We recently connected with Clarke Holmes and have shared our conversation below.

Clarke, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

It was 2012, and I was still a relatively new physician in Nashville. I was a physician of 15 years, but in terms of being a blue blood from Nashville with tons of connections, that wasn’t my story. As a sports medicine and orthopedic physician, I had been an employee at another orthopedic practice, when my boss, a physician just 10 years my senior, drops the news that he is retiring. So, I look in the mirror, discuss the options with my loved ones, said lots of prayers and said, “If I’m every going to be my own boss and open my own medical practice, then it’s now or never.” That was 2012, and this June, Impact Sports Medicine and Orthopedics will celebrate its 13th birthday. Being an entrepreneur and having the ability to care for patients as I see best has been a huge gift. Easy….absolutely not. Rewarding…without a doubt. Almost every business-related medical article says that small, independent practices cannot survive in this climate. Well, we’ve proven them wrong.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve wanted to a be a physician since I was 15 years old. That desire never wavered. I was an athlete that had my fair share of injuries, understood the psyche of an athlete and also had an interest in the sciences. Thus, sports medicine and orthopedics was a great blend of my passions. Fast forward 38 years, and here I am, caring for musculoskeletal problems in pre-teens to those nearly 100 years of age. My goal is to be a great listener, an exceptional diagnostician, relieve pain, improve function, and promote healing while helping patients meet their life, fitness and athletic goals. I want patients to know that I care for them as individuals, and do not just think of them as body parts or a specific diagnosis. Patients will be treated with a compassion spirit and great integrity.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

As a medical doctor, patients often know very little about your training or competency. These absolutely are very important. However, what they do know is that you care for them. You want to be partner in their care, not just an authoritative figure that tells them what to do without an open discussion. If patients don’t think you “see” them or honestly care for them, they should and will seek care elsewhere.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My practice has been built on relationships, word of mouth and using innovation. In sports medicine and orthopedics, you share patients with primary care and other specialist physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers and personal trainers. It’s important to appreciate what those other medical professionals bring to the table and to communicate well with them regarding the care of mutual patients and what is unique about your practice. In my practice, I really focus on minimally invasive procedures and the nonsurgical care of orthopedic problems. The overwhelming majority of common orthopedic problems do not need surgery and now, more than ever, patients are looking for treatments that heal or provide benefits that are more holistic, lower risk, result in a faster recovery and are innovative. Specifically, we use musculoskeletal ultrasound every day for diagnostic purposes and all of our procedures, both in the office and the operating room. In my practice, we are leaders in performing platelet rich plasma injections which harness the body’s ability to heal soft tissues and stave off the rapid degeneration of joints.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.impactsportsnashville.com
• Instagram: @impactsportsmedicine
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/impactsportsnashville
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarke-holmes-8b76b053/