NYC Gazette

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has appointed Riley J. Williams III, MD, as Chief of the Sports Medicine Institute (SMI). Dr. Williams will assume his new role on March 1, succeeding Andrew D. Pearle, MD, who led the institute since 2019.

Douglas E. Padgett, MD, surgeon-in-chief and medical director at HSS, expressed gratitude for Dr. Pearle's leadership: “We are very grateful for Dr. Pearle’s exceptional leadership over the past six years.” He added that under Dr. Williams' guidance, the SMI aims to continue advancing in clinical care and research.

Dr. Williams is recognized for his expertise in knee, shoulder, and elbow surgery with a focus on knee ligament repair and cartilage reconstruction. His career highlights include performing New York's first knee cartilage transplantation at HSS in 1998 and serving as Medical Director and Head Team Orthopedic Surgeon for several professional sports teams.

Dr. Williams shared his enthusiasm about his new position: “I’m incredibly honored, humbled and excited to step into this new role.” He acknowledged the support of his peers throughout his career.

Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA, President & CEO of HSS stated: “The HSS Sports Medicine Institute is home to the world’s greatest concentration of talent in the field. Dr. Williams is the right leader for their next chapter.”

In addition to leading a team across multiple locations in New York and other states, Dr. Williams plans to enhance collaboration among sports medicine professionals to improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Williams holds degrees from Yale University and Stanford University School of Medicine and completed further training at HSS. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and is active in various professional organizations related to orthopedic surgery and sports medicine.