Dr. Alejandro Badia is considered among the top 45 hand and upper extremity surgeons in the United States, according to the specialized publications Becker’s ASC Review and Orthopedic and Spine Review. He currently serves as president of the International Society for Sport Traumatology (ISSPORTH), dedicated to the prevention and treatment of sports injuries involving the hands, wrists, and arms. In 2011, he was recognized as one of Miami’s 100 most outstanding Latinos for his contributions to the field of medicine.
“My patients come from all over the world to have surgery with me, but especially from Latin America and Spain,” says Badia, who gives them added reassurance by speaking with them in Spanish. “I also travel frequently to train other physicians in the most modern techniques. In recent decades, arthroscopic surgery has significantly advanced my specialty.”
In 1964, at just six months old, Badia left Cuba with his parents. After spending half a year in Spain, the family arrived in the United States and settled in Elizabeth, New Jersey, a community with a large Hispanic population.
“There were many distinguished physicians in my mother’s family, but it was my paternal grandmother, who suffered from severe arthritis in her hands, who influenced my life the most,” recalls the renowned physician. “When I was about eight years old, I accompanied her to see a specialist. From that moment on, I wanted to become a doctor and help people like her. My grandmother passed away while I was applying to medical schools, and at that time I decided I would dedicate myself to treating hand conditions.”
After completing his residency at the famous Bellevue Hospital in New York, he earned his orthopedic medical degree at New York University. He later completed his fellowship in hand and upper extremity surgery at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh and at the AO Trauma Center in Freiburg, Germany.
“Although I had other offers, I decided to establish my practice in Miami because of its large Hispanic population and its proximity to Latin America,” he says. After several years at the renowned Miami Hand Center, he opened the Badia Hand to Shoulder Center in Doral in 2008, featuring consultation offices, modern operating rooms, and therapy and rehabilitation departments. Shortly thereafter, he added OrthoNOW, an orthopedic urgent care center that is now an international franchise.
For several years, Badia attempted to contact Dr. Robert E. Carroll, Professor Emeritus of the New York Orthopedic Hospital, the specialist who had treated his grandmother and inspired him to study medicine. He was unsuccessful. However, Dr. Joe Imbriglia, his professor and mentor, had been a student of Dr. Carroll. “This coincidence confirmed for me the importance of physicians not only treating patients but also passing on their knowledge to younger generations,” he says, explaining why he frequently conducts seminars.
“The relationship with patients is essential. Sharing the same language is key, but also talking with them about a restaurant in their city, a writer or singer from their country — any shared experience that makes them feel comfortable,” explains Badia, who also instills Hispanic traditions and values in his two children, whose mother is Venezuelan.
“They speak Spanish perfectly,” he adds proudly.
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