New Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon Brings Hip Expertise to Region

A new pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center brings with him highly specialized techniques for treating children and adolescents with complicated hip issues, such as dysplasia.

P. Christopher Cook, M.D., F.R.C.S., associate professor of Orthopaedics, was recruited from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center to join the Division of Pediatric Orthopaedics in URMC’s Department of Orthopaedics. Cook earned his medical degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland School of Medicine and trained at Children’s Hospital of Boston. He previously practiced both at Pittsburgh Children's Hospital and in Halifax.

“Dr. Cook has the perfect blend of expertise and personality to fit well into our practice,” said James O. Sanders, chief of the Division of Pediatric Orthopaedics and professor of Orthopaedics and Pediatrics. “Our families are going to love his bedside manner and skills, and we’re delighted to have someone of his caliber join our team.”

Golisano Children’s Hospital’s pediatric orthopaedic services, under Sanders’ direction, have expanded in both depth and breadth over the past several years, earning it a place on the U.S. News & World Report rankings for three years in a row. The addition of Cook will reduce wait times for patients and will open up new opportunities for children and adolescents with hip issues.

“He’s the final piece of our hip preservation program,” said Brian Giordano, M.D., assistant professor of Orthopaedics who specializes in arthroscopic surgery of the hip. “Most smaller cities have to send children with complicated hip problems elsewhere. We’re now one of only a handful of centers that can repair soft tissues and larger structural abnormalities in the hip at the same time.”

Cook said that the hospital’s progress in expanding pediatric orthopaedic services and the plans for a new children’s hospital, including pediatric operating rooms, were among the reasons he was drawn to the University of Rochester. He has also spent much of his career teaching the next generation of orthopaedic surgeons and looks forward to sharing that responsibility with Sanders.