By Sondra Barr
As Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine continues its legacy caring for the orthopedic needs of our community with three convenient full-service locations, it’s the Sherman clinic that holds an extra special place in the heart of Brian L. Hambrick, MPAS, PA-C.
Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine provides care for a full range of musculoskeletal disorders, diseases, and injuries to the human body, with areas of specialty including adult hip and knee reconstruction, adult hip and knee revisions, robotic-assisted joint resurfacing, knee arthroscopy, foot, ankle, and trauma.
An orthopedic physician assistant and a sports medicine specialist at Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine’s Sherman office, Hambrick is honored to care for the residents of the area where he was born and raised. Bringing the best orthopedic care to the place he calls home is a lifelong dream realized for Hambrick, who grew up with a deep love for family, community, and sports.
His dad was a coach, principal, and superintendent for Sherman Independent School District, where Brian and his younger brother played on the varsity basketball team. He didn’t stray far from home when embarking on his professional education at Austin College, also in Sherman. After years of playing basketball, Hambrick developed a keen interest in sports injuries, a field he approached vigorously and with the same laser focus that he applied on the basketball court.
“I pursued a dual Master’s Degree at Austin College in sports medicine and pre-med biology with a minor in chemistry. It forged the foundation of biomechanics, biology and chemistry and gave me a foundation for graduate school,” explains Hambrick.
After graduation, Hambrick began a paid medical internship at North Texas Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, where he worked with patients one-on-one and gained first-hand professional experience.
From there, he enrolled at the University of Texas Pan-American in Edinburgh, Texas, where he earned his Master’s of Physician Assistant Degree, graduating with honors and an impressive 3.76 GPA.
“We’re trained on a medical model like physicians. The good thing about physician assistant training is that you’re also trained in every facet of medicine. You get a more holistic training; you’re able to treat more and understand more than one problem,” says Hambrick, pointing out that the physician assistant profession was created to help decrease the stress of a rising sick population and a decreasing number of medical providers. “Where I trained, I trained under physicians and PAs that were the only source of medical providers within miles.”
It was a chance encounter that led to a meeting with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Charles Toulson, who’d go on to found Dallas’ premier destination for hip and knee replacement––Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. In addition to utilizing minimally invasive techniques and state-of-the-art equipment to perform the latest procedures, Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is one of the few practices in Texas to offer cartilage restoration. Patients can also take advantage of traditional and robotic-assisted joint replacement, sports medicine, ACL repair, complex shoulder conditions, PPR and stem cell therapies, fracture care, as well as treatment of ankle, elbow, wrist, knee, and hip conditions.
“I was doing an externship with an orthopedic surgeon and had a good rapport with the orthopedic representatives in the area. I overhead that there was a new surgeon coming to Collin County, and I was encouraged to go introduce myself to Dr. Toulson,” says Hambrick, who went on to spend two weeks shadowing the dynamic surgeon to see how he was going to establish his practice. “I liked the way he did things. He’s innovative. He’s young. He’s passionate.”
After two weeks, Hambrick informed Dr. Toulson he was leaving to go to south Texas to complete his physician assistant training. Dr. Toulson, impressed with Hambrick’s work ethic and knowledge, told him to call him after completing his training.
“During the three years of my medical training, Dr. Toulson called me every Christmas to see how I was doing and to make sure I was top of my class,” says Hambrick. “When I was done, he offered me a partnership to come work with him.”
“You meet a lot of people in passing and they say they will keep their word. How many people do? Dr. Toulson did,” exclaims Hambrick, whose experience in trauma care, orthopedic surgery, and emergency medicine made him a natural fit for Dr. Toulson’s innovative visions for Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.
Hambrick’s days are split between clinic and surgery. In addition to being Dr. Toulson’s lead assistant in surgery, Hambrick sees patients independently on clinic days, diagnosing and treating orthopedic conditions. “I also follow patients after surgery to make sure they’re healing well, reaching their milestones, and progressing appropriately,” says Hambrick, who’s been with Alpha for over 10 years.
When Hambrick helped open Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine’s Sherman location a year ago, it was a defining moment in his career. “Being able to give back to the community that is so much a part of me and that helped raise me is not only rewarding, it makes you feel as though life has come full circle,” describes Hambrick. Along with his wife, Marcy, he’s continuing this cycle by raising his own family in the community that helped raise him.
“I’ve been changed by parenthood. I have a broader outlook now. It confirms that the way I decided to treat patients is the right way, like family. My patients know that I have a young daughter. They know that I have one on the way,” he says. “I’m an open book and believe in having a connection with my patients. Having that emotional connection with your practitioner is the part of healing that helps you feel safe.”
“At a point in your medical career, you have to decide what type of practitioner you’re going to be. My approach is to be a holistic practitioner; one who listens; one who truly has the wellbeing of the patient in mind; one who is concerned; one who is compassionate. I treat patients like family. I believe that has a lot to do with my small-town upbringing in Sherman,” he says.
As the senior physician assistant on staff, Hambrick is quick to point out some of his peers’ contributions. “Sean Holt is a seasoned PA with extensive training in plastic surgery and orthopedics,” says Hambrick. “He’s knowledgeable and very good at motivating patients to reach their post-operative potential as far as explaining what exercises to do and how to strengthen the body to help their joint replacements work better.”
As for Trevor Fewins, who relocated from California, “He brings that calm, comfortable demeanor to the practice. He’s competent and very likable. He offers a more laidback approach to orthopedic injuries that could seem somewhat intimidating,” details Hambrick.
In order to provide full-time orthopedic care at Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine’s three full-service practices in McKinney, Sherman, and Prosper, the PAs assist four other top orthopedic surgeons that have joined Dr. Toulson in his mission to provide excellence in orthopedic medicine.
“When I started with Dr. Toulson, for a long time, it was just us. I’m very pleased with the growth,” says Hambrick. “We have a comprehensive team to treat every orthopedic concern. We have personalities for all, but we have one common goal––to treat patients to the best of our abilities.”
Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
The innovative team at Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine are committed to providing excellence in orthopedic medicine for our community.
TEAM
Charles Toulson, MD – Orthopedic Surgeon
Brian Snow, MD – Orthopedic Surgeon
John Thompson, MD – Orthopedic Surgeon
Dennis McKellar, Jr. MD – Orthopedic Surgeon
Mark G. Hubert, MD – Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon
Brian L. Hambrick, MPAS, PA-C – Orthopedic Physician Assistant
SERVICES
ACL
Orthopedic Surgery
Arthroscopy
Hip Pain
Shoulder Pain
Sports Injuries
Sports Medicine
Knee Pain
Ankle Pain
Cartilage Restoration
Elbow Pain
Robotic Joint Replacement
Rotator Cuff Tear
Hip Replacement
Knee Replacement
Walk-in Clinic
Arthritis
PRP Therapy
Fracture Care
Stem Cell Therapy
LOCATIONS
Main Office:
6850 TPC Drive
Suite 116
McKinney, TX 75070
972.838.1635
Sherman Office:
204 Medical Drive
Suite 102
Sherman, TX 75092
972.433.0103
Dallas Office:
12400 Coit Road
Suite 505
Dallas, TX 75251
972.385.8032
We are here for you! Avoid the ER – come to our walk-in clinic!
If you’ve suffered an injury that requires urgent care, you could save time and money by visiting the McKinney walk-in clinic Monday-Friday, 7:30AM.-5:00PM.
Walk-in Clinic
Ortho Urgent Care
6850 TPC Drive, Suite 116
McKinney, TX 75070
972.833.8061
www.alphaortho.net
