Dr. Peter Wernicki, MD

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• Dry drowning: A distinction without a difference.

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Get to know Orthopedic Surgeon & Sports Medicine Specialist Dr. Peter Gerard Wernicki, who serves patients in Vero Beach, Florida.

Dr. Wernicki is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who is currently serving patients at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach, Florida. Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital is an award-winning 335-bed not-for-profit hospital whose mission is to provide exceptional, patient-centered, evidence-based healthcare to residents of Indian River County and surrounding areas.

Dr. Wernicki is also a sports medicine specialist who is affiliated with Pro Sports and Elite Rehab in Vero Beach. Pro Sports and Elite Rehab has been committed to providing compassionate and comprehensive care to its family of patients for over 25 years. “We are a community driven practice that provides high quality, board certified, expert care. We support our community by providing care to the athletes of Vero Beach High School, St. Edwards School, all the teams that compete and train at Historic Dodgertown, and many other community organizations, including the American Red Cross” as stated on the practice’s website. 

Dr. Wernicki currently serves as the Medical Advisor and an Executive Board member of the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) and has done so for the past 25 years. The USLA is the association of professional open-water lifeguards in the US. In this role, Dr. Wernicki has helped to write the USLA textbook and to develop the national lifeguard certification program. He has also been the on-site physician for the USLA’s National Championships.

Dr. Wernicki earned his medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1984. He then went on to complete his internship in general surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 1985 and his residency in orthopedic surgery at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in 1989. He also completed his fellowship in sports medicine at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in 1990, followed by his fellowship in arthroscopy at Washington Adventist Hospital in 1991.

Dr. Wernicki is the long-standing Aquatics Chair of the prestigious American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council. The Council is the scientific arm of the organization. It researches, analyzes, and presents important evidence-based studies and data which the committee then uses to create and revise all of the American Red Cross Health and Safety programs.

Dr. Wernicki is board-certified in orthopedic surgery by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS). To ensure safe, ethical, and effective practice of orthopaedic surgery, the ABOS maintains the highest standards for education, practice, and conduct through examination, certification, and maintenance of certification for the benefit of the public.

Dr. Wernicki is published extensively in scientific journals and is the author of numerous book chapters. He is often interviewed and quoted on aquatic safety on national TV, radio and print media. He also appears frequently on the nationally broadcast Weather Channel, providing water safety advice.

Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery that deals with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. An orthopedic surgeon offers care to patients suffering from problems associated with the joints, bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They perform surgeries to address trauma, injuries, tumors, infections, and other conditions that require surgical intervention. 

Sports Medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries due to athletic activity. Sports medicine specialists are either orthopedic surgeons or primary care physicians who prescribe treatments for professional and amateur athletes. They are trained to address issues associated with nutrition, sports psychology, and substance abuse. They may also counsel athletes on injury prevention.

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