About Dr. Kelly · Community
Growing Up in the Tri-Cities and Coming Home
By Dr. Shayne Kelly, DO — Orthopedic Surgeon · Tri-City Orthopedics, Kennewick, WA
People ask me why I came back. After training at one of the top orthopedic sports medicine fellowship programs in the country, spending Saturdays on the sidelines at Mizzou football games and SEC road games at Auburn and Florida, why come back to Kennewick, Washington? The honest answer: because I never really left. The Tri-Cities are in me in a way that no fellowship could replace — and the people here deserve the same level of care I was providing to D1 athletes in Columbia, Missouri.
From the Fields of Pasco
I grew up on a farm north of Pasco — Kelly Farms Inc., potato country. My dad is a farmer. I know what it means to work hard in the Columbia Basin heat, to take care of what you have, to show up every day. That work ethic followed me through every stage of my training and it shapes how I practice medicine.
At Pasco High School, I was an All-State athlete in three sports — football, basketball, and soccer. In 2007, I was part of the state championship soccer team. I scored the game-winning goal in the state final. That moment taught me something about pressure and preparation that no textbook ever could. When my patients say they want to get back to their sport, I know exactly what they mean. I have been that person.
The Long Road to the OR
After a two-year mission in Dallas, Texas, I went to Brigham Young University on a full academic scholarship, studying exercise science and biomechanics. I wanted to understand how the body moves and why it breaks down. From BYU I went to Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, where I earned my DO degree.
Residency took me to the Valley Consortium in Modesto, California, for orthopedic surgery training. Then came the fellowship — University of Missouri, one of the most respected sports medicine programs in the country. I trained under Drs. Stannard and Smith, two of the top orthopedic surgeons in the nation. I served as team physician for Mizzou football, basketball, baseball, and volleyball. I was on the sideline at SEC away games — Auburn, Florida, bowl games. I cared for athletes at the highest level of college sports.
Why I Came Home
My wife is from the Tri-Cities. Our families are here. Our five kids are growing up here, going to school here, playing sports here. When I finished my fellowship, the choice wasn’t really a choice. There was one place in the world I wanted to be.
But there was something else too. The Tri-Cities — Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, and the surrounding communities of Walla Walla, Yakima, the Columbia Basin, and Eastern Oregon — had a real gap in fellowship-trained sports medicine care. Families from Hermiston, Pendleton, Moses Lake, and Yakima were driving hours to Seattle or Portland for procedures I was trained to do right here.
That is not right. People who play high school sports in Pasco or work physically demanding jobs in Walla Walla deserve the same access to fellowship-trained orthopedic care that patients in major cities take for granted. That is what I came home to provide.
What Fellowship-Trained Means for You
A fellowship is a year of highly specialized training after the standard five-year orthopedic surgery residency. Sports medicine fellowship training focuses specifically on arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, hip, and knee, complex ligament reconstruction, cartilage restoration, and athlete-level return-to-sport protocols. Fourteen of my peer-reviewed research publications are on topics in these areas.
When you come to me with an ACL tear, a hip labral tear, a rotator cuff injury, or knee arthritis requiring Mako robotic joint replacement, you are getting the most current, evidence-based care available — the same standard that D1 athletes received at Mizzou — right here in the Tri-Cities.
Fellowship-Trained Care for Eastern Washington & Eastern Oregon
Dr. Kelly sees patients at Tri-City Orthopedics in Kennewick, WA. He regularly cares for patients from Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, Walla Walla, Yakima, Moses Lake, Sunnyside, Prosser, Hermiston OR, Pendleton OR, Umatilla OR, and throughout the Columbia Basin. Call 509-460-5588 or request an appointment online.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Dr. Kelly
Is Dr. Kelly from the Tri-Cities?
Yes. Dr. Kelly grew up on a farm north of Pasco, WA, attended Pasco High School, and is an All-State athlete in football, basketball, and soccer. He and his wife — also from the Tri-Cities — chose to return home after his fellowship at the University of Missouri to raise their five kids and build his surgical career in the community where he grew up.
Where did Dr. Kelly train?
Dr. Kelly earned his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University (exercise science and biomechanics), his DO degree from Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Valley Consortium in Modesto, CA, and his sports medicine fellowship at the University of Missouri — one of the top programs in the country. He served as D1 team physician at Mizzou and at the University of Southern Indiana.
What does fellowship-trained mean?
A fellowship is a year of subspecialty training after completing a five-year orthopedic surgery residency. Dr. Kelly’s sports medicine fellowship at the University of Missouri focused specifically on arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, hip, and knee; complex ligament reconstruction; cartilage restoration; and athlete care. Fellowship training represents the highest level of specialization in orthopedic surgery.
Why does fellowship training matter for my care?
Fellowship-trained surgeons perform a higher volume of complex procedures in their specialty area and have focused training in the most current surgical techniques and return-to-sport protocols. For conditions like ACL reconstruction, hip arthroscopy, rotator cuff repair, and Mako robotic joint replacement, fellowship training directly translates to more refined surgical skill and better outcomes.
Does Dr. Kelly see patients from outside the Tri-Cities?
Yes. Dr. Kelly regularly sees patients from Walla Walla, Yakima, Moses Lake, Sunnyside, Prosser, Hermiston OR, Pendleton OR, Umatilla OR, and throughout Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon. Many patients drive 1–2 hours because fellowship-trained sports medicine orthopedic surgery is not available closer to home. Call 509-460-5588 to schedule at Tri-City Orthopedics in Kennewick.
