Lycoming Football - Carey earns PATS’ Team Physician Honorary Membership Award

Dr. Patrick Carey, Lycoming College's athletics physician

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Dr. Patrick Carey, Lycoming College's athletics physician for the past 30 seasons, was honored by the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society (PATS) on Thursday, Aug. 20, when the organization announced that he was given the organization’s Team Physician Honorary Membership Award.

Carey is a renowned North Central Pennsylvania Orthopedic Surgeon and practitioner of Sports Medicine. In his current role as UPMC Susquehanna's Director of Sports Medicine, he has served as the primary doctor for the Williamsport area's high school, college and professional athletes for the past three decades. In addition to his role in sports medicine, he practices general orthopedics, was the sports medicine consultant for the Minor League Williamsport Crosscutters, the sports medicine consultant for the Little League World Series, the team physician for the athletic programs Lycoming College since 1990, and a generous philanthropist in the Williamsport area.

Dr. Patrick Carey was honored for his 25 years of service
by Lycoming President Dr. Kent C. Trachte

“Doc and Lycoming College have perhaps an unusual arrangement,” Lycoming’s head athletic trainer Andrea Lucas wrote in the nomination letter. “There is no contract between the school and his office. It’s just been for the past 30 years that if a student-athlete has an injury that all we need to do is pick up the phone and Doc will either make sure there is time for the athlete at the office or he will come to our training room to see the athlete. He likely has similar arrangements with just about every high school in the area.”

An accomplished athlete himself, Carey never lost a game as a starting quarterback at Central Bucks West, going 22-0 in two years as a starter, earning all-state honors as a senior. He went on to become a three-year starter at Temple University, where he led the Owls to two winning seasons, capping it off as the offensive MVP as a senior in a Bowl Game against future Super Bowl quarterback Doug Williams. He also earned Temple's Top Scholar Athlete award as a senior.

Dr. Carey (Blue Lycoming sweater) is
always available if needed.

Following a short stint with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Canadian Football League, he enrolled in the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and was the first DO accepted into Temple University's Residency program. Following his residency, he did a fellowship in Sports Medicine at Temple University Hospital, before accepting a job at what was then known as Williamsport Hospital.

Once in Williamsport, along with Dr. Craig Stabler, he founded Sports Medicine, which was the first of its kind in the area. He has built Sports Medicine into the regional brand it is today. In addition to Sports Medicine, Carey also had his own practice for 25 years, West Branch Orthopedics, before being recruited to join UPMC Susquehanna in 2015. Carey specializes in rotator cuff surgery, total knee replacements and arthroscopic surgery with emphasis on ACL reconstruction.

“From diagnosis to rehabilitation, Doc provides Lycoming College student-athletes with care that is world-class, especially for a small-sized city,” Lucas said. “He takes the time to make sure an athlete knows what they need to do to get back on the field and once they are back, he roots for them to do well in competition. He understands the Division III ethos, understands that our student-athletes are not going to go pro, and he provides recommendations that are in the best interest of our students being able to have a healthy life and not just to get them back on the field.”

In 2018, Carey was honored as part of Irish America magazine's Annual Healthcare & Life Sciences 50, which recognizes the excellence, performance, and extraordinary contributions of Irish-American and Irish-born leaders in fields including medical care, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, research and development, and life sciences venture capital.

Carey and his wife, Maureen, have two sons, Patrick and Shane. Patrick, a star quarterback at Loyalsock Township and Bloomsburg University, is currently in his second year as an assistant with the Lycoming football team. Shane, also a star quarterback at Loyalsock Township, went on to pitch at Division I St. Joseph's University.

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