A Cincinnati-based provider of sports medicine and orthopaedic care has added a new highly specialized surgeon to its staff.

Dr. Joel Sorger, the Tri-State’s only orthopaedic oncologist and a joint replacement surgeon, joined the team at Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in September.

Sorger is one of only 120 orthopaedic oncologists in the U.S., one of six in Ohio – and the only in Cincinnati, he told me. He has experience treating numerous types of orthopaedic cancers, including Ewing’s sarcoma, osteosarcoma and other malignancies of the musculoskeletal system. 

He joins Beacon after a seven-year stint at TriHealth. He said Beacon’s physician-led, private practice model was a major driving force behind the change.

“I think Beacon is a better fit for my personality, and it’s really not anything more complex than that,” he said. “I align really well with the goals that Beacon is trying to achieve and what they want to become.”

Dr. Peter Cha, orthopedic surgeon and president of Beacon, said Sorger serves a niche population and will treat some of the most complex cases in the Tri-State region. While bone and soft tissue cancers are rare in their own right, they do require specialized care.

Cha previously worked under Sorger as a resident at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; the two have kept in touch. Cha said the timing was right for Sorger to join the team.

“He is an innovator and the only one that really comes to mind when you think about orthopedic oncology,” Cha told me. “He’s probably the most versatile orthopaedic surgeon in our region and really rounds out our roster.”

Beacon has seen an increase in surgeries logged over the last two years, said Cha, especially with the August acquisition of Montgomery-based Reconstructive Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. Recon’s doctors had previously been affiliated with OrthoCincy, and the move added seven physicians to Beacon's roster. Sorger brings the headcount to 35 physicians overall.

Sorger will seeing patients at Beacon locations in Montgomery, Beacon East in Anderson and Miamisburg. On top of orthopaedic oncology, Sorger also uses advanced procedures for hip and knee replacements and general orthopaedic surgery, a release said.

Sorger is also an employee of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he serves as the sarcoma program co-director, and is a clinical assistant professor for Wright State University School of Medicine and an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at UC training residents and medical students.

Beacon maintains 13 locations across the TriState and offers comprehensive orthopedic care. It also provides medical direction and coverage for over 30 local high schools, five college athletics programs and professional teams including the Cincinnati Reds.