Cedarhurst Doc New Head of Sports Medicine at Mercy

A Cedarhurst doctor who worked on the sidelines with the Pittsburgh Steelers has been promoted to the head of Mercy Medical Center’s sports medicine and orthopedic surgery department.

Dr. Eric Freeman, of Roslyn, works out of the and has also served as the school physician at for 13 years.

“It’s a good promotion,” he told Patch. “It’s a progressive hospital with an exciting opportunity to bring minimally invasive orthopedic surgery to the community.”

Freeman’s practice in Cedarhurst will remain identical, he said, but his patients will now have better access to the Rockville Centre hospital’s resources.

“Dr. Freeman’s unique experience and expertise will further enhance Mercy Medical Center’s well-established leadership in orthopedic care,” said Dr. Aaron Glatt, of Woodmere, the hospital’s executive vice president and chief administrative officer. “His appointment will enable Mercy to broaden our offerings in arthroscopic and other minimally-invasive orthopedic procedures.”

The new position gives Freeman access to Mercy’s resources for minimally invasive surgeries for injuries such as torn ligaments, he said. Procedures will utilize small incisions with dissolving stitches and a catheter to pump Novocain to provide relief when a patient is discharged.

Freeman received his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School. He completed a fellowship in arthroscopic surgery and sports medicine at Orthopaedic Research of Virginia. During his fellowship, he served as associate physician with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“My background is taking care of the weekend warrior through the professional athlete,” he said. “The best thing about my practice is on a daily basis I can see patients from 1 year to 99 years old with various injuries, not just sports medicine. The diversity of the patients I see make it so rewarding to come back to the office on a daily basis.”