Dr. Alan Beyer examines a patient following knee surgery

"I just had surgery and yet it was three of the best days of my life." Hearing those words from a patient was music to the ears of Dr. Alan Beyer, executive medical director of Hoag Orthopedic Services and its Center of Excellence in Orange County.

"At Hoag we're centered on the patient, what's good for the patient," he says. “We want their stay to be like a hotel experience rather than a hospital experience.”

Beyer credits Hoag Hospital’s integrative approach to health care as key to successful outcomes and the fact that Hoag physicians perform more orthopedic procedures than any other hospital in Orange County. In addition, the Orthopedic Center of Excellence works to pioneer new treatments that offer promising alternatives to traditional surgeries, participates in clinical trials and works with patients before and after surgery for the best possible outcome.

"We have a standard of care that includes intensive peer review and we systemize our program so that everyone follows the same set of procedures," Beyer says. "We are among the top five percent in the nation for orthopedic surgery," based on a study by the leading independent healthcare ratings company in the country.

A passion for sports led the board-certified orthopedic surgeon to specialize in sports medicine, and joint diseases. Happily for older adults, who often experience joint problems with aging, the same techniques that keep athletes in tip-top shape apply to active individuals of all ages.

“We give the same level of care to the