$20 Million Dollar Gift Establishes UH Haslam Sports Innovation Center

Innovations in Orthopaedics | Winter 2024

Thanks to a transformational $20 million gift from Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center announced the creation of the UH Haslam Sports Innovation Center in fall 2023.

James E. Voos, MD

“The generous support of Dee and Jimmy Haslam is enabling University Hospitals to lead the way as a nimble and collaborative modern academic medical center,” says Executive Director James E. Voos, MD, Chair of the UH Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Jack and Mary Herrick Distinguished Chair of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Dr. Voos is also Head Team Physician for the Cleveland Browns and President-elect of the NFL Physician’s Society (NFLPS).

Leading Innovation in Sports Medicine

Sports medicine is at the precipice of unparalleled innovation. Advancements in wearable sensors, regenerative medicine and genomics are providing novel opportunities for personalized treatment, rehabilitation and performance enhancement. The UH Haslam Sports Innovation Center will serve as a catalyst for University Hospitals to further expand world-class care to professional and recreational athletes and improve outcomes for all facets of orthopaedic services.

Already, wearable device technology is helping prevent injury and monitor patients’ rehabilitation and readiness for return-to-play. Last spring, Dr. Voos was awarded the NFLPS’s highest research honor, the Arthur C. Rettig Award for Academic Excellence, for his development of a novel muscle oxygen (SmO2) sensor that tracks recovery following ACL reconstruction.

“Oxygen sensors are providing the first internal indicators on the market that enable us to measure injury recovery,” says Dr. Voos. “We are already seeing this technology expand into our rehabilitation of professional and high school athletes following lower-extremity surgeries.”

Dr. Voos’ industry partnerships include Collamedix’s development of collagen scaffolds and Lazurite’s ArthroFree® System wireless surgical camera, which has U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for endoscopic applications, including arthroscopy.

Building a Nationally Recognized Leadership Team

The Haslams’ extensive professional network and experience as investors in the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and the MLS’s Columbus Crew will provide unique opportunities for industry engagement. In addition to their leadership, the center’s core executive team includes Dr. Voos, Lisa Piazza, Director of the UH Sports Medicine Institute, and UH Venture partners Neil Wyant and Matthew Zenker. They have been working to lay the groundwork for the center’s strategic vision.

“This spring, we look forward to announcing our four-person medical advisory board and our three-person business advisory board comprised of nationally recognized experts,” says Dr. Voos. “We are also actively reviewing businesses and manufacturers and are excited to enter into our first formal industry partnerships.”

Expansion of Sports Medicine

The UH Haslam Sports Innovation Center is the latest in University Hospitals’ recent expansion of orthopaedic services, including the 2023 opening of the UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute at UH Ahuja Medical Center. The multistory facility adds 76,200 square feet of interactive sports-focused space, including a fieldhouse with a 45-yard training gridiron, basketball court, batting cages and ballet barres. With six rehabilitation rooms, 10 treatment stations and 18 sports clinic rooms, the expansion also adds eight state-of-the-art operating suites. The Drusinsky Institute is one of the few facilities to receive FDA approval to multiply and grow stem cells for arthritis treatment.

Groundbreaking Leadership

“The Haslams’ passion not only for Cleveland but also for athletes on local and national playing fields is creating groundbreaking opportunities to impact active individuals at all levels of performance,” says Dr. Voos. “Their legacy in establishing the UH Haslam Sports Innovation Center shines a spotlight on University Hospitals as a thought leader in academic sports medicine.”

For more information about the UH Haslam Sports Innovation Center, contact Lisa Piazza at Lisa.Piazza@UHhospitals.org.

Contributing Expert:  
James E. Voos, MD
Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery 
Jack and Mary Herrick Distinguished Chair
Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine  
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center 
Charles H. Herndon Professor and Chair of Orthopaedics
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine 
Head Team Physician, Cleveland Browns 
Medical Director, Cleveland Ballet