Dr. Joseph M. Bellapianta, MD, FAAOS

New Jersey’s Own

Dr. Joseph M. Bellapianta is not a newcomer to this community. He is a New Jersey native who has built three thriving orthopaedic practices in the state he grew up in, performing thousands of procedures for the patients and families he has come to know personally. His reputation in the region is built on two things: surgical outcomes that speak for themselves, and a bedside manner that patients consistently describe as exceptional. He takes the time. He explains. He listens. And then he operates at the highest level of his specialty.

Dr. Bellapianta is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, specializing in arthroscopic and open treatment of the hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow, and wrist — as well as joint replacement surgery, fracture care, cartilage restoration, and general orthopaedics. His published research has been presented at both national and international meetings, reflecting a career built not just on practice but on advancing the field.

A Career Built on Volume, Precision, and Trust

There is a version of an orthopaedic career that is built on credentials alone. Dr. Bellapianta’s career is built on all of that — and thousands of patients who have come back, referred their families, and trusted him with the procedures that matter most. That kind of reputation is not built in a fellowship. It is built one patient at a time, over years of showing up with the same standard of care regardless of the complexity of the case or the profile of the patient.

His surgical skill spans the full spectrum of orthopaedic care. From a first-time athlete with an ACL tear to a patient in their seventies who needs a joint replaced — Dr. Bellapianta approaches every case with the same precision, the same thoroughness, and the same commitment to a recovery plan that actually works.

Education & Training

Dr. Bellapianta earned his Bachelor of Science in biology from Franklin & Marshall College and his Master of Science in biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University before entering Albany Medical College, where his academic record earned him Cum Laude honors and membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society — one of the most prestigious academic distinctions in medicine. He was also the recipient of the Victor & Ethel Cermak Tompkins Alumni Scholarship for academic excellence.

He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Albany Medical Center — a high-volume regional medical center where he mastered trauma and joint reconstruction across both routine and rare presentations. He then pursued a sports medicine fellowship at The Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida, training alongside Dr. James Andrews and gaining intensive exposure to non-operative and operative musculoskeletal care. During that fellowship, he supported Dr. Andrews in the care of professional athletes from organizations including the New York Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Rangers.

At Premier Health Group

Dr. Bellapianta joins Premier Health Group as Orthopaedic Partner — bringing an established practice, a trusted reputation, and a depth of surgical experience that very few surgeons can offer. For Premier Health Group patients, his presence means access to a surgeon who has done this thousands of times, who knows this community, and who treats every patient the way he would want a member of his own family treated.

His integration within PHG’s coordinated care model extends his reach further. A patient recovering from joint surgery benefits from coordinated physical therapy through BackSmart. A patient managing a complex condition

benefits from access to the full spectrum of PHG’s specialist network. Dr. Bellapianta is a natural fit within a system designed around exactly that kind of coordinated, patient-first care.