Whether you're a highly trained professional or simply a weekend warrior, Salt Lake Regional Sports Medicine offers a comprehensive sports medicine program that includes certified athletic trainers, physical therapist, dieticians, primary care sports medicine physicians as well as highly experienced orthopedic surgeons. Our mission is to get you back in the game as soon as possible. With our team of highly trained professionals, we can deliver the treatment and education you need.
Our Team:
Joe Albano, M.D. Salt Lake Regional Sports Medicine
Dr. Albano, originally from Yonkers, New York, received his medical degree from SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse, New York. Following medical school, he completed a general surgery internship at Wright-Patterson AFB/Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, a family practice residency at the University of Utah, and a sports medicine fellowship at Michigan State University. Dr. Albano's particular interest is in non-surgical treatment of some common tendon, cartilage and nerve problems, such as tennis and golfer’s elbow, plantar fasciosis, patellar tendinosis, achilles tendinosis, rotator cuff tears, arthritis, and carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes. To assist in the diagnosis, musculoskeletal ultrasound is often used. For treatment, various regenerative medicine applications may be employed. These regenerative applications have been successful for many of his patients and include the use of platelet rich plasma, fat grafts, and concentrates of bone marrow aspirate. He teaches at national courses on the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound for diagnostic and needle-guided purposes, and for the use of biologics in regenerative medicine.
Dr. Albano is a team physician for US Speed Skating, US Military Cycling, Real Salt Lake and Westminster College. He likes to participate in numerous athletic pursuits including ultra marathons, hockey, skiing, cycling and chasing his two boys. He really enjoys helping athletes get back to the activities they enjoy.
Andrew Cooper, M.D., P.C. Comprehensive Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, followed by a fellowship in Sports Medicine at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Denver, Colorado. While in residency and fellowship, Dr. Cooper was active in research for arthroscopic treatment for degenerative knee disorders, arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears, postoperative pain management following ACL reconstruction and a new technique for the treatment of shoulder separations and AC reconstruction. He was also involved with the care of high school, collegiate and professional athletes, including the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies.
Dr. Cooper moved back to Salt Lake City in 2005 as a founding partner in Comprehensive Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. His interest today includes minimally invasive techniques in ligament and cartilage reconstruction and getting athletes back to their sport safely. Currently, he is the head team physician and orthopedic surgeon for the Real Salt Lake Major League Soccer team, US Freeski (US Ski and Snowboard), Westminster College and Ballet West. Dr. Cooper is also the medical director of the Sports Med Utah regional sports program and the Solitude Ski Patrol and Clinic. In addition, he has worked closely with multiple high schools in the area and is the former orthopedic surgeon for the Utah Blaze AFL team. Dr. Cooper is board certified in orthopedic surgery by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS).
When not treating athletes and spending time with his family, Dr. Cooper enjoys endurance sports. He has competed in more than 50 triathlons, including six Ironman events, LOTOJA 208 mile bike race, too many marathons to count—qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2001, 2008 and 2011. He also has a new interest in ultra-marathoning recently completing Squaw Peak 50 miler. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys skiing, hunting, fishing and backpacking in the remote wilderness.
David Howe, M.D., P.C. Comprehensive Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Dr. David J. Howe received his undergraduate degree in microbiology from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Howe also received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Dakota. After attending Medical School at the University of Utah, Dr. Howe completed a surgical internship at the University of Southern California. He then returned to the University of Utah to complete his residency in orthopedics.
Dr. Howe has been practicing Orthopedic Surgery in Salt Lake City since 1979. He has a subspecialty interest in foot and ankle surgery and is a member of the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society.
Dr. Howe is board-certified in Orthopedic Surgery. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Salt Lake Regional Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah and is a member of the Deer Valley Physician Ski Patrol. He was the medical director of the National Figure Skating Championships held in Salt Lake City in 1990.
His outside interests include traveling, skiing, fly-fishing and golfing.
Leslie Rassner, M.D. Comprehensive Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
A California native, Dr. Leslie Rassner received her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She completed medical school at the George Washington University, followed by an internship in Internal Medicine at The Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Rassner received a medical school scholarship from the United States Navy.
After her internship, she completed three years of service as a general medical officer. Her duties included stations at the USS McKee, USS Bonhomme Richard, and Arlington Navy Annex Branch Medical Clinic. Dr. Rassner first developed her interest and skills in Sports Medicine while treating musculoskeletal injuries in sailors and marines.
On deferment from the military, Dr. Rassner moved to Salt Lake City to complete a Family Medicine residency at the University of Utah.Dr. Rassner was then accepted into the Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. During fellowship, she was assigned to the United States Naval Academy, where she cared for a variety of student athletes and was a team physician for the women’s club rugby team and men’s varsity football team.
After her fellowship, Dr. Rassner served as the head of the sports medicine clinics and a Family Medicine staff physician at the Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. She was also the team physician for the Camp Lejeune High School and All-Marine boxing team. Dr. Rassner was next stationed at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, where she opened the Naval Base San Diego and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar sports medicine clinics. In 2010, Commander Rassner resigned her military commission to spend more time with her husband and two young children.
In 2011, Dr. Leslie Rassner joined the staff of Comprehensive Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. She specializes in medical acupuncture, musculoskeletal ultrasound and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapeutic injections.
Dr. Rassner is currently accepting new patients, and accepts most insurance plans.
Mark D. Scholl, M.D., P.C. Comprehensive Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
Mark D. Scholl, M.D., P.C., is originally from Chicago, IL where he grew up an avid sports fan. Dr. Scholl received a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis, and then earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. He completed an orthopedic surgery residency at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. During his orthopedic residency, Dr. Scholl completed many research projects, including earning the highest award for orthopedic research at Emory University for his work with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. While in Atlanta, Dr. Scholl was involved in the care of athletes from the high school ranks and the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech, to the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Falcons professional sports teams.
After his orthopedic residency, Dr. Scholl elected to pursue additional training in the care of athletes, and completed a fellowship at the University of Utah in advanced techniques of knee and shoulder arthroscopy and reconstructive surgery. His interest in research continued while in fellowship and his work has been published in orthopedic journals. After completing his fellowship he worked in Ogden, Utah, where he was a team physician for Weber State University. Dr. Scholl is a team physician for the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League. He is also a staff physician at Solitude Mountain Resort Medical Clinic. Dr. Scholl takes care of many local high school & college athletes in addition to his professional athlete patients and is a team physician for East High School. Dr. Scholl has great enthusiasm for the outdoors and is a member of the Wilderness Medical Society. He and his wife Linda have two children. They enjoy resort & backcountry skiing as well as mountaineering, road and mountain biking, hiking, river running, and camping. Dr. Scholl satisfies his own athletic drive by competing in marathon and ultra-marathon distance running and endurance road biking. He also enjoys fly-fishing & golf.
Dr. Scholl is Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery.
David Howe, M.D., P.C.
Mark D. Scholl, M.D., P.C.
