Emeritus Medical Staff, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, Akron Children's Hospital
Professor of Pediatrics, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)
Akron, OH

Dr. Joseph A. Congeni is a Professor of Pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) and a member of the Emeritus Medical Staff in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at Akron Children's Hospital. Having recently transitioned from active clinical practice, he remains highly engaged in lecturing, consulting, and academic leadership. Prior to this transition, Dr. Congeni served for decades as the Medical Director of the Sports Medicine Center at Akron Children's Hospital. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he received his medical degree from NEOMED. Notably, in 1990, Dr. Congeni developed the Primary Care Pediatrics Sports Medicine Fellowship at Akron Children's Hospital, the first program of its kind at a pediatric hospital in the United States. He also dedicated many years of service as a team physician for the University of Akron and Archbishop Hoban High School.

Dr. Congeni is highly decorated for his contributions to the field. He is the recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Thomas Shaffer National Award for his significant impact on sports medicine, as well as the NEOMED Distinguished Alumni Award. His numerous other honors include the Ohio Athletic Trainer's Association’s Team Physician of the Year Award, the Ohio State Medical Association's Outstanding Team Physician Award, and the Dr. Carl Krill Award for humanism and excellence in medicine. He has also been consistently named among the Best Doctors in Northeast Ohio for over a decade.

Beyond his clinical and academic leadership, Dr. Congeni is a prominent voice in sports safety and education. He served as a lead author on the AAP’s Baseball/Softball Policy Statement and conducts dozens of speaking engagements nationally each year. His expertise has been featured on NBC’s TODAY Show, Sports Illustrated, and the PBS documentary The Smartest Team. He has also hosted a weekly sports medicine radio segment since 1995. Dr. Congeni and his wife, Karen, reside in Ohio and have six children.