Orthopedics
Craig Bennett, M.D. - Co-Founder and Medical Director
Craig H. Bennett, M.D., FAAOS, is the 2018 co-founder and medical director of the LifeBridge Health Sports Medicine Institute in Owings Mills, Maryland. He also serves as the medical director for Loyola University of Maryland. During the previous 15 years, Dr. Bennett was the head orthopaedic surgeon for the University of Maryland Terrapins and the Chief of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
A graduate of Brown University, he earned his medical degree from the University of California at San Francisco, did his orthopaedic surgery residency at Emory University and completed a sports medicine fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Sports Medicine. He is a graduate of the Leadership Fellows Program of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Dr. Bennett is ABOS board re-certified and cares for a full range of sports related injuries for patients of all ages. Providing compassionate, comprehensive care, he has helped patients achieve their goals both with and without surgery for two decades. He sub-specializes in the arthroscopic and minimally invasive management of knee, hip, shoulder and ankle injuries.
Dr. Bennett is the sports division head of the the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopaedics, which encompasses a residency program initiated in 2020. He serves as the medical director of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and as team physician for DeMatha Catholic, Bishop McNamara and St. Timothy’s high schools. As the orthopaedic mentor for the University of Maryland at Baltimore’s CURE program, he provides academic and career guidance for West Baltimore public school students. He is a preceptor for the Nth Dimension medical student national mentoring program, and was the orthopaedic keynote speaker for the National Medical Association’s 2018 Annual Meeting.
With numerous sports medicine publications and national presentations, his research focus is on knee cartilage restoration, ligament repair as well as adult and pediatric ligament reconstruction. The NBA Players’ Association recently elected him to their physician consulting list. The Baltimore Magazine has selected him to their Top Doctors’ List for 2016, 2018 and 2019. The Maryland Athletic Training Association selected him as the state team physician of the year in 2019.
Recent Editorials
Andrew T. Guidry, M.D., - Neurology Director
Andrew T. Guidry, M.D., was the Berman Brain & Spine Institute’s first Sports Neurology Fellow, and upon completion of the 2-year fellowship program, he joined the team at LifeBridge Health’s Sports Medicine Institute. Dr. Guidry graduated from Duke University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology, with a concentration in neuroscience, and where he played the position of center and long snapper for all 4 years on the Duke University varsity football team.
After earning a medical degree from the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University, Dr. Guidry completed a neurology residency in the highly respected program at Emory University School of Medicine. During fellowship training, Dr. Guidry broadened the scope of his knowledge and skills in the areas of sports neurology, concussion, and head and neck injuries. Dr. Guidry is an experienced teacher, has presented at regional and national meetings, and has authored book chapters in the areas of neurology diagnoses and athletes with neurologic disease. In addition to his clinical duties, Dr Guidry is an Associate Team Physician for Loyola athletics. Dr. Guidry is currently a member of the Maryland State Athletic Commission, where he assists with the neurologic care of professional combat athletes.
In treating his patients, Dr. Guidry combines his advanced neurology training with his innate understanding of the psyche of the athlete.
Dr. Guidry's specialties are concussion, whiplash, and posttraumatic headache. He is skilled at administering Botox to relieve migraines and administering occipital trigger-point injections.
Dr. Guidry is happy to see patients 7 years of age and older. Athletes are seen within 48 hours, and all other patients are seen within 2 weeks.
Vonetta M. Smith-Vincent, B.S.N., R.N.
Vonetta Smith-Vincent is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Stevenson University Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, and has more than 20 years of experience in the profession. She has expertise in providing care in multiple specialties, both inpatient and outpatient, including medical-surgical, bariatric surgery, gastrointestinal-genitourinary, oncology, interventional radiology and neurology.
She has been with LifeBridge Health since 2006 and is recognized as a high performer and Emerging Leader within the institution. As the Clinical Program Coordinator, she is involved in providing nursing, clinical support, and care coordination to concussion patients in the program, and creating initiatives to improve patient outcomes. Vonetta is also a member of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN).
Sunal S. Makadia, M.D., FACC
Director, LifeBridge Sports Cardiology Center
As director of the LifeBridge Sports Cardiology Center, Dr. Sunal S. Makadia—a board-certified, noninvasive cardiologist—specializes in the evaluation and care of athletes of all abilities and older than age 17.
Dr. Makadia received his bachelor’s degree from Emory University, which is located in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from New York University School of Medicine, he moved to Baltimore to complete his internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins. During his subspecialty fellowship training at the University of Maryland Medical Center, Dr. Makadia completed advanced training in noninvasive cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, noninvasive vascular imaging and diagnostic cardiac catherization.
In evaluating athletes with cardiac symptoms (e.g., decreased exercise capacity, palpitations, chest pain, syncope, shortness of breath), Dr. Makadia conducts comprehensive assessments prior to patients’ participation in competitive sports and offers guidance on athletic activity after a cardiac event. He also does screenings for patients who are at risk of coronary disease. His office also conducts cardiovascular assessments of people in highly active occupations (e.g., firefighters, police officers, trainers).
Dr. Makadia is currently the team cardiologist for Loyola University Maryland Athletics and a medical advisor to McDaniel College (located in Westminster, Maryland). He is also director of Heart Failure and Cardiac Rehabilitation for LifeBridge Health. He oversees a robust research program, has authored several peer-reviewed publications, and is closely involved in the teaching and mentoring of medical students and residents at LifeBridge Health.
Erica Gaertner, M.D.
Erica Gaertner, M.D., is a primary care sports medicine physician with experience in emergency medicine and internal medicine in addition to specialization as a sports medicine practitioner. She is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Gaertner earned a bachelor’s degree from Towson University and graduated magna cum laude with a doctor of medicine degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. Dr. Gaertner completed fellowship training in primary sports medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which followed internal medicine residencies at Hahnemann University Hospital with Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia and MedStar Health in Baltimore.
Dr. Gaertner has experience as a professional equestrian and relates to the requirements of the competitive athlete.
Taylor Burch, PA-C
Taylor Burch, PA-C, graduated magna cum laude from Towson University with a bachelor’s degree in health science and earned a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Towson University/CCBC Essex. She holds certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
Taylor’s clinical experience includes training in pediatric and adult orthopedic surgery, pain management, emergency medicine and internal medicine. She is a lifelong competitive athlete and relates well to the needs and desires of athletes wanting to return to play or improve current performance. She holds Patient Safety and Quality Improvement certification from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and is certified through Stop the Bleed to help prepare the public take action to control serious bleeding.
Samuel Thompson, LAT, ATC
Mr. Thompson has been a licensed and certified athletic trainer since 2011 after graduating with his Bachelors of Science degree in Athletic Training from Salisbury University. Sam has worked in a variety of clinical settings since immersing himself in the athletic training and sports medicine field. His collegiate athletic training experience began as an undergraduate student at Salisbury University. This was followed by work as an ATC with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and then with the varsity football and women’s water polo programs at the University of Maryland College Park. Mr. Thompson has also served as a summer intern with the Baltimore Ravens.
In his current role as an athletic trainer in the sports medicine orthopedic setting, Mr. Thompson serves as the physician extender for Dr. Bennett. Sam has also been the Head Athletic Trainer at St. Timothy’s School since 2019, providing medical coverage to their student-athletes.
Sam keeps his skills sharp by working closely with the Maryland Soccerplex, providing onsite medical coverage during various sports tournaments and with other youth football organizations in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Sam is actively involved with the Maryland Athletic Trainers Association in initiatives that will help promote a widening scope of clinical settings for which athletic trainers can practice in Maryland.