Robert Waskowitz, MD
Dr. Robert Waskowitz is a third-generation physician from Connecticut. His primary interests include the diagnosis and treatment of knee and shoulder injuries and sports medicine. He performs reconstructive and arthroscopic procedures on the knee, shoulder, ankle, and elbow.
After graduating from the University of Vermont College of Medicine, Dr. Waskowitz completed his General Surgery Internship and Orthopedic Residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. During this time, he was awarded the Resident/Fellow Award for outstanding research from the Eastern Orthopedic Association. He then completed a Sports Medicine Fellowship at the prestigious Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colorado. His wide scope of practice included partnership of practices in western Massachusetts and Attending Physician at the Lahey Clinic in Boston. He returned to the central Connecticut region and has been in practice in his home state.
Dr. Waskowitz has been affiliated with many sports teams, serving as Senior Team Physician for Central Connecticut State University, and team physician for New Britain High School and Newington High School. He assists in covering Kingswood Oxford School athletics. Dr. Waskowitz is one of the primary physicians covering the Summer and Winter X-Games for ESPN. He has been team doctor for the Connecticut Wolves professional soccer club, Connecticut Crush women’s professional football team, and assisted in covering the Hartford Colonials professional football team. He also serves as the Medical Director for the Central Connecticut State University Athletic Training Program. He was awarded the Moyer Award from the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association in 2012 for his work as a team physician.
Dr. Waskowitz continues to serve as an elected board member of the Connecticut State Medical
Society (CSMS) Committee on the Medical Aspect of Sport (CMAS). He is a member of numerous societies including the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Connecticut State Medical Society, and the Connecticut Orthopedic Society.
A graduate of Kingswood Oxford School, he has been inducted into KO’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dr. Waskowitz graduated with Honors from Amherst College and earned East-West All-Star status in lacrosse. Dr. Waskowitz is an avid participant in outdoor activities including powder skiing, windsurfing, mountain biking and travel. He and his family enjoy an active lifestyle.
J. Kristopher Ware, MD
As a Connecticut native, Dr. Ware grew up in Glastonbury and attended the University of Connecticut. There he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science followed by a Master of Science in Physical Therapy. He later earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from MGH Institute in Boston. He went into practice as a physical therapist treating sports related injuries and guiding patients in their post-operative rehabilitation. During that time, he served as a clinical instructor for physical therapy students, developed evidence-based treatment guidelines, provided lectures on advances in treatment of sports injuries at regional conferences, and participated in clinical research. After 6 years, with the encouragement of his orthopaedic surgeon mentors, he decided to follow his heart and applied to medical school.
Dr. Ware attended the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington, Vermont. While there he was awarded the Nathaniel Gould award for outstanding achievement in orthopedic surgery. He was also inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. After graduation he returned to Connecticut to complete his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Connecticut.
Dr. Ware’s background in physical therapy and his passion for treatment of sports related injuries led him to obtain sub-specialty training through the Brown University Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship. There he trained with prominent sports medicine specialists treating complex knee ligament and cartilage injuries, various shoulder conditions, and athletic hip injuries. He also served as the team physician for Brown University Division 1 Athletics and the Providence Bruins professional hockey team. His research focus has included treatment of shoulder instability, biceps tenodesis techniques, ACL and other knee ligament injuries, and meniscus injuries.
Dr. Ware’s practice includes treatment of a wide spectrum of high school, college, and professional athletic injuries, as well as recreational and occupational injuries. He is the team physician for the University of Hartford and multiple local high schools. He performs advanced arthroscopic techniques for the shoulder, hip, and knee. He is specifically interested in the treatment of rotator cuff tears, shoulder instability, knee ligament tears, articular cartilage injuries, meniscal tears, femoroacetabular impingement and hip labrum tears.
Dr. Ware is married with two sons. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, snowboarding and mountain biking.
Christopher Judson, MD
Dr. Christopher Judson grew up in Suffield, Connecticut and attended the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. He then graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University in 2007 where he majored in molecular biology. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 2011 from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, and he graduated as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Dr. Judson completed his orthopedic residency training at the University of Connecticut in 2016, where he authored multiple textbook chapters and research papers.
Dr. Judson is board certified in Orthopedic Surgery. In addition to having a strong foundation in general orthopedics, Dr. Judson is especially interested in surgery of the hand and upper extremity. He completed his Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. During that year, he focused on treatment of disorders of the hand, wrist, and elbow.
He has a particular interest in fractures, nerve compression, sports injuries, and arthritis of the upper extremity. He has also spent significant time treating pediatric injuries, Dupuytren’s disease, and performing microvascular surgery. He has extensive training in his fellowship, performing wide-awake hand surgery for multiple diagnoses, including carpal tunnel and trigger finger.
Dr. Judson resides in West Hartford, CT with his wife, Jessica, and their children. He enjoys spending time with his family, skiing, playing guitar, and hiking with his two dogs.
Jeffrey Brown, MD
Dr. Brown is the Director of Primary Care Sports Medicine at St. Francis Hospital/Trinity Health, and the Assistant Director of the UCONN Sports Medicine Fellowship program. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at University of Rochester/Highland Hospital and a fellowship in Sports Medicine at University of Connecticut. His practice focuses on the non-operative management of orthopedic injuries, sports-related concussion, and medical conditions that affect participation in sports, such as exercised induced asthma, common illnesses and skin conditions.
