Orthopaedic Specialty Group has the longest and most distinguished history of any medical practice in Fairfield County. George W. Hawley, MD, started his practice in Fairfield in the early 1900’s. After leaving to serve his country in World War I, he returned to develop a busy practice while pioneering the early evolution of orthopaedics in this country. He invented the first orthopaedic fracture table – a device that remains critical even today to the practice of orthopaedic surgery. Dr. Hawley was joined by Arthur S. Griswold, MD, in the 1930’s. Dr. Griswold was among the first group of physicians to gain board certification in 1937.
In 1950, Edward P. McCreery, Jr., MD, joined Dr. Griswold. Prior to joining, Dr. McCreery served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps during World War II. He is credited for improvising an important mobile surgical unit in Iwo Jima during the heaviest fighting. In the early 1950’s Dr. McCreery left Dr. Griswold on friendly terms and started his own private practice which eventually became “Orthopaedic Specialty Group”. Over the years, Dr. McCreery cultivated OSG while also serving as the Chief of the Section of Orthopaedic Surgery at Bridgeport Hospital from 1960-1980 where he helped the hospital become recognized as the preeminent local facility. He pioneered waterproof casting and in 1967, when Dr. Truchly joined the group, they performed the first total hip arthroplasty in Connecticut.
Murray Morrison, MD, joined Drs. McCreery and Truchly in 1970 after completing his training at the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to develop one of the first true joint replacement practices in Connecticut. After serving in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during the Vietnam War, Herbert Hermele, MD, joined OSG in 1976. He developed one of the first arthroscopic and orthopaedic trauma practices in the area. In 1980, Robert Dawe, MD, joined Drs. McCreery, Morrison, and Hermele. Dr. Dawe was the first fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon in the area with subspecialty expertise in spine and pediatrics.
In the formative years, it was not only strong clinical performance that separated OSG from others, but also the intuitive realization that sub-specialization leads to better care; a concept that has now been scientifically proven. In the early era, this foresight allowed Orthopaedic Specialty Group to grow and attract the best physicians as the practice of Orthopaedic Surgery began to transition to a predominantly fellowship-trained specialty. This was an innovative style at a time when few University programs offered that type of approach and expertise to orthopaedic care. Currently, all surgeons at OSG have received at least part of their education at an Ivy League school or other prestigious medical institution such as Johns Hopkins University.
Today, Orthopaedic Specialty Group continues its long tradition of leadership. A member of OSG has been Chief of the Section of Orthopaedic Surgery at Bridgeport Hospital since 1960 (aside from a five year hiatus); Neurosurgery since 2018 (and previously 1996-’02); and Chief of the Section of Orthopaedic Surgery at St. Vincent’s Medical Center since 2015. We have the unique distinction of being a private practice that has held state and national leadership positions including Presidency of the Connecticut State Medical Society, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and the Eastern Orthopaedic Association as well as Chairmanship roles in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery. Orthopaedic Specialty Group provides official athletic coverage for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NHL affiliate team), Sacred Heart University, Fairfield University Athletics, and U.S. Ski Team. We take pride in our community outreach including Orthopaedic Specialty Group Education Foundation (our own 501(c)3 dedicated to charitable grants fostering humanitarian outreach and education related to musculoskeletal care locally and abroad) and our participation as corporate sponsors for many local charities including CTChallenge, Hole in the Wall Gang, and many others.
The values of expertise, innovation, and service were the foundations of Orthopaedic Specialty Group over 100 years ago and continue to define our practice today. We now consist of 28 physicians dedicated to musculoskeletal care in the fields of Orthopaedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Pain Management, Physiatry, Sports Medicine, Podiatry, and Chiropractic. Doctors are supported by eight experienced Physician Assistants. We have two new comprehensive orthopaedic offices in Fairfield and Shelton that offer multi-physician office hours, physical and occupational therapy, imaging, and urgent walk-in orthopaedic care. “Orthofast” – our physician staffed orthopaedic urgent care centers in Fairfield, Milford, Shelton, and Monroe – were the first of their kind in our communities, open evenings and weekends. The Fairfield Surgery Center (first of its kind – practice-based specialty specific) and OSG MRI (3T) are at our Fairfield Office location. Orthopaedic Specialty Group was honored to have the Connecticut Hand & Upper Extremity Center in Bridgeport join our practice in 2019. Our comprehensive approach to musculoskeletal care – scope of providers and facility design – optimizes provider collaboration, allows for the most efficient delivery of healthcare, and results in the best patient experience and outcomes.