Albertus Magnus College Teams-up with Griffin Health to Tell Story of Renewal
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:21
Albertus Magnus College Teams-up with Griffin Health to Tell Story of Renewal
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Albertus Magnus College Teams-up with Griffin Health to Tell Story of Renewal
Commercials and Billboards Celebrate Women’s Ice Hockey Player’s Comeback from Injury
Lila Whitney, a defender on the Falcons Women's Hockey team
New Haven, Conn., March 26, 2025
–
Albertus Magnus College
a
nd Griffin Health have teamed up to share an inspiring story of how orthopedic surgery
‘lit the lamp’ for young women’s hockey player. Lila Whitney, a defender on the Falcons
Women’s Hockey team, is not only a rising star on the ice — she’s playing a leading
role in a
local commercial
and billboards for orthopedic surgery at Griffin Health in Derby.
Whitney, an Albertus sophomore from Canton, Conn., was pushing through the pain a
torn hip labrum since high school and required surgery. After gritting through her
freshman season, Lila saw renown orthopedic surgeon Jeffrey Klauser, who recommended
surgery to repair the tear and fix a bone condition that caused the tear. The successful
surgery enabled Whitney to skate and score with joy — leading to a solid season where
she played in 24 games and notched seven shots.
Whitney's comeback story is the subject of a statewide commercial and billboards throughout
New Haven County that highlight how Dr. Klauser and Griffin Health's patient-centered
care restored her confidence “physically, emotionally, completely”. The commercials
also feature Whitney's teammates who helped show her recovery in video of a practice.
“I got into the ice and I was like, ‘oh my God,’ I haven't skated with no pain in,
I don't know, four or five years,” Whitney said. “It was really nice to finally have
someone that listened to me and knew that there was something wrong with my hip and
was able to fix it. I've been dealing with pain for so long and to then finally step
on the ice and be able to skate normally and no pain-free is just amazing. There's
no other way to describe it other than amazing.”
In addition to Whitney working her way back from the injury to join the Falcons this
season, she grew as a contributor for the team — helping Albertus to qualify for
the New England Hockey Conference Tournament in its first year in the league.
“Lila’s resilience and determination are truly inspiring,” said Albertus head coach
Steve Novodor. “After battling through surgery and rehab, she’s back on the ice stronger
than ever. Her dedication to the team and love of the game never wavered, and we’re
so proud to have her competing again.”
Dr. Klauser, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Connecticut Orthopedics, specializes
in arthroscopic surgery and the treatment of sports related injuries in patients
of all ages. Following the completion of his residency, Dr. Klauser was selected to
become a sports medicine fellow under the tutelage of world-renowned orthopedic surgeon
Dr. James Andrews. While at the Andrews Institute, Dr. Klauser worked side-by-side
with Dr. Andrews where he learned advanced techniques to care for the highest level
of professional athlete and young amateur athletes alike. His team physician experience
included the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals, Auburn University,
Pensacola Blue Wahoos, University of West Florida, and multiple high school sports
teams, including the Under Armour All-American Team.
“Hockey players put a lot of stresses through their hip joints and oftentimes can
tear their labrum, which is a rim of cartilage that surrounds the socket, acts as
like a gasket for the hip,” Klauser said. “Lila had a recurrent tear for labrum and
her hip as well as a lot of scar tissue from the prior surgery. She's an athlete,
and she's got a long career ahead of her, so part of my job is to figure out, well,
what can we do to help her get her back to the ice.
“Hip labrum reconstruction requires precision and teamwork. At Griffin, I'm confident
in the caregivers and technology that help Lila fulfill her dream and return to the
ice at a high level.”
To learn more about Lila’s story and Griffin’s patient-centered sports medicine, visit
https://www.griffinhealth.org/solutions-for sports-injuries
.
About Griffin Health
Griffin Health is a not-for-profit health care system that includes the award-winning
Griffin Hospital, an independent community teaching hospital located in Derby, Connecticut
and its integrated medical practice Griffin Faculty Physicians. Griffin Hospital is
a 160-bed acute care community hospital serving more than 130,000 residents of the
Lower Naugatuck Valley Region. Griffin Hospital is the flagship hospital for Planetree,
an international consumer healthcare organization dedicated to promoting patient-centered
care, and has received national recognition for creating a healthcare facility and
an approach to patient care that is responsive to the needs of the whole person and
their loved ones. Griffin’s commitment to the patient-centered care philosophy enhances
its mission to improve the well-being of its communities by empowering individuals
with health education, wellness programs and assistance with social determinants of
health. Many healthcare organizations around the world send visitors to Griffin Hospital’s
facilities and incorporate its Planetree concepts into their healthcare models. Griffin
Hospital is recognized for having industry-leading patient satisfaction ratings and
has received numerous quality and clinical excellence awards. Griffin Hospital was
listed as one of the “World’s Best Hospitals” by Newsweek magazine for seven consecutive
years (2019-2025), awarded Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care™
by Planetree International, and was named one of “Becker’s 100 Great Community Hospitals”
the highly reputable healthcare specialty publication Becker’s Hospital Review for
continued focus on equity, patient satisfaction, innovation, and improving the health
needs of the surrounding community. For more information, visit www.griffinhealth.org.
