HSS Appoints Daphne A. Scott, MD, Chief of Primary Sports Medicine

Newswise — Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health, today announced the appointment of Daphne A. Scott, MD, sports medicine physician in the HSS Women’s Sports Medicine Center and Lead Team Physician for the New York Knicks, as Chief of the Primary Sports Medicine Service. 

Dr. Scott will succeed John P. DiFiori, MD, who has led the Primary Sports Medicine Service since 2018. The appointment will go into effect December 1. 

“We are extremely grateful to Dr. DiFiori for his visionary leadership over the past seven years,” said Douglas E. Padgett, MD, surgeon-in-chief and medical director at HSS. “Dr. Scott is a highly skilled provider and collaborator whose proven track record of excellence makes her the ideal candidate for this position.” 

Dr. Scott specializes in the nonsurgical treatment of acute, chronic and overuse injuries, primarily in the shoulder, hip and knee. As Chief, she will oversee 25 providers across 14 locations while maintaining her clinical practice since 2015. 

“I am honored and thrilled to take on this new role,” Dr. Scott said. “Our Primary Sports Medicine Service is renowned worldwide for its expertise, innovation and superior care. I look forward to building upon the team’s already exceptional foundation.” 

A recognized champion for HSS’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion priorities, Dr. Scott formerly held the position of Associate Chief Medical Diversity Officer at HSS. She also served as the physician liaison to HSS’s access to care committee, which brings HSS services out into the community. 

“Dr. Scott’s steadfast commitment to her patients and the population at large will be an asset to her role as Chief,” said Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA, president and CEO at HSS. “We are excited to see how the department flourishes under her leadership.”

Dr. Scott earned her medical degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Washington. She then completed her fellowship in Primary Care Sports Medicine at the University of Arizona. 

Prior to starting her current role with the New York Knicks, Dr. Scott served as team physician for the USA Track and Field team at the 2017 London World Championship and 2019 Pan Am Games and as an Orthopedic Consultant for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). 

In addition to her leadership and clinical work, she is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Gold Humanism Honor Society.