Val Irion, MD
Growing up Dr. Irion gravitated towards being a physician, secondary to his love of sports. Irion says,” When I realized I probably wasn’t going to be a professional sports player- which is probably what I really wanted to be when I was really young- the easiest and best way for me to stay around sports and athletic endeavors was to be an orthopedic/sports medicine physician.”
As time went on, Irion maintained his interest in sports and medicine and went on to work for an orthopedic surgeon while in college at LSU in Baton Rouge. This time reaffirmed his desire to pursue medicine. As a lifelong athlete himself, he recognizes the importance of a healthy and consistent activity level throughout life and is committed to helping his patients maintain and pursue these goals. He understands and empathizes with a patient’s frustration to not be able to maintain their desired level of activity due to an injury, wear and tear, pain, and arthritic changes. Irion says, “I get what that means… by not being able to do what you want to do physically, it really impacts your lifestyle. It’s my job and what I want to do is to get patients back to what they want to do-whether it be competitive sports or recreational activities.”
Dr. Irion is the medical director for Specialists Hospital Shreveport and works directly with the SHS teams to improve patient experience and achieve better outcomes.
Training and Affiliations
Irion’s Affiliations
Irion’s Training
● Sports Medicine Fellowship, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
● Residency – University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
● Medical school – LSU Health Sciences, Shreveport, Louisiana
● Undergrad: Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
Irion’s Team
Nicole Dale, MA
Nicole has worked for the Orthopedic Specialists of Louisiana since 2013 and began working for Dr. Irion in 2018. Nicole is the proud mother to a precious baby girl.
Jeremy Causey, PA-C
Physician Assistant
Jeremy has been working with Dr. Irion since 2018. Jeremy assists Dr. Irion in clinic as well as the OR. Jeremy is happily married and he and his wife are the proud parents to a little boy.
(3) Things to Know about Dr. Irion…
1. He is a huge LSU tiger fan. Every Friday, you can guarantee that Irion will be sporting some purple and gold and if time allows he will head down to Death Valley to watch The tigers in action. If all goes well, you might even see him sport purple and gold on Monday, too.
2. He is a lifetime athlete. Irion still holds a record or two for his time as a Captain Shreve Gators’ quarterback and his former classmates will tell you he was and still is a natural athlete. Today, he competes in Tough Mudder courses, coaches all 3 sons in various sports and when time allows enjoys playing golf.
3. He lives a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Irion went into orthopedics with additional training in sports medicine because he has a real passion for helping patients stay healthy and active throughout their lives. He also has utilized the Mako Smart Robotics- Knee technology which allows patients greater options when considering a partial or total knee replacement.
https://patients.stryker.com/mako-robotic-arm-assisted-technology
Irion’s Approach to Care
“ I really try to listen to my patients and offer options that are conducive to their lifestyle. I think my personal desire to stay healthy and active helps me to empathize with my patients that want the exact same thing.”
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