About Albertus Magnus College
Founded in 1925, Albertus is a coeducational Catholic College in the Dominican tradition.
Albertus' values- and liberal arts-based education is recognized by external rankings
such as US News & World Report, Money, and The New York Times, and has been named
a Top 10 Military Friendly School. For ten consecutive years, at least 95% of Albertus
graduates have attained employment or gone on to graduate studies within six months
of completing their degrees. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,300
students across its traditional undergraduate, accelerated adult undergraduate, and
graduate program levels. Proud to enroll a student body where nearly half of its undergraduate
students receive Federal Pell Grants and are first-generation college goers, Albertus
is known for its innovative curricular offerings, recently launching new Bachelor's
degree programs in Nursing, including BSN and Connecticut's first LPN-to-BSN; General
Health Sciences; Interdisciplinary Studies; and Public Health.
Among its graduate offerings is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in
Art Therapy and Counseling program, and it is just one of three schools to offer a
Master of Science in Human Services. In 2025-26, Albertus is celebrating its historic
100th Anniversary and completing implementation of the Albertus 2025: Lighting the
Way to a Second Century strategic plan, with a bold vision to "be a destination liberal
arts-based college, distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach
to education, rooted in Dominican values, that prepares students for lifelong civic
engagement and success." To learn more, please visit
albertus.edu
.
Degrees
Dominican & College Traditions
Faculty
Fast Facts
History
Our Campus
Contact
Andrea Kovacs
Vice President for Marketing & Community Relations
media@albertus.edu
(203) 773-0129
Albertus Magnus College
700 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Copyright ©
Albertus Magnus College, All Rights Reserved
Website Privacy and Cookie Policy
Copyright ©
Quick Links
Degrees
Dominican & College Traditions
Faculty
Fast Facts
History
Our Campus
Albertus Magnus College Teams-up with Griffin Health to Tell Story of Renewal
Commercials and Billboards Celebrate Women’s Ice Hockey Player’s Comeback from Injury
Lila Whitney, a defender on the Falcons Women's Hockey team
New Haven, Conn., March 26, 2025
–
Albertus Magnus College
a
nd Griffin Health have teamed up to share an inspiring story of how orthopedic surgery
‘lit the lamp’ for young women’s hockey player. Lila Whitney, a defender on the Falcons
Women’s Hockey team, is not only a rising star on the ice — she’s playing a leading
role in a
local commercial
and billboards for orthopedic surgery at Griffin Health in Derby.
Whitney, an Albertus sophomore from Canton, Conn., was pushing through the pain a
torn hip labrum since high school and required surgery. After gritting through her
freshman season, Lila saw renown orthopedic surgeon Jeffrey Klauser, who recommended
surgery to repair the tear and fix a bone condition that caused the tear. The successful
surgery enabled Whitney to skate and score with joy — leading to a solid season where
she played in 24 games and notched seven shots.
Whitney's comeback story is the subject of a statewide commercial and billboards throughout
New Haven County that highlight how Dr. Klauser and Griffin Health's patient-centered
care restored her confidence “physically, emotionally, completely”. The commercials
also feature Whitney's teammates who helped show her recovery in video of a practice.
“I got into the ice and I was like, ‘oh my God,’ I haven't skated with no pain in,
I don't know, four or five years,” Whitney said. “It was really nice to finally have
someone that listened to me and knew that there was something wrong with my hip and
was able to fix it. I've been dealing with pain for so long and to then finally step
on the ice and be able to skate normally and no pain-free is just amazing. There's
no other way to describe it other than amazing.”
In addition to Whitney working her way back from the injury to join the Falcons this
season, she grew as a contributor for the team — helping Albertus to qualify for
the New England Hockey Conference Tournament in its first year in the league.
“Lila’s resilience and determination are truly inspiring,” said Albertus head coach
Steve Novodor. “After battling through surgery and rehab, she’s back on the ice stronger
than ever. Her dedication to the team and love of the game never wavered, and we’re
so proud to have her competing again.”
