Dr. Richard Battista, MD – Allentown, PA

Dr. Battista is President of OAA Orthopaedic Specialists. Prior to joining the practice as a premier hand surgeon in 2004, he served with distinction achieved by the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy. His career was marked by numerous personal, as well as unit awards & medals for meritorious service. He served as the Chief of Orthopaedics/General Surgery while stationed at the Naval Hospital Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Most recently, he served as the Assistant Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD – The President’s Hospital.

Dr. Battista's experience in caring for members of the Congress/Senate and military leadership, as well as combat casualties during Operation Iraqi Freedom, augmented his sincere appreciation for how precious and vital our arms and hands are in everyday life. Now, his practice focuses exclusively on the treatment of hand, finger, wrist and upper extremity conditions.

Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Dr. Battista attended Jefferson Medical College and completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. He completed a Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh in 2001. He holds academic appointments as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and as Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at the Penn State College of Medicine. He is Board Certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and holds a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Hand Surgery. Dr. Battista maintains a variety of memberships in related professional organizations.