soccer players always turn to one Santa Monica medical group.
Now, thanks to an accreditation by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) — the world’s governing body of soccer — the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group is the official medical center where professional athletes of the centuries-old sport can seek treatment in the United States.
Located in Saint John’s Health Center, the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group is one of six FIFA-accredited sites in the world and the only one in the United States. FIFA accredited the first center in Zurich in May 2005 and gave its official seal of approval to two more facilities last month, including the St. Marianna University School of Medicine in Japan. Further certifications are expected in the next few months for centers in New Zealand, South Africa and Munich.
The designation essentially means the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports medicine Group is a center that has the means to focus on the health care, safety and prevention of injury to professional soccer players.
A celebration ceremony was held in the Santa Monica Orthopaedic office on Dec. 10 when it received the FIFA accreditation, an event attended by more than 140 people, including coaches, local soccer officials and sports physicians.
“This is not just medicine and surgery, it is about understanding how opti-mally to facilitate performance, to develop a prevention program to help educate and do research,” said Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, the lead soccer physician for the sports medical center in Santa Monica. “It transcends so many different levels, it really represents the full breadth of the center.”
Attaining the accreditation entailed an exhaustive application process that included interviews in Zurich for Mandelbaum and his Santa Monica-based team. The accredited centers were chosen based on their clinical, educational and research expertise and their history of involvement with treating teams and preventing injuries, according to FIFA.
“FIFA is committed to protecting and improving the health of football players worldwide,” Michel D’Hooghe, the chairman of the FIFA Sports Medical Committee, said last month in a statement. “These centers will also be generally open to every player looking for therapy or a second opinion on a specific illness or injury.”
The Santa Monica-based medical group was founded in 1988 first as an orthopaedic surgical group. The sports medicine discipline was added in the early 1990s and has treated all of the national team players since then.
While the day-to-day operations of the medical center will not change as a result of the FIFA accreditation, the designation will allow physicians to spend more time focusing on education and research, Mandelbaum said.
The Santa Monica doctor, who completed his residency at Johns Hopkins University, has served as the team physician for four U.S. men’s and two women’s World Cup teams since 1990.
The men’s and women’s national soccer teams, whose organization is based in Chicago, trains at the Home Depot Center in Carson and frequently utilizes the Santa Monica Orthopaedic group to treat injuries.
“It’s definitely a plus for our players and overall for the sport at the highest level for this country,” said Neil Buethe, the spokesman for U.S. Soccer, the United States arm of FIFA. “The center being recognized by the world’s governing body, having it right in our backyard is a huge asset for our players... it ensures our players have the best possible (treatment) for any rehabilitation they’ll need.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 4, 2008. Read the original PDF.