Have you ever had a question about an orthopaedic injury or condition, but you’re unsure if it warrants a visit to the doctor? Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery’s free monthly webinars could provide the answers you’re looking for. 

VSON’s webinars are helping Summit County’s residents and visitors learn important information to keep their bodies active and healthy. The best part about the virtual format is the Q&A portion — attendees can ask the surgeons specific questions relating to the topic and hear their answers in real time.

“Each webinar is designed to cater to many individuals who might be experiencing issues related to the topic being presented,”said VSON Marketing & Communications Director Rachel Follender “These are not ‘lectures’ in the traditional sense — they are sessions that aim to provide useful information to those attending in order to improve their day-to-day lives.”

Diverse webinar topics

VSON strives to differentiate the webinar subjects, Follender said, in order to create relevant discussions for multiple demographics and areas of concern. Since April of 2020 when VSON hosted its first webinar with Neurosurgeon Dr. Ernest Braxton — who presented about advancements in treating chronic pain and COVID-19 — the program has grown to include up to five sessions per month. 

From niche to broad, VSON chooses topics that run the gamut of orthopaedic, neurosurgery and sports medicine concerns including chronic pain management, sports injuries, preventable measures, treatment options, and groundbreaking procedures at VSON such as wide-awake hand surgery.

Webinar topics that address more general injuries or chronic pain tend to attract a broader audience, such as Dr. Terrell Joseph’s discussion about arthritis and tendonitis. In that webinar, he talked about causes, symptoms and treatment options, and fielded questions from men and women across all age groups and athletic abilities. 

“Each of our board-certified surgeons has their own specialties and areas of expertise, giving us the ability to present on a wide-range of topics,” said Rachael Protas, Physician Marketing Manager at VSON. “These webinars remove barriers between the physician and the patient, helping people access world-renowned orthopaedic care from the comfort of their own home.”

Not a lecture

A significant portion of each virtual event is dedicated to audience participation via a Q&A, typically toward the end of the discussion, which creates an interactive dialogue that’s highly engaging for the audience. Dr. William Sterett recently hosted a session about Preventing Knee Injuries in Female Athletes, drawing an engaged audience of active women, athletic trainers and coaches.  

“From teaching patients to medical students to residents to Fellows, my career has been centered around education,” Dr. Sterett said. “These webinars provide a forum for teaching our friends and patients information on some of their most sought-after questions.”

VSON has been strategic in designing these presentations so the event never feels like a lecture, while also showcasing the physicians’ expertise in a way that’s useful for the community. 

“The physicians from VSON make a point to take questions throughout the webinar to gear the talk toward the audience and their interests,” Protas said.“This format allows the audience to lead the discussion through questions and stories, helping to make these webinars interactive as well as informative.”  

Participate in the discussion

At VSON’s next virtual event on Feb. 4, Dr. Richard Cunningham will discuss ACL and MCL tears, meniscus tears, tibial spine fractures and tibial plateau fractures, while Avalanche Physical Therapy’s Joshua Jones will present about physical therapy’s benefits for prevention and return to activity. 

“This is a great event for all skiers and snowboarders across every skill level who enjoy different types of terrain – from groomers to the backcountry,” said Follender. “This is also a great session for individuals who are recovering from injury and want to learn some rehabilitation techniques or explore new treatment options, so they can get back to doing the activities they love.” 

Because sports medicine is a field that treats individualized injuries and concerns, the Q&A format of these webinars really captures the spirit of VSON’s personalized care. 

“We are always striving to improve our webinars and cover more topics people want to learn about,” Follender said. “We encourage individuals to reach out to us with suggestions — if there are any topics you’d find interesting or beneficial to you, please let us know!”