Anthony (Tony) DiGioia, MD, or Dr. D, is an engineer, entrepreneur, and practicing orthopaedic surgeon from Pittsburgh, PA, who is renowned for innovations in healthcare that combine the art and science of medicine.
He is the Founder and Medical Director of the Bone and Joint Center at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, the Wellness Center for Bone and Joint Health, the UPMC Innovation Center, and the not-for-profit AMD3 Foundation. His collective organizations deliver “everything you need for bone and joint health,” from personalized care to advanced technological support.
Dr. D's Family
Dr. D is the oldest of 8 siblings, and was born and raised inPittsburgh. He and his wife, Cathy, also a native Pittsburgher, have three daughters, Angela – an active healthcare improvement consultant and Founder of goShadow, Noelle – a fellowship-trained orthpaedic surgeon, and Maria – a senior associate for a worldwide business consulting group. When he is not working, Dr. D. stays busy with his family and particularly enjoys spending time with his 7 grandchildren.
Dr. D's Education
Dr. D graduated with university honors from Carnegie Mellon University’s Civil Engineering program and obtained a graduate degree in Civil and Biomedical Engineering before pursuing his medical degree. He attended Harvard Medical School where he graduated with honors in a Special Field, then completed his orthopaedic residency in Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and a Fellowship in Adult Reconstruction Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. D is board-certified in orthopaedic surgery and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons and has presented and published many articles in an effort to share his breakthroughs in medicine and engineering.
What Brought Dr. D Here?
Always focused on bridging the gaps between medicine and engineering, Dr. D developed a very busy orthopaedic surgery practice specializing in Adult Reconstructive Surgery, and in 2006 founded the Bone and Joint Center (BJC) at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. A “hospital within a hospital,” the BJC specialized in the treatment of patients with hip and knee arthritis and joint replacement surgery. Under Dr. D’s leadership as Medical Director, the BJC has become one of the busiest clinical centers in Western Pennsylvania.
Merging Technology with Surgical Practice
In the early 1990’s, Dr. D established himself as a pioneer and world leader in the early development of medical robotics and computer-assisted surgery, co-founding the first-ever Center for Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery within the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. D went on to be awarded several patents in this area and helped to create one of the first successful medical robotics company anywhere – Bluebelt Technologies. At Bluebelt, he led the development of “Navio,” a hand-held robotic tool used in assisting surgeons in total joint replacement surgery. In 2016, Bluebelt was acquired by an international orthopaedic implant company for 275 million dollars.
Next…A New Care Delivery System for All of Healthcare
Understanding the importance of integrating technology and process into care delivery, Dr. D was inspired to develop the Patient Centered Value System (PCVS) – a comprehensive and personalized approach to improving clinical outcomes and experiences while reducing cost. PCVS combines process and performance improvement with supporting technologies, and is based on the experience-based design sciences.
In 2018, Dr. D published The Patient Centered Value System: Transforming Healthcare Through Co-Design. The book is a guide to implementing patient centered care in any care setting or specialty. The PCVS approach has been implemented in over 65 different clinical conditions and is increasingly being adopted nationally and internationally.
So What’s Happening Now?
Continuing to Support Innovation
Dr. D founded and continues to serve as Medical Director of the UPMC Innovation Center which specializes in developing the tools and technologies that support clinical practice and novel care delivery models including PCVS. The Innovation Center shares tools like “What Matters to You” and shadowing along with team building approaches and technological developments that transform current care into excellent care.
Most recently, Dr. D developed “Joint Ai.” Joint Ai is a suite of AI-based platforms for Hip and Knee Arthritis education and treatment. The platform includes Joint iQ and Joint Dx. Joint iQ is a free education and training platform designed by expert orthopaedic surgeons to educate non-expert users to diagnose hip and knee arthritis. Joint Dx is an innovative clinical decision support system that accurately diagnoses and recommends treatment plans for patients with hip and/or knee pain from arthritis.
New Models for Non-operative Bone and Joint Wellness to Support Overall Health
As Dr. D while spearheading innovations integrating technology and patient centered care, he recognized the growing gender and race-based disparities in healthcare and developed a first-of-its-kind Wellness Center for Bone and Joint Health.
With a personalized care program and a focus on education and outreach, Dr. D and his Co-Medical Director, Dr. Noelle Guthrie, lead a team that focuses on all aspects of bone and joint health and wellness…the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, hip and knee arthritis including gender specific programs, falls prevention, mobility and movement, smoking cessation, nutrition and weight management, and pain management. The Wellness Center team also specializes in developing customized educational programs for patients and communities, helping everyone live active and healthy lives to their fullest.
Dr. D’s visionary leadership and commitment to health equity also extend globally through his AMD3 Foundation, where he leads the Operation Walk Pittsburgh medical mission team that delivers free joint replacement surgery to those in need across the world. Operation Walk Pittsburgh has traveled to Cuba, Guatemala, Panama, and Honduras, performing more than 700 hip and knee replacement surgeries for 602 patients. In 2022, Operation Walk Pittsburgh added a dental clinic to provide desperately needed dental care and procedures to families as they wait for their loved ones.
What’s Next?
Dr. Tony DiGioia and his teams have been at the forefront of many innovations in orthopaedic surgery as well as bone and joint health, and have always had a commitment to education, patients, and community service in Pittsburgh and abroad. He continues to integrate cutting edge technologies into clinical practice in the real world – merging the art and science of medicine in order to help patients. Dr. D is recognized for embodying a pioneering spirit that drives positive change in the healthcare industry and beyond.
