For patients from anywhere
Seen in weeks, not years.Care worth the trip.
A double board-certified American sports surgeon, one transparent price, and a concierge team that handles the details, whether you drive in from the Carolinas or fly in from Canada or abroad.
Welcoming patients from the U.S., Canada, and internationally.
If any of this sounds like you, you are in the right place.
We built a fly-in pathway for active people who want expert sports orthopaedics on their own timeline, at a price they can see before they commit.
Stuck on a long wait list
Patients in Canada, the UK, and other systems where queues for elective orthopaedic surgery can run two to three years. You do not have to wait that long to get back to your life.
Uninsured or paying out of pocket
If you are paying for care yourself, a clear all-in price beats an unreadable hospital bill. You see the full number before you decide.
High-deductible or out-of-network
When your plan leaves you covering most of the cost anyway, cash pricing is often the simpler, more transparent path. We provide an itemized superbill and out-of-network claims assistance, though reimbursement is not guaranteed.
Health-share members
Members of health-sharing communities such as Zion HealthShare and Sedera, and patients with self-funded employers, who want one written quote to submit.
Choosing your surgeon and facility
Anyone who wants to choose the surgeon who operates on them and the facility where it happens, not be assigned whoever is next in the system.
Coming from out of state
Active people who want expert sports orthopaedics and are willing to travel for it. Virtual visits are available where Dr. Smith is licensed: South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming. In-person care is available to anyone who travels to Fort Mill.
The long-wait angle
On a multi-year wait list? You do not have to wait.
In several public systems, the queue for elective orthopaedic surgery can stretch two to three years. That is two to three years of pain, lost training, and putting your life on hold. Board-certified U.S. sports surgery can be scheduled in weeks. The choice of where and when to be treated is yours.
Six clear steps, from your first message to your flight home.
No mystery, no runaround. Here is exactly how traveling to JOI for care works.
- 01
Send your records and imaging
Securely share your history, prior notes, and any X-rays or MRIs. No referral needed. If you do not have your images, we will help you request them.
- 02
Second opinion with Dr. Smith
Review your history and scans together. Video visits are available to patients located in South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan, and Wyoming, where Dr. Smith is licensed; from anywhere else, send your records ahead for review and we will schedule your in-person evaluation around your travel.
- 03
Decide together, with a transparent quote
If surgery is the right path, you receive a written, all-inclusive quote up front. If it is not, we will tell you that too. The choice is always yours.
- 04
Travel in for your pre-op
Arrive the day before. You have an in-person exam and pre-op education the day prior, so nothing about surgery day is a surprise.
- 05
Outpatient surgery
Your procedure is performed at a trusted partner surgery center, with Dr. Smith as your surgeon, start to finish.
- 06
Follow-up after you go home
Recover at home with a guided rehab plan and scheduled check-ins on your progress. Telehealth follow-up visits are available where Dr. Smith is licensed: South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming.
A second opinion, credited toward your surgery.
Before you book a flight, get a straight read on your options. Video visits are available in South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan, and Wyoming, where Dr. Smith is licensed; from anywhere else, send your imaging and records ahead for review. If you choose to travel in for surgery, the fee applies toward your procedure.
- No referral required
- Review your scans together, on screen
- Transparent quote if surgery is the right path
- Honest answer if it is not
Second Opinion Virtual Visit
A full review of your history and imaging by video, with a clear read on your options.
- Direct video time with Dr. Smith
- Review of your records, X-rays, and MRIs
- Honest, unbiased recommendation
- Credited toward your procedure if you travel in for surgery
One written quote, before you travel.
Every surgery is sold as one all-inclusive price, provided in writing before you schedule. You see exactly what is included and what is quoted separately, with no surprise bills.
Included in your price
- Surgeon fee
- Facility fee
- Anesthesia
- Post-op visits, in person or by telehealth where licensed
Quoted separately, in writing
- Implants or grafts (quoted per case)
- Bracing / DME
- Travel and lodging (coordinated through our concierge package)
We are a cash-based Direct Specialty Care practice. We do not bill insurance. We provide an itemized superbill and out-of-network claims assistance, though reimbursement is not guaranteed.
Patients travel for what they cannot get at home.
Metal-less repair, regenerative options, and a surgeon who picks the least-invasive path that works. Here is what makes the trip worth it.
Metal-less, bio-integrative repair
For subchondral insufficiency fractures of the knee, the KneeBar supports the injured bone with bio-integrative implants that are gradually replaced by your own bone over time, per the manufacturer.
More about the KneeBarRegenerative options first
PRP, BMAC, Lipogems, and StemWave shockwave to help you heal without rushing to an operating room. Surgery is the last option, not the default.
See biologicsA surgeon who picks the least-invasive path
The double board-certified surgeon you read about is the one who treats you, start to finish, and recommends the approach that actually works for your case.
Meet Dr. Smith
One team handling every detail of the trip.
Fly into Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), an easy drive to our Fort Mill clinic and the partner surgery center. Your Care Coordinator helps with hotel and ground transport, virtual pre-op, and rehab planning, so you can focus on healing.
- CLT airport, short drive to Fort Mill
- Hotel and ground-transport coordination
- A dedicated Care Coordinator from first visit to flight home
- Virtual pre-op and follow-up built around your travel
We will give you a straight answer, even if the answer is that you do not need surgery. Second opinions are welcome, and an honest recommendation is the whole point.
Double board-certified, and the one who treats you.
Dr. Justin T. Smith is double board-certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery in orthopaedic surgery and in the subspecialty of sports medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (FAAOS) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (FAANA), with a focus on sports medicine and shoulder reconstruction. The surgeon you read about is the one who operates on you, start to finish.
Patient stories, coming
This is where our patients will tell you how they got back to what they love. We are collecting those properly, with consent. We would rather leave this space visibly empty than write it ourselves.
What to know before you travel.
From anywhere
Distance should not decide the quality of your care.
Patients drive in from across the Carolinas and fly in from across the country and beyond, for one transparent price and a surgeon who treats them like the only patient that day.
Care worth the trip
Start with a second opinion this week.
Send your imaging and records to a double board-certified surgeon, by video where Dr. Smith is licensed, and get a clear price and a straight answer. Then decide whether to travel in.