Biography


Dr. Donnelly is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with subspecialty board certification in orthopaedic sports medicine. He is the medical director of Sports Medicine and the vice chief of Orthopaedics for Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley. He is also a clinical assistant professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

As a clinician, Dr. Donnelly delivers comprehensive prevention and treatment strategies for sports-related orthopaedic trauma. He specializes in the arthroscopic treatment of disorders of the shoulder and knee. He provides particular expertise in minimally invasive and tissue-sparing surgery such as all-inside ACL reconstruction and arthroscopic fixation of shoulder rotator cuff tears.

He has extensive experience providing game coverage and athletic trainer support for teams including the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball as well as high school and college teams. He also has made numerous presentations to educate the community regarding prevention, evaluation, and treatment of injuries in athletes.

Professional Summary


Education & Certifications
  • Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (2008)
  • Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery (2007)
  • Residency: St Marys Medical Center Orthopedic Residency (2005) CA
  • Medical Education: St Louis University School of Medicine (2000) MO

Specializing In

Practice Locations


Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in Pleasanton Pleasanton, CA
Pleasanton, CA

5725 W Las Positas Blvd, Suite 200

Pleasanton , CA 94588

(925) 272-2860

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Patient Ratings

(495 Ratings)

Overall Rating
4.9/5

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4.9/5
Friendliness
Friendliness/courtesy of the care provider
4.9/5
Explanations
Explanations the care provider gave you about your problem or condition
4.9/5
Listens
Concern the care provider showed for your questions or worries
4.9/5
Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your care
Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your treatment
4.9/5
Recommended to others
Likelihood of your recommending this care provider to others
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How Our Ratings Work

The Patients Ratings and comments are gathered from our Patient Satisfaction Survey and displayed in their entirety.

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Patient Reviews

(215 reviews)