Dr. Klauser, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Connecticut Orthopedics, specializes
in arthroscopic surgery and the treatment of sports related injuries in patients
of all ages. Following the completion of his residency, Dr. Klauser was selected to
become a sports medicine fellow under the tutelage of world-renowned orthopedic surgeon
Dr. James Andrews. While at the Andrews Institute, Dr. Klauser worked side-by-side
with Dr. Andrews where he learned advanced techniques to care for the highest level
of professional athlete and young amateur athletes alike. His team physician experience
included the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals, Auburn University,
Pensacola Blue Wahoos, University of West Florida, and multiple high school sports
teams, including the Under Armour All-American Team.
“Hockey players put a lot of stresses through their hip joints and oftentimes can
tear their labrum, which is a rim of cartilage that surrounds the socket, acts as
like a gasket for the hip,” Klauser said. “Lila had a recurrent tear for labrum and
her hip as well as a lot of scar tissue from the prior surgery. She's an athlete,
and she's got a long career ahead of her, so part of my job is to figure out, well,
what can we do to help her get her back to the ice.
“Hip labrum reconstruction requires precision and teamwork. At Griffin, I'm confident
in the caregivers and technology that help Lila fulfill her dream and return to the
ice at a high level.”
To learn more about Lila’s story and Griffin’s patient-centered sports medicine, visit
https://www.griffinhealth.org/solutions-for sports-injuries
.
About Griffin Health
Griffin Health is a not-for-profit health care system that includes the award-winning
Griffin Hospital, an independent community teaching hospital located in Derby, Connecticut
and its integrated medical practice Griffin Faculty Physicians. Griffin Hospital is
a 160-bed acute care community hospital serving more than 130,000 residents of the
Lower Naugatuck Valley Region. Griffin Hospital is the flagship hospital for Planetree,
an international consumer healthcare organization dedicated to promoting patient-centered
care, and has received national recognition for creating a healthcare facility and
an approach to patient care that is responsive to the needs of the whole person and
their loved ones. Griffin’s commitment to the patient-centered care philosophy enhances
its mission to improve the well-being of its communities by empowering individuals
with health education, wellness programs and assistance with social determinants of
health. Many healthcare organizations around the world send visitors to Griffin Hospital’s
facilities and incorporate its Planetree concepts into their healthcare models. Griffin
Hospital is recognized for having industry-leading patient satisfaction ratings and
has received numerous quality and clinical excellence awards. Griffin Hospital was
listed as one of the “World’s Best Hospitals” by Newsweek magazine for seven consecutive
years (2019-2025), awarded Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care™
by Planetree International, and was named one of “Becker’s 100 Great Community Hospitals”
the highly reputable healthcare specialty publication Becker’s Hospital Review for
continued focus on equity, patient satisfaction, innovation, and improving the health
needs of the surrounding community. For more information, visit www.griffinhealth.org.
About Albertus Magnus College
Founded in 1925, Albertus is a coeducational Catholic College in the Dominican tradition.
Albertus' values- and liberal arts-based education is recognized by external rankings
such as US News & World Report, Money, and The New York Times, and has been named
a Top 10 Military Friendly School. For ten consecutive years, at least 95% of Albertus
graduates have attained employment or gone on to graduate studies within six months
of completing their degrees. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,300
students across its traditional undergraduate, accelerated adult undergraduate, and
graduate program levels. Proud to enroll a student body where nearly half of its undergraduate
students receive Federal Pell Grants and are first-generation college goers, Albertus
is known for its innovative curricular offerings, recently launching new Bachelor's
degree programs in Nursing, including BSN and Connecticut's first LPN-to-BSN; General
Health Sciences; Interdisciplinary Studies; and Public Health.
Among its graduate offerings is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in
Art Therapy and Counseling program, and it is just one of three schools to offer a
Master of Science in Human Services. In 2025-26, Albertus is celebrating its historic
100th Anniversary and completing implementation of the Albertus 2025: Lighting the
Way to a Second Century strategic plan, with a bold vision to "be a destination liberal
arts-based college, distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach
to education, rooted in Dominican values, that prepares students for lifelong civic
engagement and success." To learn more, please visit
albertus.edu
.
Degrees
Dominican & College Traditions
Faculty
Fast Facts
History
Our Campus
Contact
Andrea Kovacs
Vice President for Marketing & Community Relations
media@albertus.edu
(203) 773-0129
Albertus Magnus College
700 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Copyright ©
Albertus Magnus College, All Rights Reserved
Website Privacy and Cookie Policy
Copyright ©