UT Health San Antonio surgeon’s athletic legacy earns Hall of Fame honor
Leah Brown, MD, head team orthopaedic surgeon for the San Antonio Spurs and clinical associate professor at UT Health San Antonio, was recently inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes her achievements as one of the most decorated student-athletes in University of Georgia history and reflects a lifetime shaped by high-level competition and service.
Brown was one of three University of Georgia graduates inducted this year in a class of 12 inductees with ceremonies that took place Feb. 20 and 21 in Macon, Georgia.
“It’s an honor to be considered among the top athletes who are inducted into the hall of fame. I’m grateful to be a part of that,” Brown said.
A foundation of excellence
A native of Atlanta, Brown was a standout gymnast for the University of Georgia from 1994 to 1997 and is one of the most accomplished student-athletes in the university’s history. She was a 14-time All-American and ranked No. 1 nationally in the all-around, vault and floor competitions and No. 2 on bars in 1997. She holds the NCAA record for most consecutive perfect 10.0 scores, securing 10.0 in vault and floor for seven straight meets in 1997.
Brown said her background of elite athletics and military service helped shape her path to becoming a successful orthopaedic surgeon.
“Throughout my career, I’ve always expected a lot of myself and enjoyed working in high-pressure, team-based environments,” Brown said.
After earning her undergraduate degree in genetics, Brown sought another challenge that mirrored the intensity and camaraderie of her experience in collegiate athletics, which she found in both the military and medicine. In 1999, she joined the U.S. Navy and attended medical school at Ohio State University.
Medicine in the midst of conflict
In 2006, Brown was deployed as a medical aid station director during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and in 2012, she deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. She was awarded the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and Navy Commendation Medal during her service.
“My time in the military coincided with periods of active conflict, and I witnessed loss of life and loss of function. Those experiences reinforced the importance of high performance, teamwork, camaraderie and people working together toward a shared goal,” Brown said.
Her deployments also taught her profound lessons about humanity that ultimately shaped how she cares for patients.
“During those deployments, I cared for everyone — U.S. forces, NATO allies, civilians and even the opposition. We’re required to treat all patients, and that responsibility showed me people at their most vulnerable moments. When you talk to patients in those situations and hear their stories, it becomes impossible to ignore their humanity. Those experiences make it difficult to demonize what you don’t understand and helped me appreciate the complexity of human behavior,” she said.
Caring for elite athletes
In 2025, Brown joined UT Health San Antonio and was named head team orthopaedic surgeon for the San Antonio Spurs.
In her current role, Brown treats a wide range of patients, from recreational athletes to elite professionals, as well as individuals with sports-related injuries requiring surgery. With the Spurs, her focus is on injury management and prevention for some of the highest-performing athletes in the world.
“It requires a different level of nuance because the demands on their bodies are extreme. These athletes place tremendous loads on their bodies, and our goal is to make the right decisions so they can maintain their health and performance,” she said.
Success measured in recovery
Despite working with elite athletes, Brown said the most meaningful part of her career is helping any patient return to function and purpose.
“What brings me the most satisfaction is restoring someone’s function and seeing their success. In medicine, it’s always important to remember your ‘why.’ Medicine is always changing and evolving, and you have to evolve with it. Staying focused on your purpose helps keep you grounded as the profession changes,” she said.
Now beginning a new chapter in San Antonio, Brown said her commitment to service remains the same — whether on the battlefield, in the operating room or on the sidelines of an NBA court.
“I’m grateful to be here in San Antonio. This is a new chapter for me, and I look forward to serving the community in any way I can. I enjoy caring for patients and getting to know them as people, not just as cases,” she said.
To schedule an appointment with an orthopaedic specialist at UT Health San Antonio, call 210-450-9300.