I Feel It in My Bones

The variety of reasons health care professionals provide to explain their career specialties never ceases to inspire me. Some follow in the footsteps of a beloved family member or mentor, while others cite a family or personal healthcare crisis for shaping their decision-making process.

Most common is an unyielding desire to be of service - to provide comfort and care to others.

Brian Cross, DO, decided to become an orthopedic trauma specialist because it resonated with him as a junior resident. To borrow from oft-quoted adages, you could say he "followed his gut," or, more appropriately in this case, he "felt it in his bones."

"Trauma is the number one cause of death and disability in people ages 5-50, and I felt that it was an opportunity to make a significant positive impact in the lives of my patients," Dr. Cross recalled. "I get great satisfaction from helping severely injured patients regain function and return to their lives."

Trauma surgeons are essential because they provide immediate and expert care for patients with severe injuries resulting from accidents, assaults, or other traumatic events, often acting as the critical link between initial injury and recovery.

Their quick decision-making and specialized surgical skills are vital in stabilizing patients, addressing life-threatening conditions, and ensuring the best possible outcomes in emergencies.

"As an orthopedic trauma specialist, you never have the same day twice," said Dr. Cross. "Each injury is unique and requires a precise knowledge of anatomy and trauma principles in order to obtain a successful outcome."

His noble, straightforward goal is to use his considerable skill set to return his patients to their pre-injury level of function.

Dr. Cross is board-certified in orthopedic surgery with a specialty interest in operative and nonoperative management of fractures and orthopedic trauma.

More specifically, he specializes in nonunions and malunions—complications that arise after a bone fracture, where nonunion refers to a fracture that fails to heal completely. At the same time, malunion describes a fracture that heals in an abnormal or incorrect position.

Other focus areas include hip and knee replacement surgery, management of musculoskeletal infections, corrections of limb deformities and limb lengthening, along with limb preservation surgery.

Dr. Cross grew up in a small community in eastern Ohio, near Youngstown. He worked summers in the steel mills in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.

He subsequently attended Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, an institution that places a premium on attracting students who want to make a difference in their communities and have a passion for service.

Before relocating to Southwest Florida, he was the director of the orthopedic trauma service at Broward Health, in Broward County, Florida, for 19 years. He built the entire orthopedic trauma program there from the ground up.

"Physicians Regional offered me the opportunity to create a similar trauma program here in Collier County, the first of its kind," Dr. Cross said. "It was an opportunity that I did not want to pass up. Plus, being from the Midwest, both my wife and I feel very much at home here on the West Coast."

Dr. Cross also holds the distinction of being the only fellowship-trained trauma specialist in Collier County.

"My typical patients are either acutely injured and require orthopedic surgery to stabilize fractures and prevent disability, or they are referred to me by other orthopedic surgeons in the community for management of complex injuries," explained Dr. Cross. "As a part of my practice, I also do straightforward and complex joint replacement and limb deformity correction, and these patients are referred to me from multiple sources."

You may be surprised to learn that many patients are apologetic for their injury, and think they made a mistake by falling or getting in a car accident.

"It's part of my job as a trauma specialist to reassure my patients that injuries are a part of life, and that accidents happen regardless of how careful we are," Dr. Cross said. "Injuries are a result of actively living your life, and it is my mission to help you return to it. No apologies."

Dr. Cross joining the Physicians Regional team means that patients no longer must be transferred out of the county to receive appropriate care for complex skeletal injuries. He also has the ability to surgically stabilize fractures that were previously managed non-operatively, leading to quicker and more reliable recovery.

"I sincerely hope that my patients would describe me as a concerned, caring, knowledgeable, and talented physician," Dr. Cross explained. "But most of all, when you, the patient, are having your worst day, please know you are going to get me at my best."