He is a team physician at Central Connecticut State University, and the lead team physician for the Hartford Athletic soccer team.
Tara Futrell, MD
Tara Futrell, MD, is the Medical Director of Primary Care Sports Medicine (Orthopedics) with Trinity Health of New England Medical Group.
Board-certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics, Dr. Futrell received fellowship training in primary care sports medicine at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester. She completed a residency in internal medicine/pediatrics at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Dr. Futrell received her medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Dr. Futrell is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, and the New England American College of Sports Medicine. She also serves as Medical Director/Head Team Physician for the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League.
Lab Instructors
Michael Devanney, MHS, MBA, PA-C
Michael Devanney has been a physician assistant since graduating from the Quinnipiac University PA program in 2009. While at Quinnipiac, Michael became involved with multiple volunteer organizations and activities, including Midnight Run to benefit homeless in the area, National Kidney Foundation, and the QU PA Run For Your Life 5K.
Upon graduation, Michael became active at the state, hospital and national levels while serving on multiple committees dedicated to advancing his profession. Mr. Devanney started serving on the Membership Committee in 2013, sitting as Co-Chair from 2016-2018, while also serving on the Conference Planning/Education Committee, as well as the Government Affairs committee. He advanced to Director at Large for ConnAPA in 2014. Mr. Devanney attended the AAPA Leadership and Advocacy Summit around this time, furthering his passion for advocating for PAs. During the period from 2017-2020, Mr. Devanney served in the roles of Vice President, President, and Immediate Past President. Throughout this period, ConnAPA made several important strides, most notably in the Government Affairs committee. When ConnAPA underwent a scope of practice review where the Department of Public Health evaluated the modernization language that governs PA practice, Mr. Devanney testified at the Capital before the panel. During this time ConnAPA membership increased and instituted a pre-PA membership track for interested people. Additionally, Mr. Devanney served as CT delegate for AAPA Hall of Delegates in 2018, being elected chief delegate in 2019. Mr. Devanney also participated in the strategic planning session in 2020 to continue to evaluate the mission state of ConnAPA. Most recently, Mr. Devanney has chaired the newly formed ConnAPA Historical Committee.
For his work, Mr. Devanney was awarded with the Initiative Award in 2016 for his energy as a new board member; the President’s Award in 2017 for guidance and dedication to ConnAPA; and the Service Award in 2018 in appreciation for his commitment and service to ConnAPA. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by Quinnipiac University in 2021 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the PA profession and dedication to the enrichment of PA students.
Mr. Devanney earned a Bachelor of Science at Central Connecticut State University in 2004. He earned a Master of Health Science from Quinnipiac University in 2009. Mr. Devanney earned a Master of Business administration with a focus on Healthcare Management in 2020.
Mr. Devanney started his clinical career as an emergency department PA with Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN). He served in this role, advancing to Lead APC, for around 10 years before transitioning to an urgent care position at GoHealth Urgent Care. In between he worked in both urgent care as well as orthopedic surgery. Mr. Devanney has also worked in orthopedics with Orthopedic Associates of Hartford. Mr. Devanney has precepted PA students from Quinnipiac University and St. Joseph University and earned an appointment as Clinical Adjunct Assistant Professor with Quinnipiac University in 2020. Mr. Devanney has given several lectures, including taking part in a Pre-PA Symposium in 2020, as well as serving on a panel at Hartford Healthcare to discuss the importance in advocacy in legislative affairs.
Mr. Devanney resides in Glastonbury with his wife, and 2 young children.
Nicole LaVette, APRN
Nicole LaVette is an APRN with the Orthopedic Associates of Hartford as well as the Co-Director for the Women's Sports Health Service line through the Bone & Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital. Nicole specializes in the orthopedic conditions of athletes but takes a particular interest in the diagnosis and management of the female athlete. She started her orthopedic career at Yale University practicing sports medicine where her interest in female patients began, as she was inspired by two of the surgeons she worked with who specialized in women’s sports medicine. She joined Orthopedic Associates of Hartford in 2018 and brought her passion for caring for athletes with her. In 2019 she took a position collaborating with Dr. J. Kristopher Ware practicing Sports Medicine and Orthopedic surgery.
Ashley Mulryan, PA-C
Ashley Mulryan, PA-C is a physician assistant currently with Orthopedic Associates of Hartford based in Hartford, CT. She specializes in hand, wrist, and elbow. Ashley previously worked as a physician assistant in acute care at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, CT.
She graduated from Northeastern University with a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. Prior to that, Ashley completed her bachelor's degree in allied health with a minor in Spanish and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Connecticut.
Cathleen Platt, APRN
Cathleen Platt, APRN, is certified as an Acute Care and Orthopedic Nurse Practitioner and has worked for Orthopedic Associates of Hartford since 2009. She has worked across multiple subfields, including occupational medicine and acute care. She is passionate about sports medicine and is an active member of the National Association of Orthopedic Nurses. Outside work, she enjoys spending time with her family and rescue dog. She also enjoys playing guitar and working out.