Partnership Offers Expert Orthopedic, Sports Medicine Services To Student Athletes
FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – September 24, 2026
Emmanuel University Athletics has announced a new partnership with Athens Orthopedic Clinic (AOC), naming AOC the exclusive sports medicine partner of Emmanuel Athletics.
Through the partnership, AOC will provide comprehensive orthopedic and sports medicine services to the Lions, including physician coverage at Emmanuel athletic events and priority access to imaging and treatment seven days a week.
Emmanuel student-athletes will also have access to AOC’s team of orthopedic specialists, offering expertise across a wide range of sports-related injuries and conditions. The team includes fellowship-trained specialists in shoulder, knee, hand, foot and ankle, and spine care.
The announcement is built on several years of collaboration between AOC and Emmanuel with the aim to enhance orthopedic care traditionally found at major athletic programs.
“This partnership reflects our vision to define the new standard in sports medicine care,” said Athens Orthopedic Clinic CEO Michael Boblitz. “Access to AOC’s 79 physicians, advanced practice providers and therapists links Emmanuel University student-athletes to around-the-clock care that includes OrthoNow urgent care and our Orthopedic MRI and CT Centers. We understand the importance of prompt access to care, which is why our services are open seven days a week for the benefit of our student-athletes.”
The partnership provides Emmanuel student-athletes with access to AOC’s comprehensive network of orthopedic and sports medicine services, including North Georgia’s only private ambulatory surgery centers specializing in orthopedic and sports medicine care.
“Our program’s success is based on an intentionally designed foundation that allows student-athletes to avoid having to receive care in multiple settings and organizations, which can fragment the medical record,” Boblitz said.
The AOC Sports Medicine Team dedicated to Emmanuel University includes Brad Register, MD, Sports Medicine; Matt Waldron, PA-C, Sports Medicine; Michael Shuler, MD, Hand and Upper Extremity; Joe Johnson, MD, Foot and Ankle; JP Price, MD, Spine; and David Joslyn, PA-C, Chief of OrthoNow Orthopedic Urgent Care.
In addition to providing medical care, the partnership creates expanded educational and professional development experiences for Emmanuel students. Emmanuel student-athletic trainers will have opportunities to gain on-the-field experience at area high schools and at Athens Orthopedic Clinic locations where AOC provides sports medicine services.
“We want to elevate the level of care at high schools across the state and create jobs for Emmanuel University athletic trainers,” Boblitz said.
Emmanuel Vice President of Athletics Nate Moorman said the partnership will have a positive impact across the university community.
“Athens Orthopedic Clinic not only provides incredible medical support for our student-athletes and staff, but their partnership continues to enable the Athletic Department to enhance all of our health services for all student-athletes,” Moorman said.
“We are incredibly appreciative of Michael Boblitz and the entire Athens Orthopedic team for their commitment to Emmanuel Athletics and the health and safety of our student-athletes,” he added.
For Emmanuel’s athletic training staff, the partnership provides an additional expert resource for the day-to-day evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of more than 640 student-athletes.
“Access is incredibly important in sports medicine, and this partnership gives our student-athletes and athletic training staff direct access to physicians and specialists throughout the week,” said Emmanuel University Director of Athletic Training Sandy Campbell. “With the addition of AOC’s Urgent Care Clinic, that access also extends into the weekend. Having physicians regularly available in Royston and Athens, along with priority access to imaging and treatment, allows us to communicate quickly, make informed decisions, and develop the most appropriate plan of care for each student-athlete.”
Campbell also highlighted the value of AOC’s depth of expertise across multiple areas of orthopedics.
“Athens Orthopedic Clinic gives us access to specialists across multiple areas of orthopedics,” Campbell said. “Whether we are dealing with a knee, shoulder, hand, foot or another orthopedic injury, having that depth of expertise available is a tremendous resource for our student-athletes and our athletic training program.”
The partnership will also create opportunities for Emmanuel students interested in pursuing careers in healthcare, including opportunities to gain real-world experience through job shadowing with AOC.
“I’m excited that our students who are interested in health science career paths will have opportunities to gain valuable, real-world experience through shadowing opportunities with AOC,” Campbell said. “That exposure can be incredibly beneficial as they explore future careers in healthcare and sports medicine.”
Campbell, who has worked alongside AOC throughout her career as an athletic trainer in Northeast Georgia, has seen firsthand the organization’s expertise and commitment to patient care.
Athens Orthopedic Clinic has served patients throughout Northeast and Middle Georgia for 60 years, providing orthopedic care across multiple specialties and locations. As the exclusive sports medicine partner of Emmanuel Athletics, AOC will work closely with the Lions’ athletic training staff throughout the academic year to support the health, recovery and performance of Emmanuel student-athletes.
About Athens Orthopedic Clinic
Founded in 1966, Athens Orthopedic Clinic is Northeast Georgia’s largest provider of orthopedics and sports medicine, serving more than 237,000 patients annually. With a team of 79 physicians, advanced practice providers and outpatient therapists, AOC offers comprehensive orthopedic services, including joint and spine care, ambulatory surgery, imaging, physical therapy, urgent care and occupational medicine. AOC physicians serve as teaching faculty at the Medical College of Georgia and the University of Georgia School of Medicine.
Learn more at athensorthopedicclinic.com.
About Emmanuel Athletics
Welcome to Emmanuel University Athletics — Home of the Lions! With 35 sports competing at the NCAA Division II level as proud members of Conference Carolinas, Emmanuel is a place where competition meets purpose and faith shapes the journey. Our Department is committed to developing student-athletes who pursue excellence in competition, in the classroom and in their walk with Christ. Through a Christ-centered athletic experience, our Lions are challenged to lead with character, serve others, embrace their God-given talents and use their platform to make a lasting impact. At Emmanuel, we believe true champions are defined not only by what they accomplish, but by who they become — Building Champions Who Change Lives.
Learn more at goeulions.com.