Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Atlanta United have named S. Clifton Willimon, M.D. as medical director of the club’s Academy teams. In his role, he will provide pediatric sports medicine and orthopaedic care to youth players as part of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s role as the official pediatric sports medicine program of Atlanta United. He will also support the Atlanta United First Team as a team physician.
Dr. Willimon is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and the Medical Director of Orthopaedic Quality and Outcomes at Children’s. He specializes in advanced arthroscopic and reconstructive surgical techniques for the treatment of complex orthopaedic disorders of the knee, hip, shoulder and elbow as well as sports injuries.
Throughout his career, Dr. Willimon has cared for professional and Olympic athletes as well as collegiate, high school and recreational athletes. He currently serves as team physician for the East Cobb Yankees and Mount Vernon Presbyterian School.
“Our clinical team is trained in pediatrics, so we understand the demands and pressures young athletes face as they play sports; and we know they need to be managed differently than adults,” said S. Clifton Willimon, M.D., medical director for Atlanta United Academy. “Our multidisciplinary team of certified athletic trainers, physical therapists, sports medicine physicians and orthopaedic surgeons work in concert to evaluate injured athletes and determine the best course of treatment to help them return safely to the field.”
Dr. Willimon completed medical school at Emory University School of Medicine and his orthopaedic residency at Duke University Medical Center where he was chief resident and a resident team physician for Duke University Athletics, North Carolina Central University and Hillside High School. During his time at Duke, he also completed training in pediatric orthopaedic surgery at Children’s. After residency, he received specialized training at the Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colo. where he trained under leaders in sports medicine. Dr. Willimon currently collaborates with Georgia Institute of Technology for cartilage research.
