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Through the years Dr. Mike Pagnani has also served as team physician for several professional, collegiate and high school football teams as well as professional baseball teams.

Dr. Mike Pagnani is one of those rare people who has always known what he wanted to do. Early on he knew his dream job would have to combine two things about which he is passionate: sports and taking care of others. As the team physician for the Nashville Predators, he seems to have made that dream into a reality.

Pagnani, an orthopedic surgeon with the Nashville Knee and Shoulder Center, began caring for the Predators in 1998, but it was not his first time to work with a major sports team. During his fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, he was the assistant team physician for the New York Giants and the New York Mets. He has also provided medical expertise for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Dolphins and Nashville Kats.

"I had been a Giants fan my whole life, so that was really fun for me," Pagnani said. "Working in pro sports is a really incredible experience. The professional sports world is an amazing world to be around. If you're someone who loves athletics and has been around it your whole life, it's really a dream come true."

Pagnani has been involved in sports most of his life. He played high school football for the top-ranked team in Kentucky. He attended and played football for Columbia University in New York, where he first met Dr. Russell Warren, who was his team physician. Pagnani attended Vanderbilt School of Medicine, graduating in 1987. He did his general surgery internship at Baylor University Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas and his residency and sports medicine fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery under Dr. Warren.

"Dr. Waren is the person who influenced me the most. He is one of the giants in sports medicine. He was my role model and mentor." Pagnani said.

Pagnani returned to Nashville in 1993 and went to work for a large orthopedic practice. He got the call from the Predators five years later and has been taking care of the team ever since.

"The organization is made up of great people from top to bottom. The guys that we take care of are probably the easiest professional athletes to deal with. They are fun guys to be around. Good people."

Pagnani has seen the NHL team through its ups and downs.

"There was an initial phase of expansion where it was exciting for them to be here. Every night was a packed crowd at the arena. The mere fact we had a team was overwhelming.
The novelty wore off a little bit. It came time for us to start winning some games, and that's where we are now. We're improving to the point that we're putting a team on the ice that's competitive every night. Everyone on the roster is a great player. It's great to be a part of that and to be there from the beginning. Almost every one who was there from the beginning is still there. It's unusual to have so little turnover in a professional team after eight years. It's been a great ride."

Pagnani covers about 35 games a season and considers taking care of the team a hobby. When he is not in an arena, he is running his practice at the Nashville Knee and Shoulder Center, which started a year ago. In his office, he cares for athletes, weekend warriors and lots of regular folks with regular problems. Over the years, he has developed a very specialized practice and is a strong believer in sub-specialization.

"The more someone does something, the better they get at it. The more focused you are, the better your results tend to be," he said.

Pagnani was recently selected for membership into the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Society. His old friend and mentor, Dr. Warren, nominated him. He joins Dr. Jed Kuhn from Vanderbilt as one of only two orthopedic surgeons in Tennessee invited into this prestigious organization.

"I'm honored to be a part of it," Pagnani said.

He spends his free time with his wife Kelly and two kids, Connor, 13, and Sarah, 10, both aspiring athletes. It is not unusual for him to be called from the sidelines to care for an injured child.

"I'm involved in sports medicine in one way or another," he joked.

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