he is an amazing doctor
We already recommended Dr Donnelly to a family member for a consult. She is now scheduled for TKR in February.
Everyone I interacted with today was helpful.
dr Donnely is the best
Dr Donnelly is the best
Everyone was friendly and helpful.
Excellent Doctor- excellent explantation of the test results and very clear explanation of treatment options. I would definitely recommend my friends to Dr. Donnelly.
Efficient. Personable. Professional. Expert.
They are the best!! Thank you!
Friendly, knowledgeable, professional
Dr. Donnelly is a fantastic orthopedic surgeon!
Very good
My favorite Surgeon when I need him!
Exceptional care. Dr Donnelley is the best. Didn’t even feel the shot.can’t say enough about him and his staff.
Dr. Donnelly was very cordial and professional. His explanation was thorough and he made sure that I understood my options
I have been to a couple other doctors and Dr. Donnelly was the first doctor who made me feel comfortable with everything I was going through! He is amazing!
He is excellent. He has great bedside manner and he is extremely knowledgeable. He was highly recommended and I would recommend him to anyone.
Very easy to work with.
Professional, listens, advises perfectly.
Staff and Drs were friendly and attentive. Services and scheduling was easy.
Really Like Dr. Donnelly. Very caring doctor. Makes you feel at ease. Knowledgeable without being arrogant. Gives options. Doesn't "push" for surgery but is honest about pros/cons. 2 thumbs up.
Dr Donnelly was on time and very helpful with his consultation.
Excellent service by staff and MD both who made efforts to see and treat asap and effectively.
Dr Donnelly is very thorough, takes his time going over scans and explaining options in detail
Great doctor! Love that he takes the time to answer any questions that you may have.
Very comfortable to talk with. Answers every question and doesn't seem to be in a hurry.
My husband had this MD and was very happy with his care so I chose him too because I was with my husband when he had his surgery and I was also very happy with Dr.J.Donnelly
Very professional & efficient service both by doctor, his assistant & receptionist.
very engaging and attentive to patient
Joseph Donnelly is absolutely the best! He was our surgeon when he was with Webster Orthopedics and we have followed him to Stanford because he is that good. Dr. Donnelly is personable, easy to communicate with, understands and addresses patient's concerns, conservative in his approach and genuinely cares about his patients. Couldn't ask for a better doctor/surgeon.
Dr Donnelly is the best!
Each person who cared for me could not have been better and more caring.
Dr donnelly always clearly explains everything about your condition and care plan
Very good visit. He explained everything I needed to know to proceed.
All went well, no issues and on time plus answered all my questions
Doctor Dolly is a caring doctor and I tell everybody about him
Thanks for your time today. I appreciate the guidance on the repair on both tendons.
Excellent
Dr. Donnelly is always so genuine with listening
A terrific listener and clinician
I thought he's honest and pretty straight forward.
Dr. Donnelly is professional, competent & friendly.
I really appreciate Dr. Donnelly’s honest, frank advice. I trust him.
The x-Ray tech, Perla, and Dr D we’re all great. Very professional, friendly, and efficient.
Dr.Donnelly, Is a fantastic Doctor Listen,Understanding to my needs he see my progress a very Concern Doctor God Bless Him !
He is very thorough
Dr Donnelly and I go back several years and he has always been cordial and extremely helpful.
Dr. Donnelly us exceptional ortopedic surgeon.
Good bedside manner in other words he’s very comfortable to talk with and very informative
I believe he is an excellent communicator and he understands the patient's concerns and constraints. He considers the individuality of the patient; not one size fits all.
New office building and cleanliness. Staffs are ver helpful, and doctor is very knowledgeable and nice
Ez pz
The office staff and doctor were professional and prompt, yet friendly and personable. They made me feel very welcomed.
Dr Donnelly was great, he broke down my results well and we figured out a plan of action
Dr. Donnelly is one of the best, kindest and caring Professionals I've ever known. He doesn't stop until he has an answer and always listens and talks things over with you.
I appreciate the pre-check-in process, and the prompt attention as soon as I got in the Office. I had a thorough and meaningful check-up conversation with the Orthopedic Doctor.
Dr. Donnelly is a caring and thorough doctor with a great bedside manner!
Wonderful and caring doctor.
It took some time to get in and see him but once I got in it was great
Donnelly is great!
Really amazed
Everyone was so terrific, I was made to feel important and comfortable
Hi, office visits always efficient and good.
Great Dr.
Very good
excellent
Luv Dr. Donnelley, describes issues well, good listener, and great medical options.
The doctor explained my condition and treatment options thoroughly which was very helpful and reassuring.
Very professional!
all the staff were wonderful
Great visit. All questions answered
He's a Great Physician and I will always follow him when he goes somewhere else. I left Webster Ortho when he did. I trust him.
Convenient and professional services
Dr Donnelly surgically restored my knee mobility, for which I am ever grateful. He was clear yet compassionate about my treatment options and expectations. I highly recommend this physician.
