(CHICAGO) – Dr. Brian Cole, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush sports medicine specialist and orthopaedic surgeon, has been voted as the 2009 National Basketball Association (NBA) Team Physician of the Year by the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA).
The NBATA is comprised of the fifty-seven dedicated athletic trainers servicing the organizations of the National Basketball Association. In addition to the award, the NBATA will be making a $1,000 donation to the charity of Dr. Cole’s choice.
Dr. Cole has served as the head team physician for the Chicago Bulls for the past five years. In this role, he has become one of the most respected physicians in the NBA.
“The Bulls organization is proud of our association with Dr. Brian Cole and this award recognizes what we have been keenly aware of the last five years,” stated Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson. “Brian is an outstanding doctor who cares about our players and works extremely hard to give them the best care possible. The entire Chicago Bulls organization congratulates Brian and thanks him for his dedication.”
Cole has been chosen as one of the “Best Doctors in America” each year since 2004 and as a “Top Doctor” in the Chicago Metro area each year since 2003. In 2006, he was featured as “Chicago’s Top Doctor” and placed on the cover of Chicago Magazine. Dr. Cole also is the co-team physician for the Chicago White Sox.
“We are proud to have Dr. Cole on our team at Rush. He exemplifies the high level of expertly skilled orthopaedic surgeons we have on our faculty who provide quality care to our patients and help train future generations of physicians,” said Dr. Joshua Jacobs, chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Rush.
“Dr. Cole has been wonderful to work with over the past five seasons,” said Head Athletic Trainer Fred Tedeschi. “His demeanor, professionalism and integrity have helped him become one of the most respected doctors in the NBA and we’re fortunate to have him.”
Dr. Cole is also a professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery with a conjoint appointment in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Rush. He is the Section Head of the Cartilage Research Program at Rush University Medical Center and the Cartilage Restoration Center at Rush, a multidisciplinary program specializing in the restoration of articular cartilage and meniscal deficiency.