Orlando Health Orthopedic Surgeon Named Chief Medical Officer for 2022 Special Olympics USA Games

Orlando, FL (June 7, 2021) – Thousands of athletes will be in Orlando for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games and preparations are underway to ensure they have the medical care they need to perform their best.

A key component of the event was announced today as Michael V. Jablonski, MD, orthopedic surgeon with Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, has been named chief medical officer for the 2022 USA Games, which will take place June 5-11, 2022. 

“A main pillar of Special Olympics programs worldwide is health and wellness of the athletes so it is a wonderful honor to lead the team of talented medical professionals who will work closely with these amazing athletes,” says Jablonski. “As the Official Medical Team for the 2022 USA Games, we look forward to partnering with Special Olympics over the next year and beyond to build a support structure that will help the athletes compete and excel.”

As a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jablonski specializes in knee and shoulder care, joint replacement, and minimally invasive robotic surgery.

 He serves as medical director for University of Central Florida Athletics and provides comprehensive sports medicine care to amateur and professional athletes throughout the region, including Orlando Ballet. Dr. Jablonski treats injuries and conditions, including ACL and PCL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, tennis elbow, shin splints, runner’s knee, swimmer’s shoulder and more.

“The 2022 USA Games is honored to have Orlando Health as the Official Medical Team of the Games and the Presenting Sponsor of the Healthy Athletes Experience. We are extremely excited that Orlando Health has selected Dr. Michael Jablonski to serve as the chief medical officer of the 2022 Games," says Joe Dzaluk, CEO and president of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. "His medical experience will be invaluable in aiding our delivery of health and medical services to over 4,000 competing athletes as well as the tens of thousands of families, fans and spectators expected to attend the largest humanitarian event in Florida's history"

In a co-leadership role with the organizing committee’s executive director, Jablonski will provide medical oversight and direction to the 2022 USA Games health and medical leadership team. He will steer the team of experts, which will include Orlando Health physicians, physical therapists, nurses, athletic trainers, and volunteers who will work directly with the athletes. In addition to the Official Medical Team designation, Orlando Health will be a platinum sponsor for the Games, a Presenting Sponsor for the Special Olympics Healthy Athletesâ Experience and presenting sponsor for the Young Athletes Festival for athletes age 2 - 7. 

The arrangement is part of a new multi-year partnership agreement between Orlando Health, the 2022 USA Games and Special Olympics Florida that also designates Orlando Health as the official Central Florida Medical Home for Special Olympics Florida (SOFL). Through this partnership, Orlando Health will provide free sports physicals to any SOFL athletes, and clinicians will participate in advanced training to treat patients with intellectual disabilities.

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, is a not-for-profit healthcare organization with $7.1 billion of assets under management that serves the southeastern United States.

Founded more than 100 years ago, the healthcare system is recognized around the world for its pediatric and adult Level One Trauma program as well as the only state-accredited Level Two Adult Trauma Center in Pinellas County. It is the home of the nation’s largest neonatal intensive care unit under one roof, the only system in the southeast to offer open fetal surgery to repair the most severe forms of spina bifida, the site of an Olympic athlete training facility and operator of one of the largest and highest performing clinically integrated networks in the region. Orlando Health is a statutory teaching system that pioneers life-changing medical research. The 3,200-bed system includes 15 wholly-owned hospitals and emergency departments; rehabilitation services, cancer and heart institutes, imaging and laboratory services, wound care centers, physician offices for adults and pediatrics, skilled nursing facilities, an in-patient behavioral health facility, home healthcare services in partnership with LHC Group, and urgent care centers in partnership with CareSpot Urgent Care. Nearly 4,200 physicians, representing more than 80 medical specialties and subspecialties have privileges across the Orlando Health system, which employs nearly 22,000 team members. In FY20, Orlando Health served nearly 150,000 inpatients and nearly 3.1 million outpatients. During that same time period, Orlando Health provided approximately $760 million in total value to the communities it serves in the form of charity care, community benefit programs and services, community building activities and more. Additional information can be found at http://www.orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @orlandohealth.