Athlete to Advocate: A Lifelong Commitment to Orthopedic Excellence and Community Care
Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, J. David Googe, MD, grew up knowing he wanted to be a doctor. As a young, talented athlete, Dr. Googe was initially introduced to Orthopedic Specialists of Louisiana as a patient. In the early 1990s, Googe was a captain and quarterback of Shreveport High School when he injured his knee. FLEX founding partner, David Waddell, MD, performed an ACL reconstruction.
Dealing with his sports-related injuries and his love of medicine led him to an orthopedic residency at the University of Oklahoma and dual fellowships in sports medicine and total joint reconstruction.
“Most sports-related injuries /surgeries do not occur among young, high school athletes,” he said. “Most sports-related injuries/ surgeries occur in middle-aged people like me who think they are in high school and spend a lot of time playing sports and not enough time stretching and getting ready to play sports. We see everything from shoulder dislocations and ACL reconstructions in young athletes to arthritic changes preventing the aging population from participating.”
Dr. Googe believes one of the advantages of treating patients in his community is being from the Ark-La-Tex area and knowing the patients’ reference points. He also believes an open line of communication between patient and doctor is critical.
“If your bones are sticking out of your skin, I am happy to hear your thoughts, but you have to have surgery; otherwise, the rest of this is elective,” he said. “So, it becomes a question of how fearful you are of having a procedure versus how fearful you are of living without it.”
Dr. Googe and his wife, Jennifer, met in college at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. They are the proud parents of five children. He serves as an elder in his church and is an avid tennis player. His proudest accomplishment is the relationships he has developed with local high school athletes and coaches – enthusiastically donating his time and resources to their health and achievement.
Expertise You Can Trust
Specialty Areas
- Sports Medicine
- Total Joint Replacement
— Shoulder
— Knee
— Hip - Mako Smart Robotics
— Knee
— Hip
Education & Training
- Sports Medicine Fellowship: Lake Tahoe Orthopedic Institute (Complex Surgery of the Shoulder and Knee)
- Adult Reconstruction Fellowship: McBride Orthopedic Clinic and VA Hospital, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Primary and Revision Reconstruction of the Hip, Knee, and Shoulder)
- Associate Team Physician, United States Ski Team
- Associate Team Physician, University of Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State University
- Residency: University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Medical School: LSU Health-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana
- Undergrad: Baylor University, Waco, Texas
Affiliations
Three Things to Know About Dr. Googe
1. He is a youth leader at Norris Ferry Community Church.
Dr. Googe has a strong faith and has been a Norris Ferry Community Church youth leader for more than 14 years. When the youth group started, it consisted of Dr. Googe, a young man, and a young girl. Today, that same youth group has more than 100 young people participating, and that original boy just graduated medical school!
2. He loves high school basketball.
Dr. Googe is a huge supporter of youth athletics in Shreveport-Bossier. For many years, he has conducted all the annual physicals for the Bossier High School Bearkats girls/boys’ basketball teams and sat proudly in the stands as he watched the Bearkats win several championships. Dr. Googe also sits on the sidelines at all his kids’ sporting events as a proud papa and stand-in doc.
3. He is fellowship-trained and board-certified in two specialties.
Google is dual fellowship-trained in Total Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine. He has been an athlete his whole life, so his affinity for sports medicine was a natural transition. He also enjoys communicating with the older patient population, which led him to pursue additional training in Total Joint Replacement.
Dr. Googe's Pre-Op Instructions — Download PDF
Dr. Googe's Post-Op Instructions — Download PDF
Meet Dr. Googe’s Team:
Expert Care with a Passion
Dr. Googe’s medical team is a cohesive unit dedicated to exceptional patient care. With years of collective experience, Julie Boutwell, Clay Morgan, and Kristen Brezina bring expertise and enthusiasm to every patient interaction. United by their passion for LSU sports and outdoor adventures, they embody a spirit of teamwork and commitment to excellence.
Dr. Googe’s Team
