William J. Shaughnessy, MD
William (Bill) Shaughnessy, MD, MS, is a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, MN. In his 35 years at Mayo Clinic, he has established himself as an international thought leader in pediatric orthopaedic surgery. He has helped to build a highly specialized pediatric orthopaedic department, which draws patients from around the country.
Dr. Shaughnessy received his Bachelor of Arts in physics from St. Olaf College where he was also a 4-year varsity swimmer. He went on to receive his medical degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison where he also obtained a master’s degree in medical physics and authored some of the original work on PET scanning. Dr. Shaughnessy then completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic followed by the Edwards Fellowship in Pediatric Orthopaedics and Scoliosis at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. He then joined the faculty at Mayo Rochester in 1990.
Mayo Clinic Division of Pediatric Orthopedics, 1990
L-R: Ham Petersen, Bill Shaughnessy, Tony Bianco, Rudy Klassen
Education
Dr. Shaughnessy has been instrumental in educating orthopaedic residents since 1990. Overall, he has educated hundreds of residents during his tenure. Many of these residents have gone on to academic careers not only in pediatric orthopaedic surgery but other specialties. Included in this distinguished group of mentees are 23 current members of the Mayo Department of Orthopedic Surgery—well over half of the Mayo staff.
Beginning in 2000, Dr. Shaughnessy revamped the education curriculum for pediatric orthopaedics to include a core set of lectures which he organized and oversaw. Because of this core curriculum, the residency program has scored higher than average on the pediatric portion of their in-training exams. This can be directly attributed to his efforts in education.
Dr. Shaughnessy has also contributed to the education of many groups within the Mayo Graduate School and School of Health Sciences. He has dedicated a significant portion of his time to educating those in the Surgical First Assistant (SA) Program at the Mayo Clinic. He has given lectures and hands-on demonstrations. Because of his efforts, he was awarded the Outstanding Surgeon Educator award in 2021.
For more than 30 years, Dr. Shaughnessy has taught classes and given yearly lectures to physical therapy students, family medicine residents, Mayo medical students, nurse practitioner students, radiology tech students and spine fellows.
He serves on the editorial board for multiple journals, including Advances in Orthopedic Surgery, Yearbook of Hand Surgery, and the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He also is a prolific reviewer for the most prestigious orthopaedic journals, including The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, The Bone and Joint Journal (formerly JBJS-British), the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and Techniques in Hand and Upper Extremity.
Finally, Dr. Shaughnessy has contributed to orthopaedic surgery credentialing at the national level. He has been an examiner for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) for almost 20 years. In this capacity, he helped write and approve the ABOS written recertification examination for pediatric orthopaedic surgery.
Research
Dr. Shaughnessy has a long history of research and collaboration throughout his career. He has been awarded the “Clinical Paper of the Year” twice by the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA). He also has a long track record of producing clinically based research and has given many presentations at diverse national meetings such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, POSNA, SRS, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In addition to his presentations, Dr. Shaughnessy is an author on 90 peer-reviewed publications, 14 book chapters, and 38 editorial commentaries. Dr. Shaughnessy worked and published papers in collaboration with other institutions, and in interdisciplinary collaboration with other Mayo colleagues.
Dr. Shaughnessy’s research efforts are highlighted in the following three studies:
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DeDeugd CM, Shin AY, Shaughnessy WJ. Derotational Pronation-producing Osteotomy of the Radius and Biceps Tendon Rerouting for Supination Contractures in Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy Patients: A Review of 20 Cases. J Pediatr Orthop. 2019 May/Jun; 39 (5):e366-e372 PMID
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This article explains the treatment rationale for the innovative method of treatment for brachial plexus contractures of supination. It also highlights the brachial plexus team (along with Dr. Shin, Dr. Bishop, and Dr. Spinner).
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Pulos N, Shaughnessy WJ, Spinner RJ, Shin AY. Brachial Plexus Birth Injuries: A Critical Analysis Review. JBJS Rev. 2021 Jun 8; 9 (6) Epub 2021 June 08 PMID: 34102666 DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.RVW.20.00004
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McClure SK, Shaughnessy WJ. Farm-related limb amputations in children. J Pediatr Orthop. 2005 Mar-Apr; 25 (2):133-7 PMID: 15718888 DOI: 10.1097/01.bpo.0000149864.42777.96
Practice
Dr. Shaughnessy has faithfully cared for children at Mayo Clinic for 35 years. This excellence was recognized in 2011 when Dr. Shaughnessy was presented the Distinguished Mayo Clinician Award. This is the highest honor bestowed on clinicians at the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Shaughnessy also pioneered clinical outreach for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery in the modern age. He was the first Mayo-Rochester Surgeon to provide outreach clinics in Eau Claire, WI (now the Mayo Clinic Health System) where he faithfully traveled, without fail, 1-2 times a month for over 30 years.
