About Us

Our History

The Hughston Foundation

In the 1960s and ‘70s, the pioneering work Jack C. Hughston, MD, was doing in sports medicine through his private practice, the Hughston Orthopaedic Clinic, began to draw both national and international attention. Soon the leaders of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons approached him about establishing a pilot project for a resident training rotation in orthopedic sports medicine. Next, the Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Tulane University at the time, Dr. Jack Wickstrom, partnered with Dr. Hughston on the project, and thus the discipline of sports medicine was born in Columbus, GA.

In 1968, Dr. Hughston went on to establish the Medical Center Orthopaedic Foundation. His private orthopedic practice was the primary source of funding for the Foundation which, in turn, paid the stipends for the Tulane University residents who rotated with him. In 1973, realizing that his Foundation had greater potential and purpose, Dr. Hughston and his wife Sarah and son Edgar incorporated the Hughston Sports Medicine Foundation, a private research and education foundation operating out of his own private practice. In 1978, it was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) entity.

Center of Excellence/Foundation Building

Dr. Hughston’s vision for a center of excellence where healthcare professionals could learn through research and share their knowledge with others took physical form after he relocated his practice to a 100-acre campus in north Columbus. Additionally, Dr. Hughston forged a strategic partnership with the founder of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr., to build an orthopedic specialty hospital on the campus. The hospital opened in 1984 and was immediately hailed as an international resource and referral center. Next, Dr. Hughston and the clinic physicians built the Hughston Sports Medicine Foundation which opened its doors in the spring of 1985. It quickly became the model for privately funded research and education, and thus, the unlikely venue of Columbus, GA, became home to the finest non-university-based orthopedic academic research and education center in the world.

Dr. Hughston used the Foundation as a vehicle for developing a new subspecialty, sports medicine. It enabled him to educate, train, and mentor physicians in his philosophy. These disciples, who are now members of the Hughston Society, have gone on to work at academic centers and private practices throughout the world, imparting the knowledge and modeling the skills they acquired while at the Hughston Sports Medicine Foundation. In 2005, in order to reflect the broader spectrum of orthopedic projects beyond sports medicine in which the Foundation was involved, it was renamed the Hughston Foundation.

Now, more than a decade after his death, Dr. Hughston’s organization remains the leader in orthopedic and sports medicine healthcare, and, by drawing patients from all over the country, continues to make a substantial economic impact on the city of Columbus. The seeds Dr. Hughston planted in the areas of not only treatment, but also training, education, and research are still growing, and we at Hughston remain as green as ever.

Training, education, and research define the Hughston Foundation’s mission and symbolize the late Dr. Jack C. Hughston’s vision for his pioneering work in orthopedics and sports medicine. These 3 words also describe how the Hughston Foundation contributes to better patient care worldwide. Since its inception in 1968, the Foundation has improved the lives of more than a million patients; in doing so, it has strengthened communities locally and around the world.

Hughston Foundation Highlights

Sports Medicine

Our commitment to athletes in the Chattahoochee Valley is as strong as ever. It’s been nearly 70 years since Dr. Hughston began standing on the sidelines during Friday night football games. We are proud of our sports medicine team, which continues his legacy of providing sideline coverage, wrestling assessments, Saturday morning injury clinics, and annual preparticipation screenings. The Foundation is also proud to support athletic events, college signing days, and training symposiums for athletic trainers.

Research, Education, and Training

The Hughston Foundation is devoted to achieving its mission of research, education and training. We host monthly Grand Rounds, M&M Overviews, and lectures that provide CMEs not only to local physicians, but also to doctors who want to join a meeting via the Internet. Hughston researchers were involved in 50 different research studies, including 5 ongoing sponsored clinical trials for surgical devices and techniques. The Surgical Education Center hosted 47 surgical education laboratories during the year. Additionally, The Foundation is gearing up for the 2019 Biennial Hughston Society Meeting. We are looking forward to seeing old friends and sharing our experience and knowledge with some of the best orthopedic physicians and surgeons in the world.

The Hughston Foundation Helps Grow the STEAM Initiative in our Communities

The Hughston Foundation Scrubs Camp and Art Gala are perfect examples of the STEAM Initiative that is spreading across the country. The initiative encourages STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) programs to help prepare students for advanced technological careers.

Now in its 3rd year, the Hughston Foundation Scrubs Camp continues to grow in popularity. Three Rivers AHEC and Columbus Technical College collaborated with the Foundation to host 2 camps during 2018 for students who have an interest in the medical field, especially orthopedics, surgery, nursing, and rehabilitation. In addition to tours of each facility and lectures, the students were able to experience many hands-on activities. Planning for next year’s camp is well underway, which includes Columbus State University. This new program will expand the topics covered during camp and increase the number of accepted students.

The inaugural Hughston Foundation Art Gala Exhibit for the Biologically Inclined was a great success with nearly 125 people attending the opening on November 9th. The Hughston Foundation collaborated with Harris County High School Work Based Learning program to offer the competition. High school and middle school students throughout West-Central Georgia counties submitted 96 biologically or medically inspired entries under drawing, painting, photography, 3D, or mixed media categories. Hundred of parents and students attended the exhibition on November 9.

The Hughston Foundation also participated in the 3rd Annual Let’s Grow STEAM x Youth College and Careers Expo held at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. Employees at the Foundation booth played a bone naming game with the elementary-grade students and provided information to middle and high school students about our educational Scrubs Camp and Art Gala programs. Throughout the day, over 3,000 students from the greater Columbus area attended the Expo.