For referring physicians
How to refer a patient to Dr. Wodicka.
Referring a patient
Dr. Ross Wodicka practices in Fort Lauderdale with a fellowship-trained focus on sports medicine, concentrated on the hip and knee. He completed residency at the University of Miami and a sports medicine fellowship at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Los Angeles, training that shapes his arthroscopic and joint-preservation approach to hip and knee pathology.
Within that focus, his procedural range includes hip arthroscopy, hip preservation surgery, and hip labral repair; knee arthroscopy, ACL reconstruction, cartilage restoration, multiligament knee surgery, and hamstring repair; and joint-preservation technique applied across both joints. He also addresses shoulder pathology through arthroscopy, rotator cuff repair, labral reconstruction, and total or reverse shoulder replacement, and manages office-based hip, knee, and cortisone injections along with fracture care.
Dr. Wodicka is affiliated with Holy Cross Orthopedic Institute and is accepting new patients. For the measurable criteria behind a referral decision in sports-related hip or knee pathology, see when to refer for hip and knee injury; background on his training and practice history is available in his physician profile.
At a glance
Which patients should I refer to Dr. Wodicka?
Any patient with a sports-related knee or hip problem that has not improved with standard conservative care is appropriate.
Dr. Wodicka completed fellowship training in sports medicine at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Los Angeles following his residency at the University of Miami, and that training shapes the referral population he sees most: ligament injuries requiring ACL reconstruction or multiligament knee surgery, labral tears managed with hip arthroscopy or hip labral repair, and cartilage damage evaluated for cartilage restoration or joint preservation. He also sees shoulder cases, including rotator cuff and labral pathology, though knee and hip sports injuries remain the core of his referral practice. The practice is accepting new patients for referral evaluation at Holy Cross Orthopedic Institute in Fort Lauderdale.
What should I send with the referral?
Send the imaging itself, not just the radiology report.
A useful referral packet includes any prior X-ray or MRI files, a summary of conservative treatment already tried and for how long, relevant exam findings, and the patient's functional limitations in their own words. For sports-related knee and hip complaints in particular, noting mechanism of injury and activity level helps direct the initial workup before the patient is seen. The practice's per-condition referral thresholds lay out exactly what supports a routine versus an urgent send for each injury type.
How do I submit a referral?
Referrals come directly from the referring office, by phone or secure fax, with a response to the sending physician once the patient has been evaluated.
Office staff can confirm which records are still needed if the initial packet is incomplete. Referring physicians who want to confirm fit before sending a patient can review Dr. Wodicka's training, fellowship, and full procedure list on his physician background page.
What happens at the first visit after a referral?
One comprehensive evaluation, not a series of visits to reach a diagnosis.
The initial visit includes a focused history, physical exam and review of any imaging already obtained, and ends with a working diagnosis and a documented plan before the patient leaves. Dr. Wodicka's fellowship training in sports medicine at Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Los Angeles shapes that evaluation toward the knee and hip injury patterns most common in the active patients referring physicians send him.
How are the findings sent back to the referring physician?
A written consult note, not a phone summary.
After the visit, a letter documenting the exam findings, imaging interpretation and recommended plan is sent to the referring physician's office, so the chart reflects what was found and what happens next.
Does the patient return to my care after treatment, or does Dr. Wodicka continue managing them?
Most patients return to the referring physician once the treatment course is complete.
For non-surgical knee and hip injuries, that typically means once the rehabilitation plan is finished; for surgical patients, after the standard post-operative follow-up windows close, unless the referring physician requests that ongoing orthopedic management continue.
Ready to talk about your care?
Call the office or request an appointment. Accepting new patients.