Dr. Shaughnessy cares for all aspects of the pediatric orthopaedic patient. He is a master at many surgical techniques spanning from trauma to arthroscopy, from complex spinal deformity to the care of children with cerebral palsy. He also serves as the medical director of the Mayo Clinic Cerebral Palsy and Spina Bifida clinic, which is a pediatric multidisciplinary clinic (urology, neurology, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and nursing).
However, the most impactful clinical practice improvement has been his contributions to the brachial plexus clinic at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Shaughnessy is now considered a national expert in the care of pediatric brachial plexus. This team takes on the most difficult brachial plexus patients and returns them to function. His innovative techniques include tendon transfers around the shoulder coupled with humerus and forearm osteotomies. Other talented members of the team focus on nerve deficits and microsurgery. Together they create a comprehensive brachial plexus service that is unique in the United States.
Finally, as part of his service to the Mayo pediatric level 1 trauma center, he has taken either primary or backup call for the last 35 years. From 1990 through 1996, he was the only pediatric orthopaedic physician taking call. Dr. Shaughnessy has taken more call in his career than any other orthopaedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic.
Mayo Clinic Division of Pediatric Orthopedics 2024
L-R: Bill Shaughnessy, Tony Stans, Todd Milbrandt, Noelle Larson, Manos Grigoriou
Administration
Dr. Shaughnessy served as Division Chair for Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery from 1997-2005 and led many initiatives that resulted in a steady increase in volume and surgical care. After his three mentors and partners retired, he began rebuilding the Division of Pediatric Orthopedics, which is now regarded as one of the top-ranked programs in the country.
Besides his service to the division, Dr. Shaughnessy also served as the orthopaedic representative to the pediatric Level I trauma center committee at Mayo Clinic. This led to improved care through multidisciplinary collaboration among the Emergency Department, Pediatric General Surgery, Radiology, Neurosurgery, Anesthesia, Nursing, and Orthopaedic Surgery. He has served as the medical director of the Cerebral Palsy/Spina Bifida multidisciplinary clinic since 2007. Dr. Shaughnessy previously served as vice-chair of the orthopedic department education committee and served on the department clinical practice committee and the executive committee.
Dr. Shaughnessy is a known and respected member of many societies. However, it is the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) where he has served the most. He has served or chaired the Bylaws Committee, Membership Committee, and the Nominating Committee (which chooses the board of directors). He has served on the POSNA board of directors twice, in 2006-2007 and most recently from 2018-2021. He was the POSNA historian from 2018-2021.
Other Accomplishments
Within the Rochester community, Dr. Shaughnessy has shown his leadership and care for this community through the swimming and diving programs in Rochester. He led the initiative and has worked with the Rochester School Board to build new swimming pools for Century high school and the Recreation Center. This has brought thousands of athletes, parents, and spectators to Rochester from around the Midwest and over $1.5 million/year to the City of Rochester. Dr. Shaughnessy is the president of Rochester Swimming, Inc., a Minnesota 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which supports youth swimming and diving. He has served on the boards of all swimming organizations in Rochester and was recognized for his efforts with a Lifetime Achievement award in 2018 from the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission, the Outstanding Service award in 2018 from USA-Swimming, and Volunteer of the Year award in 2019 from the Rochester Swim Club. In 2023, he received the distinguished achievement award from the Minnesota Swim Coaches association. In 2021, he led the “Let them Swim” effort to fund, teach swim lessons, and provide swimming suits to 400 disadvantaged children in Rochester.
Family
Dr. Shaughnessy lost his wife of 38 years, Heidi Shaughnessy, to cancer in 2018. Together, Bill and Heidi have two adult children. Michael is a Commander and Naval Aviator in the United States Navy. Michael and his wife have four children. Jennifer is a physical therapist in Boulder, CO. Jennifer and her husband have three children.
Biography written by Dr. Heather Kong on behalf of the History & Hall of Fame Committee