Love dr Donnelly!
Dr Donnelly is an excellent physician. He took the time to both explain the lab results to me and listen to my questions and concerns.
Doctor is awesome
Professional, kind, funny, efficient, staff.
Dr Donnelly was professional and awesome as usual! Great Doctor.
Very friendly staff and doctor.
Doctor and staff were all friendly and very helpful, appointment started a bit late though.
Very helpful, prior treatment was corrected
Dr. Donnelly is great!
Dr Donnelly and staff were very professional
Dr. Donnelly is a great Dr.
Thank you for your expertise in my situation
Dr. Donnelly is highly professional and very cordial. He explained his opinion of my discomfort and options fo dealing with it in terms I can understand. He did not rush through any part of the visit.
Dr Donnelley was thoroughl and gave me much more information than another doctor
Always polite helpful and get things done
Dr. D was great
Dr Donnelly is the best through professional great rapport
Excellent care! Really appreciate the staff and doctors.
Excellent staff, fantastic Dr’s
Dr. Donnelly was very kind and caring.
Dr Donnelly is the best,
He really took the time to listen to me.
Dr Donnelly is awesome!
Dr. Joseph Donnelly is the best orthopedic surgeon ðŸ‘¨â€ âš•ï¸ and he's been helpful,clearly explained to me about my issues.... Highly recommended!!!!!
Staff was courteous
Always excellent care from Stanford and Dr Donnelly
Excellent service! Many thanks.
I really like his approach to my knee problem. I trust him and look forward to repairing the knee.
Dr Donnelly is amazing at explaining the whole process pre and post surgery! I have recommended him to many others as well!
Dr. Donnelly is very thorough, thoughtful and appreciated his time very much.
Dr was very friendly and pleasant
Very thoughtful Dr. good bed side manner.
Dr. Donnelly was very responsive to my questions. Friendly and very professional.
very easy to talk to
Dr .Donynelly listens and understnds my concerns and complaints and addesses these issues and helps me create a good care plan.
Very good all the way around
Nice person takes time to explain all options you need to know
Very good doctor
Dr Donnelly is honest, but always reassuring! He is an excellent clinician!
Great service
He's awesome
Dr and staff are all terrific.
Great front desk, X-ray tech & MA staff. Dr. Donnelly was 10/10.
Great doctor.
professional staffs and friendly environment
Dr. Donnely is great. He is so easy to talk to. He's not a dictator. Thank goodness.
He’s knowledgeable and very concerned about your current issues
Very good doctor.
Dr. Donnelly is extremely knowledgeable, spends a considerable amount of time with you, answers all your questions and is very patient oriented- highly recommend Dr Donnelly
Very prompt and organized. Answered all my questions clearly.
Excellent
Dr. Donnelly listened carefully to my symptom description, reviewed my X-ray, and tested my knee. Then he recommended a self care and physical therapy program to address my problems. He was kind, caring, and pleasant to confer with.
Dr donnelly listens and takes his time to explain your options
Doctor Donnelly is the best!
Dr Joe Donnelly is an excellent physician. He spends a lot of time giving detailed explanation to his patients. I've always received the best care possible for all my orthopedic issues for many years. I highly recommend choosing him for medical issues.
Dr. Donnelly is an excellent Dr. Very compassionate, kind and always looking out for whats best for his patient's. Highly recommended.
Dr. Donnelly is our one and only Orthopedic for our entire family! We have followed him to Stanford. The very best!
Great Doctor
Dr. Donnelly was very cordial, presented the info clearly with diagrams and explanations that I understood without any trouble. He provided a plan that was reasonable for my continuing treatment.
great doctor
Dr. Donnelly, Dr. Pusateri, Todd, and all of the team including the front desk receptionists are awesome.
Dr Donnelly and staff are great.
Love those guys, very professional ðŸ‘
Wonderful and pleasant to talk with. Surgery was excellent.
Dr. Donnelly and his staff were thoughtful, thorough, and friendly. Great experience.
Excellent doctor-very knowledgeable, wonderful demeanor, and very experienced!
Great service and great physician
Everyone was so pleasant upon entering the office. The assistant to Dr. Donnelly was helpful and cheerful. As always De. Donnelly was there to help me and address the ongoing issues of my knees and Achilles. Dr. Donnelly always takes the time to explain what the problem is and what can be done to help. I am grateful for such a k no knowledgeable and compassionate doctor.
Friendly , efficient , helpful and professional . Very Happy with my experience !!
He did a great job on my shoulder it’s doing very well.
Dr Donnelly is a great Doctor
Dr. Donnelly was very personable and professional. I had a very good experience. Thank you
Will certainly continue to recommend!
Straight forward and Easy to talk to.
Joe Donnelly MD has great bedside manner and communicates effectively regarding my medical problem
Listened and explained things very well. Worked out a plan to proceed with treatment.
Dr Donnelly is great. The person that scheduled my appointment forgot to set up my x-ray appointment. I came early to have X-rays and I had to wait for a long time
Dr, Donnelly always make me feel very comfortable and listens when I ask questions. And he always is great when I get knee shots. Very easy and no pain.
