Wellstar Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Dr. Whitaker is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a fellowship in adult reconstruction. After graduating from the University of Richmond, he earned his medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine and completed an orthopedic residency at William Beaumont Army Medical Center. After two military deployments and an overseas assignment, Dr. Whitaker completed his fellowship at VCU. He then joined the faculty at Eisenhower Army Medical Center and served as chair of orthopedics and rehabilitation until his Army retirement. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. Dr. Whitaker has published peer-reviewed journal articles and online publications. He specializes in adult reconstruction of the hip and knee, which includes treatment of problems arising from arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, trauma and congenital/developmental conditions.

Dr. Grimm attended Yale University for his undergraduate education. He subsequently served as research coordinator at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and taught high school science prior to starting medical school at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Md. He completed residency in orthopedic surgery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda and a fellowship in foot and ankle surgery at OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, N.C. He is now stationed at Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Eisenhower and sees patients at Wellstar, affiliated with Medical College of Georgia, in Augusta.

Dr. Homlar is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in orthopedic oncology and joint replacement. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia, earned her medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia, completed her orthopedic surgery residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., and stayed for a fellowship in orthopedic oncology. She is now part of the Wellstar, affiliated with Medical College of Georgia, faculty in the department of Orthopedic Surgery. Her practice is focused on the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas, metastatic disease and adult joint reconstruction. Treatment of bone sarcomas often involves complex joint replacement, and Dr. Homlar has extensive experience with joint replacement in the setting of cancer, in addition to more common causes for joint degeneration such as osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthropathies, osteonecrosis, trauma and previous infection.

Dr. DeCoons is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with certification in sports medicine who specializes in arthroscopy and arthroplasty of the knee and shoulder. After graduating from Princeton University, he earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (Rutgers). He completed his residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, including an additional research year in the McKay Orthopedic Research Laboratory. He then completed his fellowship in sports medicine at the UHZ Sports Medicine Institute in Coral Gables, Fla. Dr. DeCoons was in private practice in Macon before joining Wellstar, affiliated with Medical College of Georgia. He has served as a team physician at all competitive levels, including for the Florida International University football team and the Florida Panthers hockey team. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

Dr. Parada is a board-certified, fellowship-trained shoulder specialist. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Madigan Army Medical Center and then was selected for the prestigious Boston Shoulder Institute Fellowship based at Massachusetts General Hospital as part of Harvard Medical School. After completing his military service, he became director of shoulder surgery at Wellstar, affiliated with Medical College of Georgia, taking over the position from his long-time mentor, Dr. Lynn Crosby, following her retirement. Dr. Parada is one of only 10 Georgia orthopedic surgeons in the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and the only one of those members outside of Atlanta and Columbus. He is the president of the Georgia Shoulder and Elbow Society and serves on multiple committees of national organizations such as ASES and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He performs extensive research in all matters related to the shoulder including clinical, biochemical and biomechanical studies.