Newest WHS orthopedic surgeon brings military experience, hometown pride to role
Dr. Don Ravasio, an orthopedic surgeon at Washington Health System, knew at an early age that medicine would be his profession of choice.
“My interest in health and medicine started at a very young age,” said Ravasio, who sees patients at WHS Outpatient Center – Neighbor Health in Washington and the WHS Medical Plaza in Peters Township. “I had an unusual passion for human anatomy and how our bodies worked. Getting into health care was just a natural fit to fuel that passion. The appeal of orthopedic surgery is directly related to my passion for human anatomy. There can’t be anything better than being given the opportunity to fix a part of a body that the good Lord created that has been broken or injured. It’s the greatest profession anyone could have.”
Ravasio is a Mon Valley area native and began his medical education at the University of Pittsburgh. He earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, Ill., and then his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pa. Ravasio completed his internship and residency at Memorial Hospital in York, Pa.
Following his postgraduate education, Ravasio served as a major in the United States Army Medical Corps and was deployed to Baghdad to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“I love God, family and country,” he said. “I’m very proud of the time I served in the Army in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. I deployed to Iraq in 2004 during Operation Iraqi Freedom and provided orthopedic trauma care at the 31st Combat Support Hospital.”
During that period, Dr. Ravasio said the 31st CSH was the busiest trauma hospital in the world.
“We did more orthopedic surgery during that period than at any other time since Vietnam,” he said. “The battlefield injuries that I witnessed and provided care for during that time were some of the worst injuries that I have seen in my lifetime. But the lessons learned from that time of my career were profound and invaluable and have affected the way I practice in the civilian world to this day. I go to work every day knowing that there is nothing that will walk through my office door that can’t be managed in an appropriate fashion. Even during surgery, having done hundreds of surgeries in the most austere conditions in Baghdad, really allows me to just focus on the task at hand and accomplish what it is I need to do.”
There was a book written recently documenting the care provided by CSH titled “The Come As You Are War: Stories of the Baghdad ER and the Stop The Bleeding 31st CSH.”
“I was honored to be asked to write the foreword for this book,” he said.
Ravasio said during his time in the military, he had the opportunity to help a soldier who later became a United States senator.
“Her injuries were profound, and by all means, she should not be alive today. She not only had the will to survive, but she is presently still serving our country as a United States senator.”
“I was a part of the medical team in Baghdad, Iraq, that cared for a young soldier,” he said. “At the time, she was a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army when she was shot down over Taji, Iraq, on Nov. 12, 2004. Her injuries were profound, and by all means, she should not be alive today. She not only had the will to survive, but she is presently still serving our country as a United States Senator from the state of Illinois.”
After his military career, Ravasio practiced orthopedic surgery at several local hospitals and health systems. He also served as an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh during his time at Mercy Hospital.
“When I first got out of the Army, I worked at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh for many years doing level one trauma in addition to my sports medicine and joint replacement practice,” he said. “During that time, I served as an associate clinical professor at the University of Pittsburgh under the leadership of the late Dr. Freddie Fu. It was an outstanding experience.”
Ravasio is a western Pennsylvania native through and through. His father worked in the steel mills. He met his wife and raised his children in the area, and cheered on all the Pittsburgh sports teams.
He said his parents had a profound impact on who he is today.
“One of the golden rules that I have followed is to try my best to treat my patients as if they are a member of my family,” he said. “There was never one event that led me to this, but I firmly believe it was the way in which my mom and dad encouraged me to always treat people with dignity and respect as if they were a member of my family. That simply carried over to my clinical practice throughout my life. I just firmly believe that if you approach every single patient as if they were your brother, sister, aunt, uncle or grandmother, you will never make errors in your medical decision-making. That fundamental golden rule has served me well now for many years, and I know it will continue into the future.”
Ravasio added that sports are an important part of his life.
“I think back to my childhood, the culture in Southwestern Pennsylvania and in particular the Mon Valley where I grew up, sports were ingrained into our daily lives,” he said. “For our parents, it was a diversion from the rough lives they endured. Most kids, including myself, participated in sports in one way or another, and the Pittsburgh sports teams, in my eyes, were the pinnacle of that. I think team sports provide so many valuable life lessons; thus, I encourage all kids, including my own, to consider them in some way.” Dr. Ravasio said he likes to spend his time away from work with his family.
“My spare time is mostly spent with my family,” he said. “I have a wife, Kristin, and four children. Anthony is soon to be a senior studying sports journalism at Arizona State University. Katie is a sophomore studying Neuroscience at Loyola University in Chicago. Jacob is finishing seventh grade at St. Kilian and loves playing baseball and basketball. Jenna is also at St, Kilian finishing sixth grade and loves playing volleyball. I like to think I am their biggest fan, and I love watching them do their thing during their sporting activities. I also love grilling, playing family games, and getting out on a trout stream once in a while as well.”