Dr. Donnelly and Stanford are the best!
Dr. Donnelly is a very good surgeon and extremely great at his care for his patients.
Very nice, knowledgeable, professional and easy to communicate. Very friendly and understandable towards your health care issues.
Great staff. They listen to your needs and work with you to find a solution.
These guys were super nice and helpful! thank you
Dr. Donnelley is the BEST and you are lucky to have him
Dr Donnelly has been amazing. He’s done a thorough job of explaining my mri results and answered all my questions (and I had a lot of questions). He has been great at communicating what the treatment plan is and my path forward as well as following up on things he said he would do. My knee is already feeling significantly better and I feel very fortunate that I have him as my doctor.
Every staff person I encountered was friendly, helpful and professionak
Excellent doctor. I am grateful to have found him to take care of my problem shoulder.
Thoroughly explained the issues and suggested treatments.
On time with best doctor.
excellent doctor/ surgeon, office personal very god.
Dr. Donnelly is our family’s go to orthopedic doctor. We as a family think he is the very best! We recommend him to everyone we know.
The front office staff are pleasant and efficient. The x-ray techs are professional and personable. Dr. Donnelly and his aides listen, and take my concerns seriously and always seem to set my mind at ease
Dr. Donnelly was very nice, professional, and caring! Gave me my options and I agreed with his plan. Thank you Dr. Donnelly!
Dr. Donnelly and his staff are thorough and compassionate.
Nice office efficient and friendly staff
Dr. Donnely is wonderfull. I recommend him to anyone.
Joseph Donnelly came highly recommended and did not disappoint. I'm extremely satisfied with his diagnosis, treatment plan and care.
Dr. Donnelly provides good assessments and takes adequate time to offer his diagnosis and treatment options.
Awesome doctor
Excellent physician
I am very impressed with him.
Excellent care.
De. Donnelly was very polite and attentive. This was difficult news for me, and I had a list of questions, which he answered.
Dr. Donnolly was excellent!
Dr. Donnelly is incredible and would recommend him to anyone.
Excellent doctor , good maners , listen to you and takes his time to connect with you
He seems like a very good doctor, listens well, and is easy to understand.
great visit and feel like i'm headed in a good direction for recovery
Very professional and knowledgeable.
Dr. Donnelly was on time and he spent quality time on my issues.
Exceptional genuineness and empathy
Dr Donnelly is enthusiastic, respectful, empathetic and informative. I appreciate his positivity and professionalism.
Explained everything clearly and answered my questions.
Knowledgeable
I found Dr Donnelly to be astute, kind & concerned about proper diagnosis & treatment plan.
I LOVE Dr Donnelly and his entire staff!
From start to finish The Doctors and Staff really show The upmost for your health and wellness from start to finish!!
terrific to work with.
Top notch
Excellent listening skills and bedside manner as well as knowledge in how to address my i concerns.
Dr zDonnelly is first class.
real good care perfect
Great Doctor and very easy to talk to. Recommend him to anyone needing his ortho services.
engaged, listens, addresses concerns.
I would recommend Dr. Joseph Donnelly and his staff at Stanford to everyone who will listen. He is the BEST!
Great doctor!
Dr. Donnelly and staff were very attentive, thorough and caring. I was very happy with my visit.
I have seen Dr. Donnelly for shoulder and knee orthopedic problems at his previous practice, and happily again this time with his new one. As in the past, Dr. Donnelly was friendly and personable; he listened closely to my symptoms description, examined the XRay results taken that morning carefully. He explained the findings and his diagnosis very clearly, offered options for a treatment, provided his recommendations, and again listened to my concerns, and addressed them appropriately. The diagnosis he gave me very closely matches my symptoms, and finally I feel relief to know what is the cause of my pain. Because the issue is clearly nerve damage, he offered a recommendation for further evaluation and treatment by a neurologist, which I will follow, I am happy I was able to continue having Dr. Donnelly as my trusted orthopedist again.
The entire shoulder surgery experience has been made better by Dr. Donnelley and the entire staff.
Dr Donnelly is great. He is very attentive, listens and offers things that need to be considered when dealing with the issue at hand. very thorough and does not rush you through.
I was happy with Dr. Donnelly
the doctor went over all treatment options and answered all my questions.
knowledgeable and concerned about my concerns
Would highly recommend this doctor
Dr. Donnelly is fantastic! He is an excellent listener and he's concerned. Wish all doctors were like him.
Excellent.
Overall an excellent experience. Dr. Donnally explained his opinion in a very understandable way. Offered suggestions to help with the issue we are discussing. Good experience and I believe his treatment suggestions/plan will prove affective.
Dr. Donnelly treated me like a friend - not just a patient. It made me feel very confortable.
I followed Dr Donnelly to Stanford. I trust him completely to handle my care
very happy with the care I received
Wonderful doctor.

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