Dr. Higgins received his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and has been practicing in Maryland since 1991. He is board certified in orthopedic surgery, completed his residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and did his fellowship in sports medicine at Hughston Orthopedic Clinic in Columbus, Georgia.

Dr. Higgins is an active member of the sports medicine community at the Olympic, collegiate and high school levels. His experience ranges from serving as an Assistant Medical Director at the Atlanta Olympic games and Team Physician for USA basketball championships to serving as a team physician for American University, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and local all-star games. He is also a Master Instructor with the Arthroscopy Association of North America and a member of the American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine.

A native of the Washington area, Dr. Higgins is an involved member of the community. His work includes serving on the Board of Directors at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, MD and on the Board of Trustees for the Catholic Youth Organization. He is also a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and a former Chief of Sports Medicine for the Navy.

Dr. Higgins lives in the area with his wife and dogs. They have three children. They are proud to admit that their oldest son is a former Army infantryman, who served two terms overseas in Afghanistan. Their daughter currently goes to University of Maryland and youngest son to University of South Carolina. His family has played a big role in helping him treat athletes.

Kristine James is a board-certified physician assistant licensed in the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia.  She grew up in Anne Arundel County and received her Bachelors of Science degree in Allied Health from King’s College, graduating with honors in 1986.  Additional education includes specialty training in arthroscopy by the Arthroscopy Association of North America, and completion of the American College of Sports Medicine team physician course.   Early in her career she worked with a neurosurgeon in Connecticut but returned home to Maryland for employment in general surgery.  After working for the local hospital, assisting Dr. Higgins for a couple of years, he asked Kristine to join his practice in 1998.  She has been here ever since.  For over 20 years Kristine has been providing our patients with the excellent, compassionate care they need in order to get them “back in action”.  In the office she makes sure to give her individual attention in a timely manner at every appointment.  In the operating room she assists Dr. Higgins with all procedures.   Kristine is known for her gentle touch when giving injections.  She is happy to be part of the MDSMC family and loves the continuity of care she can provide for the patients through the course of their treatment, from injury to recovery.

Kristine is lives with her husband in Damascus.  She has 4 adult children and 3 granddaughters.  When her children where younger, Kristine was active with the high school and club swim teams.  She, herself was a competitive swimmer for 10 years.  Kristine gave her time to Damascus High School, working with the athletic trainer caring for student-athletes for many years.  She now enjoys spending her free time sewing and crafting and is a member of the CrossFit community.

Tara was raised in Kensington, Maryland and graduated from Walter Johnson High School in 1993. She ventured up to Boston to earn her BS in Health Science in 1997 and Masters of Science in Physical Therapy in 1999 from Sargent College at Boston University. Upon graduating she returned to Maryland and worked for 4 years alongside Dr. Higgins in a PT owned outpatient clinic in Rockville. After seeing the kind of life care that her grandmother received, she went to work for Ashbury Methodist Village and Sunrise Assisted Living Facilities to better improve the lives of the geriatric population there. Soon enough she found herself alongside two acupuncturists in a start up PT owned clinic in Elkridge, Maryland. She was excited to work in tandem with the acupuncturists to blend the best of Eastern and Western philosophies to treat the whole health of each individual.

Tara joined the excellent health care team at Maryland Sports Medicine Center once more in 2008 on a full time basis. She is grateful for the opportunity to assist in the management of the PT clinic and hopes to bring continued growth to the practice. She looks forward to meeting her patients and to help them meet and exceed their goals.

Teresa grew up in Rockville and graduated from Rockville High School in 1992. She attended UMBC and graduated with honors in 1996 with a degree in Bio-Physchology. At UMBC, Teresa worked as a student athletic trainer for all four years working with the women’s lacrosse, soccer and volleyball teams. She gained valuable experience and knowledge in treating athletes. Teresa received her Masters in Physical Therapy in 1999 from the University of Maryland at Baltimore.

Teresa has worked the past 15 years in the outpatient orthopedic setting. She started her career as a physical therapist in Washington State and then moved back into the Maryland area in 2003 where she worked at NovaCare Rehabilitation in Waldorf, MD for seven years. She has treated patients populations ranging from teenage athletes to the elderly, as well as a variety of diagnoses: musculoskeletal, post-surgical, neuromuscular and general deconditioning. Teresa joined the Maryland Sports Medicine Team in 2011. Teresa’s vision as a physical therapist is, “to help patients return to optimal health physically and emotionally, with no functional limitations, so that they are able to live their lives to the fullest”. She strives to provide each patient with an uplifting and motivational atmosphere, so that Maryland Sports Medicine Center is a place they want to come. She looks forward to making a difference in the lives of her patients and helping them reach a successful recovery.

Audra is originally from Olney and graduated from Sherwood High School. She graduated with honors from Towson University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology and obtained a Masters of Physical Therapy degree from Shenandoah University in 2001. She has been practicing mostly outpatient orthopedic physical therapy for 16 years with a short stent in Home Health PT.  In 2004 Audra got her Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and helped to create a performance enhancement program for female soccer players.  For the past few years Audra has been focusing more on sports medicine and in 2013 she passed the Sports Certification Specialist (SCS) exam through the American Physical Therapy Association.  She is also a certified Emergency Medical Responder (EMR).  Audra brings a diverse background of experience from general orthopedics, post-surgical patients, total joint replacements, amputees and geriatrics to her passion which are athletes of all ages.

Audra is married with two young children and enjoys spending her time with all of her family, and cheering them on during their sports and activities. She loves treating patients of all ages and ability levels from collegiate athletes to young athletes to weekend warriors.  Audra joined MDSMC in 2013 and is honored to work with Dr. Higgins and the rest of the MDSMC team.

Kristen grew up in Silver Spring, MD and graduated from Paint Branch High School in 2004. At this point she traveled down south to attend Elon University in North Carolina. While at Elon, Kristen was pleased to continue her participation in dance as an active member of her college dance team. As philanthropy chair of her sorority, she enjoyed working on projects in the local community. She graduated in 2008, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Sport Science. Kristen worked in a physical therapy clinic as an aide, and then traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado where she worked at a ski resort while waiting for her physical therapy training to begin. The next stop on Kristen’s journey brought her Philadelphia, where she received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Temple University in 2012. During PT school Kristen found an interest in orthopedic conditions and manual therapy, and participated in internships to hone her skills in this area. After PT school Kristen returned home to Maryland.

Kristen enjoys living in this area because there are so many opportunities for cultural activities and outdoors adventures with family and friends. Though occasionally she does have to zip off to Colorado and Utah to satisfy her love of mountains and skiing.

Kristen is excited to a part of the Maryland Sports Medicine Center’s health care team. She hopes to help all of her patients meet their potential through therapeutic techniques, education, motivation and celebration of their progress.