Eric D. Fornari, MD

Eric D. Fornari, MD, is Co-Director of the Division of Pediatric Orthopedics at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein. He is the Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, as well as the Well-Being Officer for the department. Dr. Fornari is also Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Pediatrics at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Fornari is an orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in pediatric orthopedics. His clinical focus is on pediatric and adolescent hip disorders and sports medicine. He is passionate about patient care, clinical research and the advancement of the field of pediatric orthopedic surgery.

After completing his undergraduate training at Colgate University, Dr. Fornari went on to attend medical school at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, where he graduated magna cum laude and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA). He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Tufts Medical Center in Boston where he was awarded the Henry H. Banks Award for the outstanding chief resident. He then went on to complete his fellowship in pediatric orthopedics and scoliosis at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, and later completed a fellowship in Bern, Switzerland, focusing on hip preservation surgery.

Dr. Fornari has a robust research portfolio. He is an active member of the International Perthes Study Group, serving as the Patient Reported Outcome Lead. He is also an active part of multicenter research with the International Hip Dysplasia Registry (IHDR) and SCFE Longitudinal International Prospective (SLIP) Registry, as well as the Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine Society’s (PRiSM) Hip Research Interest Groups.

Dr. Fornari joined the faculty at Montefiore Einstein and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx, NY, in 2012. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He has been heavily involved with the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) since starting his practice. He previously served on the Children’s Orthopaedics in Underdeveloped Regions (COUR) Committee and, while chair of this committee, he led the transition to the Pediatric Orthopedic Global Outreach committee. He has also served on the Communications Committee as well as the Bylaws Committee. He is a founding member of PRiSM and has been active with a number of committees and research groups within the organization. He is also an active member of the American Osteopathic Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

In 2023, Dr. Fornari was awarded the Angela Kuo Award by POSNA for his research on the impact of mental health on adolescents undergoing scoliosis surgery. He has won numerous awards and accolades, including being chosen as the Department of Orthopedic Surgery 2017 Attending of the Year by the graduating chief residents. He was selected to be part of the inaugural cohort for the Montefiore Physician Leadership Program and subsequently completed The Health Management Academy Physician Leadership Program.

Dr. Fornari is an active volunteer, administering orthopedic surgical care and training worldwide. He has partnered with Health Volunteers Overseas and Orthopedics Overseas in Malawi, Africa. For the last decade he has partnered with Project Perfect World, traveling annually to Guayaquil, Ecuador, to provide comprehensive pediatric orthopedic care to children in need and training to local residents and surgeons.